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Choosing hebes for your garden

Hebes are evergreen shrubs with colourful summer flowers. They range from low-growing groundcover types to neat, bun-shaped mounds, to tall bushy shrubs ideal for the back of a border. They can be teamed with perennials and ornamental grasses, make good focal points, provide winter interest and their flowers attract pollinators.

Hebes for garden borders 

Hebes can range in height from just 30cm (1ft) to over 1.2m (4ft), for the front, middle and back of borders. Here are some taller and shorter options.

Hebes with attractive foliage

Many hebes have glossy green leaves, but the foliage can also be silvery to grey-green, mustard or rich purple. Some are variegated and others take on a pink or red flush in winter.

Compact hebes for containers

Many hebes grow well in containers, staying neat and compact, and providing year-round interest.

Hebes for hedging and border edgings

Some of the taller hebes work well as informal hedges or screens, while many shorter cultivars can be grown as low border edgings or even small topiary shapes

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.