Hebe help

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can advise me. My mum had some really nice hebe red edge growing in her garden. The top few pairs of leaves as well as the leafbuds are purple in colour. I've seen the same stuff growing at my work.

I told her how much I liked it so she bought me a couple of shrubs. However they look way greener than hers and completely lack the gradual variation in colour from the root to the tips. The leaf buds on mine are pale green, not pink/purple like hers. There's only a slight hint of the "red edge" itself.

I have searched all over the Internet and can't find the answer....will they eventually take on the same hues or is this what they will always look like? Is this just because they are relatively young compared to hers which is about 50-60cm high and about 4-6 years old? Does it need to live through a few winters first?

Or shall I bite the bullet and take cuttings from hers?

Thanks,
Fiona (2 pics of mine and another of how my mums looks below)

 

These plants really do thrive in the winter months and look far more fantastic in the winter light- my personal opinion is that it needs time to adjust to its surroundings.