Re: Pronunciation and cultivation of Hebes
I thought this was a very interesting posting, one that could perhaps only have taken place on the
net. As a virtual gardening community, we tend to do our garden talking by writing, whereas my mother,
an expert gardener, probably heard someone say the word Hebe (pronunciation Hee Bee) before she read
it.
Of course we have the same problem when we read a word in a book or in someone's letter, but it's not
the same sort of conversational style as on our unique list.
That reminds me too of when I was 14 and reading a book in class about a warship named "Leopard",
which one of my classmates read as a three syllable word rhyming with "le-o-tard" until our irate
Dublin-based English teacher exploded "Its Lepard, for God's sake, man", provoking much mirth among
the schoolboys!
By the way, I'm a big Hebe fan for the insect life they bring
Anthony
Daryl & Julie wrote:
> Would Cyndi or some other kind soul enlighten me on the correct pronunciation of
> Hebe? Does one say Hee Bee (in two syllables) or is it said as one syllable,
> Heeb?
> More importantly, would these beautiful shrubs thrive in Sarasota, Florida? I'm
> in Zone 10, which is classed as semi-tropical, but I can, and do, successfully
> grow some medit-type plants. We have hot, (92 to 98F) humid summers with daily
> rainshowers and mild, bone-dry winters. Soil is sandy.
> Thanks,
> Julie Finn
