Is This Plant a Dud?

Will this Hebe "Orphan Annie" ever grow? Since I planted it last year, it seems to have hardly grown, through the whole spring, summer, and autumn growing season.


It is still hanging on, although I thought it might die a couple of times on the hottest summer days. Around the same time I planted it, so did several other gardeners in my area, but all those Orphan Annies have since died. I'm keeping my eye on some others which have recently been planted, to see if they fare any better. Is Hebe Orphan Annie just not suitable for our soil, or our climate? Or do you need super green fingers to grow it?

Yesterday at the nursery, I found this:

It seems even the professionals have difficulty keeping it alive.