For All You Hosta Freaks Out There

You know who you are, all you hosta lovers, freaks and geeks! Obsessive/compulsives, like me, who think there are no bad hostas. And we want all of them we can get! Lucky for us, there are thousands of varieties to choose from! (Oh, and don't be fooled by my knowing their names. I'm only telling you about the ones that haven't lost their labels, or never had any. I'm not that organized!)

Lower hosta bed, looking up. The pink in the middle is astilbe "Heart and Soul". El Nino is the pretty little blue and white in the foreground. Midwest Magic to the right. Two dogwoods, one pink and one white, will eventually shade this bed. We lost a small elm that shaded it, and poor Pizazz got its leaves burned this spring, but it is coming out of it.

On Stage

Of course, there has to be a Sum and Substance!

The big one in front is Regal Splendor. One of my favorites and a beautiful, reliable hosta that seems to be slug-proof. Left of it is Fire Island, Pineapple Upside-down Cake, Sum of all, and in the background, Blue Angel. This is the upper level. Someday, Sum of All, Blue Angel and T Rex (to the left, on the other side of the elephant ears and out of sight) will fill the center of this bed. These hostas were planted in '08 and '09., except Regal Splendor which is about 5 years old.

An assortment, next to the path going down to the lower level

Silver Threads and Golden Needles

Old bed under redbud tree, these hostas have been here for 6 years.

Pizazz at the top. You can see the sun damage.  Liberty is in front, left. Next to Liberty was labeled as White Feather, but it is not.

Sun Power

Great Arrival, in the center

Looking down into a new area, dwarf and mini hostas go down there.

Always beautiful and always reliable, Albo Marginata

New bed, just planted this spring (except for the A.M.'s.

Other side of mini-hosta bed. This area is new this summer, last week in fact. The larger hostas were transplanted out of spots where they were being crowded. A very young Big Daddy is in the back center.

Stilletto

Halcyon

Sweet Home Chicago. See the astilbe next to it?

This is when they were planted, in 2008. The astilbe has to come out! It doesn't stand a chance between Chicago and Veronica Lake, on the right! That's Paul's Glory, in the back.

Gold Standard in the back, Antioch in the front. Both old varieties but nice!

From left: Fragrant Summer, First Frost, Guacamole, Abiqua Drinking Gourd, underplanted with Kabitan

Albo Marginata Montana

Saving the best for last, Blue Angel. This plant is about 9 years old.

Hope you have enjoyed this sampling of my hosta collection!

Happy Gardening!

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magick waiting somewhere behind the morning." ---Jpseph Priest 1753-1804