I’ve never had any success growing veronicas. They tease me into purchasing them, but once they are in my garden they invariably develop a disease that causes the leaves to turn yellow and die. Or they become severely stunted and cease blooming. I always end up yanking them out in disgust. Then I forget about all the drama and try a new cultivar two years later and repeat the process all over again.
Last May I planted a new cultivar called ‘Eveline’. ‘Eveline’ grows 20 inches tall with slender lavender spikes. I deadheaded my plant, and it bloomed all summer long. ‘Eveline’ didn’t show even the slightest sign of disease. The leaves stayed dark green and healthy, and in the fall they turned a lovely reddish-purple.
Things went so smoothly that I was paranoid that ‘Eveline’ would croak over the winter. I checked on my plant this week and was delighted to find little green shoots peeking up from the ground.
It looks like my vexing veronica days are officially over.