[Pony Girl]

In the autumn I bought a wooden slatted bottom planter for my garden. I filled it with ordinary garden compost and put some bedding plants and spring bulbs in it and also a hebe.

However the hebe is looking very sick, infact I think it's dead now. I wonder if it's because I didn't put any gravel in the compost to help with drainage? Can anyone advise?

[Yorkie]

What was the drainage like - did you keep it watered properly / too much / not enough?  Is there moss on the surface of the pot?

In what way is the hebe looking sick?

[sunshineband]

Was it a hardy variety?

Did you leave the roots in the 'pot shape' when you planted it, or spread them out?

[Pony Girl]

It's definitely dead! Leaves have gone all black now. I don't know if it might have rotted?

I haven't overlly watered it, kept an eye on it to make sure it didn't dry out but we've had a lot of rain lately. Some of the miniature pansies have died as well.

Not sure if the hebe was a hardy type - it was just a standard one from a garden centre with plain leaves and little purple flowers. I tried not to disturb the roots too much - just shook off the loose soil before planting it.

[gobs]

It's hard to kill a hebe. I do not think you did anything wrong, other than have a better look at what you buy. Some plants sold in garden centres are potbound beyond belief, diseased or sodden with pests. Have a better look and make it a practice, I do even fiddle into the soil... me does.

I'd be tempted to show it to them.