Caryopteris × clandonensis Heavenly Blue (2 litre pot)

Piercing, dark blue flowers. Position: full sun Soil: moderately fertile, light, well-drained soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: August to September Hardiness: fully hardy Clusters of piercing, slightly fluffy, dark blue flowers appear in August and September at intervals on long stems among pointed, aromatic, grey-green leaves. With its strongly upright habit, this lovely, dark blue form of bluebeard is perfect for the middle of a sunny shrub or mixed border. It is also a magnet for bees and butterflies and is drought-tolerant. Where temperatures fall below -15°C it's best grown against a warm, south or west-facing wall. Garden care: In March prune all of the flowered stems back hard to the permanent framework. After pruning apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost around the base of the plant.