Tom, "John, are you using the white bags? I'd be concerned about the dyes and chemicals in the other colors.... " Good point. Heres what they (Greenbag Inc) say... "Is made from non-toxic, non-corrosive materials and safe color-fast dyes". I'm interested in these for several reasons, drainage, cooling and cost. I know they drain well, I don't think you could ever fill one with a garden hose. The upside down tomato bag I tried last spring stayed cool and it was black. The ones from Publix are a buck and I hear W mart's are cheaper. So I'll give it a try. john

Hey there, Massachusetts hosta lover! Desperation falls is a great screen name! I switch things out all the time....when they are growing, that is. I think "dappled shade" is a good thing, and of course that is what I give them here in zone 9a. Even direct sunlight of three hours morning light would be adequate, but after reading in the brand new Zilis Field Guide To Hostas that up north 3 hours sunlight is enough, I'm impressed how hardy/sturdy these hosta really are. I'm a real newcomer to hosta growing, fell for them when I was up in MA and brought them south with me. With your long years of experience growing hosta, you should have no problem balancing their needs to your conditions. I love those gold hosta myself. One question though: WHICH golds are you considering for this swap? Maybe try a Dick Ward in one of the pots. It has a green margin, really rugose midleaf of gold, and it is a super strong hosta. It comes from Zounds, a great rugose gold itself. Do you have either one of those already? Then you know how they are strong hosta. Also if you have King Tut, that is one worth trying too. You do not want a gold that burns in the sun, and King Tut is recommended by Zilis in his new book, Field Guide To Hosta. A fragrant gold that I got last year is Tortilla Chip. It looks really nice. Guess which one in this picture is Tortilla Chip? Have fun. I'm primarily a container gardener of hosta, but my zone is way different than yours.

Wonderful, UK! My DH's mother would go with her dad to collect seaweed on the coast of Ireland, and he used it on his crops in the fields. That was over 100 years ago now. As an island country, seaweed should be readily and fairly cheaply available to you in the UK, right? Love natural products. Please follow up with a post on how it works for you.

Hi Butterfly!!! Glad to see your picture!! ;-) Glad to help!!! Your tree Looks wonderful and I'm sure it will love it in the ground!! Please keep us posted!!! Laura