What type of hostas do you have?

I'm afraid I don't know. Garden variety hostas. They are a lighter green, and the shoot up stalks with lavender flowers on them...

They look pretty much like this, but much smaller since they are fairly new transplants: http://www.honeysomeaquaticnursery.co.uk/shop/images/Hosta%20Erromena.jpg

Hostas are grown in the shade here. We can't really put them in full sun or they scorch. But, having said that, if your hostas are working, you might want to look into some perennial ferns that can tolerate a little sun. You can't wintersow them, but you can buy small divisions.

Northern Sea Oats should handle the same conditions, as will coleus made for sun. Myrhh is another good plant for part sun and has white blooms. I know you can find seed for that. pulmonarias are another good plant, again in shade for me. How about some begonias? Park Seed seems to have lots to choose from.

I always thought hostas were grown in shade, but these seem to do quite well in sun, so I'm not complaining! I guess they get enough shade. I'll check into those plants!

Thanks!

Leisa

What about armeria/sea thrift? There are dwarf astilbes but they might not take the mid-summer sun, especially in a dry season. There's dianthus, cushion spurge, iberis/candytuft that are low growers that can be WS. Some Stoke's aster doesn't grow too tall and balloon flower will be more compact & bushy if you whack it back to 6 inches the last week of May. I cut mine last year and couldn't believe the number of blooms it had. Oh, and don't forget heuchera/coral bells. Quite a few of those are good in the sun plus they've got interesting foliage to contrast with the hosta.

My sun loving hostas are in my bulb area. as the spring bulbs fade and die back, the hosta fill in. I also have gladiolas that come back every year, behind them. And a few peony, cali poppy, and pretty yellow weeds.
Yup, it's cottage garden style. I love it!

:) Laura

My first thought was to pair them with Jack Frost Brunnera. This is one in my gardens.

{{gwi:241947}}

Then my second thought was Blue Fescue Grass. Might look really nice!

I LOVE the candytuft! Does have anyone have seed they'd be willing to trade or accept an SASE for?

Tiffy,
they're Gorgeous!!!
Did you winter sow those?!! I never saw one. Thank you for sharing.

off to google land LOL
:) Laura

Those ARE really gorgeous -- I have my scheming face on trying to figure out where I could put that :)

Laura,

I did not winter sow it. I have found some seedlings around the plant and transplanted them. These are some in their second and third year.
{{gwi:199220}}

I have tried so hard to find seeds on this plant. They are really really small. :O)

Some of the seedlings are true and others are not but still beautiful!

There are other Brunneras out there and I will be looking for them this coming year. I am actually removing a lot of my Hostas and replacing them with these since they are deer reisitant.

Most hostas around here are grown in mostly shade but my Honeybells does get a lot of sun, scorches a little toward the end of summer but not badly.

One thing that works equally well in sun or shade depending on what you decide to plant in them is buy a couple shepherd's hooks, preferably the double, and break it up with that. I'm going to use those where my plants are too thick to put any more in the ground but I've got to find some matching baskets and the hangers.

I got several single and double at HD, they cost a little more if you have to go really cheap but really not that bad and are very sturdy. I'm finding lots of uses for them besides plants in baskets, hummingbird feeders, temporary stakes to hold stuff, Jap beetle traps which I won't use any more, things like that.

Tiffy,
5 stars! It's a "oooh mommy, I want that!"
something silly my youngest daughter used to say when she was 3.
It's kinda a family saying now. lol

:) Laura

Try Melampodium. It makes lovely yellow blooms and mounding plants. Mixed petunias would work nice too.

Leisa..obviously you don't have any Bambi visitors? I will attach a note around some of the ones that walk down our street and behind our house and tell them that you have lots of hostas waiting for them.

nope -- no deer. They still have enough of their own habitat out here that they don't venture our way. But we DO have lots of bunnies that like to destroy my crocusses!

Leisa, I have hosta's in shade here and have Cora bells the cranberry leaves are beautiful with Hosta'a, And in Spring I have prim rose in all color's through out the beds. and Bleeding hearts white as well as pink look great. and in fall late summer I have Annebelle Hydranga white snow ball looking one but they are all shade to half shade. and If you want to see this bed email me I have pic. on my kodack but cant put in GW. so I have all season bloom in this flower bed to see. homegardenbon0@aol.com ask for shade bed hosta by garage. thanks Bon. good luck finding what you are looking for. Is'nt It fun.

Someone in my town has a long stretch of road frontage where they've planted hosta along with tiger lilies. The purple and orange is absolutely stunning together and the big hosta foliage looks nice with the spikier lily foliage. I know a lot of gardeners dislike "ditch lilies" but they are a sentimental flower for me, reminding me of summers as a kid.

I really like that idea Lisa!!

We have lots and lots of hostas- even belong to a hosta club. We like astilbe, autumn and painted fern, bergenia, rodgersia, persica, coleus, columbine, brilliant colored impatiens, sea thrift, small peonies like early scout (from gilbert wild), hellebore, hyacinthoides, all the dicentra and my favorite is corydalis. it spreads politely, flowers all summer and the yellow shines in the sun! I'm a newbie WS, but I am going to try hosta seeds.

lindann, that sounds beautiful. Do you have a photo? Corydalis, I think I saw a variety called Chocolate Star or something similar, really caught my fancy.

I'm having trouble with screen names, but the person who did that nice demo series for WS'ing sowed some hosta seeds, looked like she'd saved some.

I've put off getting much more hosta but ordered a couple. One I'm afraid I'll be disappointed in, looked so pretty in the online photo. Then I googled for more photos, and it didn't look that terrific. It's called Heavenly Tiara.

Actually I have a nice place for hosta and other plants you named but have hesitated planting there because I like to be able to walk thru there with the hose and lots of reasons and it's where I put most of my WS containers. Guess that wouldn't hurt if I move them soon enough.

aliska- I have a lot of hosta seed saved and would be happy to share it. You never know what you will get- the seedlings don't always resemble the parent, but you get lots of hostas easily!

Those blue flowers look like forget-me-nots..Jack Frost Brunnera is a variety of hosta?

pippi21, no, Brunnera is its own plant, and what a beauty!

I learned something new in this thread, it never occurred to me to save seed from my hostas. Doh!

I should have looked up Jack Frost Brunnera before I asked that question, but I've got to have that plant since I love forget-me-nots and that is rabbit and deer resistant. Heritage perennials has it on their website. Care level is EASY..might have to try that. Wouldn't that look pretty under a double pink or red knock out rose bush?

Leisa..candytuft is usually white but I found some seed pkts that are mixed colors of rose.that I plan to plant in March.

Tiffy..I had a brain storm during the wee hours drooling over your Jack Frost Brunnera plant and if I can locate one from a grower or HD or local garden center in the Spring, I know the perfect place for it to go. Are they fast growers? They are perennials I found out so that is good.