There are so many different types and varieties of hebe, even we don’t know them all – and we certainly can’t tell you how good they are. So we’ll stick to our gang, who we know inside out: yes, they’re hardy.
A word of warning though: like all plants, their roots should not be allowed to freeze. When there is a heavy frost, ice crystals burst the ultra-fine capillaries in the roots, causing irreparable damage to the system that provides the plant with nutrients. Even the Antarctic pearlwort would struggle to survive in a pot on your balcony if the temperature fell to –15 °C for several nights in a row and it was blasted by an icy wind – and it’s renowned for being the toughest plant under the sun. If possible, bring your planters inside if it gets really cold. A balcony box looks great in the middle of a dining table – especially if it’s planted with Greenboys®.
If you’ve planted your Greenboys® out in a flower bed, you can stay curled up in front of the fire because the frost can’t get at the sensitive roots so easily.
You can buy Greenboys® at many garden centres and florists.