Over the winter, this hebe got just plain ugly.  It was leggy and there were dead areas that I cut away with a vengeance.  I was trying to keep it from following its buddy into the green waste container.  Its buddy was totally dead by the beginning of last winter, so away it went.

True to my nature, I did nothing until I noticed how nice the hebe shrub was when I walked past it the last time I was in Walnut Creek.  Then, I went into research mode because that's the best way to figure things out.  I could have been observant and noticed that the lush plants were in full sun and mine has been subjected to ever increasing shade over the years, but no, never bothered to look up at the trees that need to be pruned.  (Looking up would require doing something about that!). When I was researching, I learned that they tend to get leggy if they are not getting enough sun.  Guess it's time to move this plant to the sunny side of the house.  Now I have to find a place and it will probably be on the side that gets the morning sun because it gets righteously hot on the side that gets the afternoon sun.  The research said that they like climates with cool summers and mild winters.  They are native to New Zealand after all.

Hebes have very unique, spiked blooms that vary in color from white, to pink and crimson and on to blue and purple. Mine bloom a light purple color.  Purple seems like the color I have seen the most in the nurseries that I frequent.  The leaves vary in color also-bronze, which I would love to see up close and in person, to burgundy or variegated.  The leaves also vary in size from small to large.  The plants range in size from 3 to 6 feet tall, depending on the variety.  They bloom from summer through the fall, and there are some that bloom in winter too!  No matter when they bloom, deadheading will keep them blooming consistently.

Plant in loose, well-draining soil and add organic compost.  Hebes will adapt to most soil types and do well in containers and rock gardens.  They only need to be fertilized once a year in the late winter to early spring.  They require consistent watering, but once the roots are established, they are pretty drought tolerant.  However, if in a pot, they will need more watering and also protection if we have frozen during the winter.

Pruning should be done in late summer.  When pruning it is a good time to propagate from the semi-hardwood.  Make the cuttings about 3 inches long and put into a gritty compost or coarse horticultural sand.  You can propagate from seed, but cuttings are the preferred method.
I think that I will give it a try this summer as I found that hebes are a short-lived plant, from 5 to 10 years.  Or, I can just go out and buy another...