Choose your leaves carefully and label them as you go. You think you know your hostas until you get to the show and realize you have 2 blue leaves and now you can't remember which is which. Yes, I did that. Clean them carefully with a wet Qtip to get into all the little cracks and crevices. Many folks collect them the day before, soak them in water to hydrate and make cleaning easier. Some folks transport them in glass jars with a rig to keep the jars upright in the car. Since I wasn't traveling far I just used wet paper towels and plastic baggies. One lady showed up with them in her purse. Needless to say they looked a little rough afterwards. Hold them up to the light and check for pin holes. I lost best of show to one of the little buggers. The judges will be tough unless you're in the kiddie section. My daughter used to show some with me. The judges were kinder to the kids. Uniformity of shape, color and variegation is important. Make sure the leaf is from a mature plant. You can get dinged for having a leaf that is too small but they can be bigger than the registered size. These are just random recollections from days gone by. I'll probably remember more as the day goes by and my brain warms up. The most important thing is just to try. You'll learn so much from your first show and don't be afraid to ask questions. There are almost always new people entering the shows and the seasoned hosta folk understand and are willing to give tons of advice. Hang around after the show and ask a judge what's wrong/right with my leaf. It's a great way to learn. I miss showing but my kids are growing up and every weekend is filled with sports, field trips, band, chorus etc. Have fun and let us know how it goes for you.

Thanks, Mom. I was thinking the same about your set of plants too. Love the June and then that Undulata, whoaaaa, it looks like it is about to blast off! Gesila, just when I thought it was safe to look at more hosta, you have to post PARADISE ISLAND. Oh my, never saw a hosta with a TAN BACK, colored legs, and green skinny margins. I think it is fantastic. Lkside Prophecy Fulfilled looks to have a lot of substance, something I'm coming to appreciate a lot. Flemish Skies is lovely, but I'm not going for many blues due to them waffling in our climate. I ordered a few hosta tonight, as a gift for my daughter in law. I got Sagae, Rhino Hide, Steffi (her daughter), On Stage, Hollywood Lights, All That Jazz, and salvia 'Caradonna' (darling Donna). I put Rhino Hide in the order so I could see how it looks--the rest have a "theme" if you note. They live in NH where hosta are expected to grow! When she sends "baby pictures," I'll be pleased to show off my "grandkids" on the forum.

gardens dress accordingly .. and go play in the dirt ... whats this nonsense about too dirty .. if you dont have mud in your eyebrows.. in your hair.. and gritting in your teeth.. you are a gardener.. btw ... this is the type of thing i would do at the very last.. just before heading into to the laundry room to throw everything i was wearing in the washer ... and then up to the shower ... its not the job you want to do first .. lol .. of course.. i only lander the garden clothes.. when they stand up in the corner by themselves because there is so much dirt encrusted on them .. lol .. when too encrusted.. its hard to bend your knees.. lol ... ken

in general .... july is root growing time.. when the hosta starts storing energy in new roots .... to come out of dormancy next spring... if you cut off all the food making tissue ... those ugly skeletal leaves ... then how will it store energy??? and.. it will burn more energy in replacing them.. so i would speculate that you will have a smaller clump next season ... now.. all that said.. with the undulatas .. you could probably throw them on the driveway for the rest of the year.. and they will be bigger next year anyway ... why dont you just do it.. and become the expert on rejuvenation pruning of hosta ... of course.. you will have to do something about the bugs at the same time... or you will just be back where you started ... ken