Spare shears around hebes
A: Hebes don't require much pruning to look their best, so it's a good idea to plant them in a spot where they can grow into their natural shape and size. Sometimes they need to be shaped a bit or have frost damage cut out. Hebes respond well to mid-spring pruning, but since they can be a little cold-sensitive, don't ever prune in autumn, and wait until the weather warms up in the spring before you break out the clippers. Then trim lightly, except for frost-damaged areas, which you can cut out completely. In summer, it's a good idea to cut off the dead flower spikes to keep the plant looking tidy. It is generally better to replace a gangly, overgrown old hebe than to prune it drastically.
Q: Do you know where the pasque flower originates?
A: The botanical name for pasque flower is Pulsatilla. These little woodland or rock-garden beauties are relatives of anemones and the common buttercup. They are easily recognizable for their finely dissected leaves and nodding, cup-shaped blossoms centered in a mass of yellow stamen. The flowers are followed by fluffy, showy seed clusters with feathery top knots.
Native to both Eurasia and North America, various species of pasque flower grow wild in Turkish alpine meadows, Russian mountains, Japan, Korea, China, Siberia and across Europe. The Eastern pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens) is native to much of North America, including Alaska. The little western pasque flower found on the slopes of Mount Rainier and in the high meadows of the Cascades is really Anemone occidentalis. This wide geographical range means that pasque flowers are tough, hardy and adaptable to many garden conditions, but they do require sharp drainage.
Valerie Easton also writes about Plant Life in Sunday's Pacific Northwest Magazine. Write to her at P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111 or e-mail planttalk@seattletimes.com with your questions. Sorry, no personal replies.