Growing my garden: hosta by hosta

10 years ago

I'm a new gardener and have just discovered all the varieties of hostas. I had no idea! I currently have a couple of types but am looking to expand. What's the best place to obtain hostas? My local HD just has a couple of kinds. Last year, when I was looking for people who were dividing their hostas, I seemed to only find people that had divisions of hostas similar to mine. Is the Internet the best resource? What's a good site that you've ordered from?

Also, I'd love to know what some of your favorite picks are for companion plants/flowers for hostas. I'd love to see photos of your hosta arrangements if you have them. I need to replant a flower bed that gets less sun than I thought when I planted it last year. Thanks for helping me out!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

josephines167 z5 ON Canada
10 years ago
Welcome, amd4!

Where in zone 6 might you be? Once that's known you'll get some great leads from people in like-zones and others as well. We are a helpful bunch of hosta loving individuals and are happy to have you on board!

Jo
jadie88
10 years ago
Welcome, welcome! You sure came to the right place.

Start out by browsing past threads...tons of pictures and info there! I've linked to one with some inspiring companion plant photos. For me, the classic combo of hostas, heuchera, ferns, and forest grasses is unbeatable. I also adore variegated Solomon's Seal. For flowers...astilbe, columbine, dicentra...lots more!

Mail order is an excellent way to go...most of us here order from specialized hosta growers' websites. Hallson's, Naylor Creek, and Green Mountain are ones I can personally (and enthusiastically :) recommend, but there are others you'll hear about as well.

Stick around...we'll make sure you are well-stocked with hosta by the end of the season! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Companion Plants
Related Discussions
My Hosta Has Produced its Own New Totally Different Hosta?, ID?
Q
Comments (8)
not a seed... seedlings are solid colored or streaked... so it wouldn't have this nice clear margin. Starting with the big one... my impression was also Honeybells. Honeybells has plantaginea heritage, so it has three of that species' traits - shiny, glossy leaves, sun tolerance, and fragrant flowers. The flowers aren't the big showy white plantaginea flowers, more lavender. Those traits should help you decide if that's what you have. The little one doesn't appear to have much in common with the big one. Looks like a young Fortunei Albomarginata. I have to suspect it is a stowaway, either a fragment that got in with the Honeybells at the nursery or snuck in with your potting soil at home. If you don't have one like it in your garden, then the first possibility seems the most likely...
...See More
My tall hostas aren't growing tall.
Q
Comments (6)
Yes, they need time. Another reason the previous owners may have had them super tall is that they could have been crowded in. They tend to grow taller that way. I have one hosta, in its 6th year, that has progressively gotten taller and taller. This year it's 32" tall. But at year 2, it was MAYBE 8" tall. It needs time to develop big fat roots.... it needs to be in the same spot for a period of time... get it into the ground and keep it there. Give it lots of water, and a good amount of sunlight... not enough to scorch it, but a few hours a day. And patience!
...See More
Started my new "Hosta garden" yesterday
Q
Comments (20)
Welcome to hostadom. Those edges are not yellow. That is not Abba Dabba Do. Cream isn't yellow in hosta terms. If you follow Bkay's links to the Hosta Library and select "A" to get the list you will see any number of photos of what the plant should look like. It starts out all green then the yellow margins develop. Be sure to learn everything you possibly can about HVX. There are THOUSANDS of hostas, and not all are named and registered. So many look alike, especially in young plants. ID-ing them is often difficult at first because you aren't seeing all the mature characteristics. They have different growth habits and flowers and quirks. But stick around and as the weather warms in the heartland, there's bound to be someone who has one that looks just like yours and can help with the ID. Did the box or bag even give a suggestion as to what they might be? If they were really cheap they might just be culled tc's with no name. AND, if you don't find out afterall, you can just name them Tom Dick and Harry in your own garden (but not to sell). ;-) -Babka
...See More
Hosta garden pictures from GLR Hosta Tailgate 2019 - NCHS
Q
Comments (10)
You are all welcome for the pictures. Come back to that website anytime. peren.all LOL You made me laugh at the snake skin. When I saw it in the garden I thought What the Heck ...... The talent and artistic eye some of these gardeners have, makes me in awe. One guy said my thoughts out loud. "These are so beautiful, I want to go home, bulldoze my garden and give up". popmama Thanks so much. It is easy to forget that there are all types of climates and gardens. Green and brown. :) Ken, I don't know, but I'll ask a few people. Beth, thanks. I thought about waiting until January to post, but I got too excited to share. Thanks again for all the comments.
...See More
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
Also, I'd love to know what some of your favorite picks are for companion plants/flowers for hostas.

==>>> welcome ...

have you read all 65 pages of posts???... what are you thinking with this group??? .. the only companion.. to a hosta.. is apparently a hundred more hosta ... lol ... we dont need no stinkin diversity ...

read.. and never forget ... hosta are shade TOLERANT ... they.. like nothing else.. like dark caves ... so if your bed is too shaded.. hosta might not thrive anymore than otehr things... but if you insist.. wtay away from hosta that have a lot of white in the leaves... in dark conditions ...

shade is a word that is undefinable in words ... hosta grow better.. faster ... and fuller in the most sun you can give them [with a couple of exceptions.. usually white centered leaves] ... subject to trying to drown them ...

we start by trying to place them where they are in shade during the hottest part of the day .... they sweat ... transpire.. and so if in the sun in heat.. they can give off more water than the process.. and that leads to damage ... so the watering suggestion ...

sooo.. morning sun.,. great... evening sun great.. sun all day but say 1 to 5 oclock... great ...

subject to your latitude.. or sun intensity ... obviously one like bkay in TX has to expand the sun protection .. as compared to the gurus in MN and WI who can probably grow them in full sun all day long.. and this concept increases in england and the fact that they are 2/3 of the way to the north pole ... so if you peruse english books ... understand their growing culture is very different

otherwise.. plant roots down ... try to drown them ... ...and you ought to be all set ... oh.. and if you are having trouble with any.. throw them on the driveway ... they are near bulletproof ... and if you are struggling.. its probably your fault.. with the caveat.. that if you pay $100 for one.. it will commit suicide.. on the way home...

we are great enablers.. i hope you have the budget.. lol ...

look at my name in the reply ... i added MI to my zone ... so everyone knows where i am.. w/o asking every time... though its too late to change your name.. i am in adrian MI ... so manipulate that box wherein you put the 6 ... its somewhere on your members page ... to add big city and/or state ..

again.. welcome

ken
amd4
Original Author
10 years ago
Wow, this board is really buzzing! So many comments in such a short time period from such helpful gardeners! Thanks, all, for responding and for the warm welcome. I'm in NJ. I actually have that in my profile, and I'm unsure as to why it's not showing up on my posts. (I don't see preferences to show/hide it.)

jadie88, I was searching for variegated Solomon's Seal last summer but had no luck finding it. And this year I decided I want to try red astilbe with some lighter-colored hostas to brighten up some areas between bushes.

I don't have a lot of money to spend because I'm starting my raised-bed vegetable garden this year. But I do still need to add to my gardens out front. I planted them last spring after buying my house in the fall. The front does get sun, but it's rather uneven; the right side gets more than the left due to the sizes of the trees in front. I didn't realize how much of a difference there was until I saw how the plants/flowers were growing. The impatients on the right side seemed to triple in size, while the left side did not get much larger at all! So now I must forget about having a symmetrical look out front and get to replanting.

ken_adrian, I'm not sure what I was thinking! Of course, more hostas!

I can't wait to read through this forum to get more ideas and become more educated on hostas! (My mom had hostas when I was growing up, but she was amazed as well when I showed her photos of some of the varieties!)
josephines167 z5 ON Canada
10 years ago
Jadie and Ken - "nothing but net"! (basketball)
AMD4-the companions you mentioned? You'd think the link was customized for you! Get the tea/coffee at the ready, put up your feet and enjoy!

Jo :-)
Steve Massachusetts
10 years ago
amd4,

Welcome to the board. Hmm. You want quality plants at small cost. Well, you can try looking for specials. Hallsons will run specials later in the year, but right now they have a category called "Great Buy" Hostas. Each are less than $10 and since you are new, it's likely you don't have them yet. Even better these are great plants like Fragrant Blue, Dancing Queen, and Dance With Me. Also in the category are classics like Krossa Regal, Halcyon and Queen of the Seas. Any and all of these are great plants. Let me see what I have for pictures. Every thread needs pictures.

Queen of the Seas

Krossa Regal

Dancing Queen

Dance With Me

Consider yourself enabled. Who needs luxuries like food when you can spend that money on Hostas.

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Great Buy Hostas
User
10 years ago
Steve's correct, pics are always useful when suggesting hosta ;-)

Here's my photo of Halcyon taken June 2013. It's another 'Great Buy' listed in the above link to Hallson Garden's website.

Halcyon is an oldie but goodie that can take shade well:
gardenper
10 years ago
Since you don't mind getting your hostas from Home Depot, you can get some now but then wait until they start putting them on clearance for buying more. Grab as much as you are interested in, even going around to all your local stores. Same for Lowes.

Later in the season, they will usually go 50% then 75%, and very rarely are there much left to go for 90%. Keep in mind you are buying the packages that have been there for a few months, but that's not to say you would have total losses when planting them, so just consider what you're willing to pay and the gains you might get.

This post was edited by gardenper on Thu, Apr 24, 14 at 14:20
don_in_colorado
10 years ago
As far as internet ordering goes, the names dropped above are all great. I would add Land of the Giants hosta nursery and Wade & Gatton nurseries to the list. Happy hunting!

Welcome to the hosta forum.

Don B.
Westminster, CO
bkay2000
10 years ago
Hallson's is an excellent source. They sell quality good sized plants. I've found many older varieties that I wanted at Green Mountain. They sell good sized plants as well. They don't necessarily have the latest varieties, but have a good selection.

We had a discussion a while back about our favorite sources. I dont' think much has changed. I've attached a link.

Here is a link that might be useful: where to buy hosta
hostahosta
10 years ago
Welcome to the forum. I've learned so much here, sure you will too. Always a quick anwer to questions and problems!

Here's a pic from my garden last summer. Lots of hosta plus companions.
don_in_colorado
10 years ago
amd4,

Companion plants? Here is a looong thread that may be of some use to you.

Don B.

Here is a link that might be useful: Companion and Accent Plants for Hostas
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
10 years ago
Welcome.
Conifers go well hosta...among other things.

{{gwi:236902}}

tj

Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta & Conifers