By Gattina
Bologna,
Italy 
Does anyone know anything about Abelia? I bought one yesterday with beautiful varigated, pink-flushed leaves and covered in very pretty pink flowers which I was told would continue through December. I was also told it was hardy and evergreen, and it sounds too good to be true. I have no idea what variety it is. Does anyone have one in their garden? I'd like to keep this one going rather than add it to the large pile of little corpses that didn't make it through heat, drought or low, low temperatures.
26 Oct, 2012
Answers
Thank you, Annella, that is certainly encouraging news. At least I shan't have to pot it up and drag it indoors overwinter. How does it cope with hot sunshine? (Oh come on, you must have some of that, even in the UK ;o))) Does it grow very big? (I'm just trying to decide where best to plant this)
26 Oct, 2012
We did have a very long dry spell before the very long wet spell Lol! It coped well without being watered and didn't seem to mind being drowned. As for hot sunshine I'm not really sure, It's in a sunny spot but hasn't really been tested yet! The growth of mine is tidy but quite slow so I don't think it will ever get too big. Hope that all helps :o))
26 Oct, 2012
I have had mine for years Gattina, its in full sun, doesn`t seem to mind what the weather throws at it, occasionally throws out a few leggy strands which I snip off, otherwise I leave well alone, its a gorgeous shrub as it changes colour as the seasons pass so well worth a place in the garden....
26 Oct, 2012
Thank you both so much. It sounds the prefect plant! Maybe I should go back and see if they have any more.......
26 Oct, 2012
Great choice Gattina! Yes, as the others have said, it really is a hardy evergreen with pretty flowers, and can be easily controlled, though it grows quite slowly. Mine is in dapplied shade, so not sure about "hot sunshine" but well worth the risk!
26 Oct, 2012
Lets face it girls 'Hot Sunshine' is not a problem here, but your Abelia will be fine Gattina xx
26 Oct, 2012
Hooray!
26 Oct, 2012
Gattina, it doesn't cope well with afternoon sun here, but our hot sun is probably of a different order than yours: we'll get up to 46º+ C here in the desert. Otherwise, easy to grow, but semi-deciduous in extra-cold winters. If you have very limy soil, you might want to add sequestrene occasionally.
27 Oct, 2012
Tugbrethil, we get 46° and more on a very regular basis during the summer months - in fact our August daytime average hovers around that mark. Perhaps I shall try shading it a little with other plants. Thank you so much for the tip about sequestrene: I didn't know that, and we are on chalky soil.
27 Oct, 2012
Gattina I have one in my front garden called Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'. I planted it 3 years ago so it has come through the really bad winter and last years -18 in February. It's a lovely plant that requires little or no attention in my garden.
26 Oct, 2012