Overcast days, or very early and last hours of sunlight give better contrast and colors - instead of sun overhead. Do some as leaf shots instead of full plant closeups. Don't know if I am reading something into this, but I assume this for some display or event since you have a deadline -- how about using a collage with more distant plant along with leaf or flower closeups. or or Besides a gardener visiting understands about damage from hail. Just some thoughts out loud. Paul

Good job, Funn. You are enjoying it I bet. I note you justified increasing the size of the hosta bed by claiming (with justification I am sure) that it helps curb appeal. Now that is a very good point you make. What spouse does not wish to increase the value of the property. I had not thought of that one. Smart cookie! I don't generally do ONE project at a time and it is also hard to tell when I am finished. I begin with a perfunctory layer of effort. Like I test out the plan with some small changes that can be easily reversed if I change my mind. Pots help with that, since they are moved around somewhat easily. I move umbrellas into spots to test the effect of shade. Does it need to be more this way or more that way.....where is the sun on the longest day of the year (which is coming up in a week or so). That day I take lots of pictures of shade patterns. At this time, I am working on both ends of my 100 foot long hosta "Back40". The north end in the morning when it is cooler. The south end in the afternoon when it is shadier. I also water the north end while I work on the south end. After dinner I don't work on any projects, but I am back in the garden with a fresh eye to see if I am on the right track with my work. (south end bricks laid) NORTH end in May 2012 beginning a raised section, filling and moving Tall latticed screen will run from the Teahouse on right to workshop on left, which is 40 feet, with openings near both ends. This is what will be the objective for the entire space...to make it look like this or even better in my secret garden And yes, that is Squash Casserole out in the sun! Hopefully my fence guy will be here first week of July to construct a square-lattice screen 10 foot high and 40 foot wide to provide summer shade of an afternoon for my north end hosta. I thought about this for a couple of years before deciding how to shade the area. I'll also steal some more hosta room from the lawn so there will be another raised bed for in-ground hosta, a garden bench, and more huge containers for the giant hosta which happened to find their way to my house. During the recent rains I've frequently walked the lawn and garden to identify low spots or sloping ground which could be corrected as I design the hosta bleachers and raised beds. My criteria is to make it primarily esthetically pleasing and functional with adequate sunlight at the right time of day. If my eyes are not fooling me, the heavy substanced gold hosta can take a lot more afternoon sun than I suspected. It is mid-June tomorrow and so far no crispy critters. Oh a few leaves got burned when tender new hosta got a dose of sun in the beginning. But of the hosta conditioned to the climate and having good substance, NO crispy critters. This includes some greens which tend to gold in the sun, in the plantaginea family. I am really looking forward to having that tall sun screen up. Until then, I have my army of umbrellas positioned as required. I really would like to see more of your "curb appeal" beds, Funn.

I don't usually take pics of seeds but it is such a good idea. I can't always remember how well they produce.Holy Mouse Ears Blue Mouse Ears starting to openBlue Mouse Ears - All the Mouse series have such great flowers.clausa - The flowers never openFall DazzlerFall DazzlerFall Dazzler up closeFragrant Dream with a bee photo bombing.GooberGoober close up.

I have had terrible problems with slugs and cutworms this year also. I was the crazy lady on the block, after 9 pm with a flashlight and tweezers. Yuck! I also did the beer thing, which helps, but I would have needed a beer truck to keep up.......hahaha. So, what other hosta growers have told me to do a 10% ammonia solution. The trick is to start in fall applying it to the hosta garden. Then do the same thing in spring just as the pips are coming up. I believe you can use a higher % if you want. I learned that once the slugs are the munching away, you have lost the battle. Right now isn’t the best time to be buying from nurseries or big box stores. It’s the end of the season and their hostas are picked over and depending upon your growing zone, they may be getting brown in preparation for going dormant. You can order online, but most nurseries or hosta farms won’t ship until the appropriate time. The hostas in your pictures look stressed, maybe too much sun, not enough water? You want to keep them watered so they don’t die. If you want to move them now, again keep them watered well. Hostas can look different depending on your location, amount of light and what time of the season it is. Many look a certain color In spring, but a very different color later in the summer. I would recommend doing whatever work you Intend to do now and then over the winter, take some time looking at photos of hostas you may like for your yard. Krossa Regal is a great one to start with. On on the front page of the Hosta Library, there is space that says Rawson‘s hosta list. Click on it and it will give you many ways to search for hostas by their characteristics, such as——leaf size, hosta color, plant size. Once you find something there, check it out in the Library where you get several different views of the plant. There is also a plant comparison link where you can choose two different hostas and see them side by side. Wishing you good luck, you have quite a lot of room for hostas!