I agree - the hostas I got from White Oak this year are still in their pots, and they're huge (and gorgeous!) Can't wait to get them into the ground - I've been knee deep in another project and haven't been able to get to them.

Deanna

I also ordered from White Oak this year and was very impressed with the health and size of the plants. No transplant shock at all. Once planted, they all looked like they've lived here all year.

I'm in upstate NY, too. There are nurseries around that carry unusual hostas but your best variety will be through mail order.

I too ordered from Wite Oaks and received great plants in great shape. I also ordered from another supplier, first time, and was not happy at all - live and learn.

Plant Delights is a great vendor as well might cost a few dollars more, but wonderful plants.

Welcome to the "love of a leaf" world of Hosta!

Deb

dian57- Would you know of any good nurseries in my area? I am not sure where M-H Valley is. Anywhere close to Binghamton? Even though I don't mind mail order it is fun to be able to see the plant in person before buying. Especially for someone who is new to hosta and doesn't know much yet. Pictures can't tell you everything! I ordered Dancing in the Rain this year - seduced by its good looking picture - and was really disappointed by how thin the leaf was compared to some others. I don't think I would have bought it if I had seen it in person. Well, I have learned to just stick with favorites of the forum members here. Hope I can't go wrong that way. Happy gardening. ~Jennifer

There are several good nurseries with large Hosta selections in the Albany and Schenectady area. If you are close enough to come, I can reply here with recommendations. I buy about 15 plants a year locally and another 15 by mail order, so I like both. I am a member of the Upstate NY Hosta society, which is a great group. There is a lot of hosta activity around Albany!

Rickmontana - My husband does a fair amount of business in Albany so I have a chance to get there occasionally although it might be awhile before the next time. I would be glad for some info just in case though - maybe just names and phone numbers. I can take it from there. I have discovered Scoharie Nurseries already and am actually planning a trip there as soon as we get some grading work done this summer. Thanks. ~Jennifer

M-H... mid-Hudson valley?

There's Matterhorn up Nyack way, albeit overpriced, and Sprain Brook in Scarsdale. The Phantom Gardener in Rhinebeck.

trilliumway: I'm from upstate NY, and a friend told me that there's a FANTASTIC nursery specializing in hostas somewhere around Oneonta (if I recall correctly). That's not too far from you, is it?

Thanks for all suggestions. I'll have to look them all up. Party Music - I live only 25 minutes from Oneonta but have never heard of any nursery there. Any chance that you could find out more for me? I'll try to check it out myself but a name would be nice. Boy, would I be thrilled to find a nice (hosta) nursery so close to me. BTW, are you new to the hosta forum? If so, welcome. ~Jennifer

Jennifer--M-H valley is the mid-Hudson Valley. About 1.5 hours from Manhattan and 2 hours from Oneonta.

I browse all my local nurseries (Hoeffner Farms and Twin Ponds in Montgomery, Lorjon's in Crawford) each year and usually find a few unusual hostas at one or the other. Adams Fairacre Farms in Newburgh has a really good selection, but you pay dearly for them ($40 and up, at times).

My best bet for the hostas that intrigue me seems to be mail order. My favorite is Hallson Gardens in Wisconsin, although I was very pleased with White Oak. I used a gift certificate for this order.

Okay, dumb question. Obviously there are three diff. hostas there....did you order three or are they doubles of each of the three? Like, did you order two of each variety? They look big and beautiful..and I have been looking for a good online hosta seller. And those look huge, and have lots of eyes. Very nice.

Okay, dumb question over!

Good morning green thumb,
There are actually 4 different hostas - one plant each. Krossa Regal, Patriot, American Sweetheart, and Revolution. Revolution is the one planted in the middle, peeking out. All came as big healthy 2-eyed plants (bare root), except for Revolution which was only 1 eye. BTW, that's a 10 gallon pot that they are planted in, just to give some perspective to the picture.

Hi Trilliumway, Rick here. Here are 3 great places:

The Country Garden, 3712 Consaul Rd., Schenectady, NY, near Mohawk Commons

Glenville Gardens, 20 Pine St., Glenville, NY 518-393-0905
GlenvilleGardens@aol.com (e-mail for plant list)

Glenbrook Farm, Glen NY See website at www.glenbrookplants.com

Country Garden has 75-100 or so varieties, very nice plants, good prices, lots of other plants too. Normal business hours for a garden center.

Glenville Gardens is the small operation of a hosta fanatic, Dave Jennings. I've been buying from him for 5 years or so. He carries around 150 for sale and has around 400 growing on his property. He is open by appointment in the evenings or when he has Open Houses on weekends. Well worth the trip to see his garden. You can see what the plants look like when they mature. E-mail him for more info. Glenville is across the river from Schenectady.

Glenbrook Farm is a large mail-order hosta nursery near Canajoharie and the Mohawk River. There website has a link on the Hosta Library webpage. www.glenbrookplants.com
You would also need to contact them for an appointment to go in person instead of mail-order, but they welcome and enjoy customers at the farm, which is way out in the country. The owner gave me an extended tour when I showed some interest and knowledge of hosta. They have over 500 varities for sale on the website.

I'll plug a few mail-order favorites while I'm at it. I've gotten good plants from White Oak as you did; also from Kuk's Forest, the Hosta Farm, Walden West, Wade Gardens, and New Hampshire Hosta.

Enjoy your garden! Mine is starting to look great this year, now that I've had 5-6 years in the same shady backyard.

Dian57 and Rick - Thanks so much for all your help. I'll have to plot out a road trip sometime soon and visit some of those places. I would love to see some gardens and visit with some hosta enthusiasts in person. My husband likes hosta well enough but doesn't understand my fascination with them. (-: Again, thanks everyone for taking the time to help me out. ~Jennifer

I live by mail order. Best selection of plants. Buy from reputable places and have never been disappointed.

FYI: Hosta Farm (a.k.a., Hickory Mountain Plant Farm) recently closed and their web site is gone.

Hi All: I have been hiding out from the hosta forum. I'm a recovering addict...lol! Bought a house with no shade and it will take some years to have room for more than a few.

Rickmontana: Thanks for that list. I'm about 45 minutes from Schenectady, so I'll have to check those out.

Regarding NH Hostas. That website is run by Merritt Nursery in South Hampton, NH. Used to go there on my lunch hour once a week when I lived in MA. They have some beautiful plants. Not sure about the mail order quality, but I left behind a garden FULL of their plants - perennials, shrubs, AND hostas when I sold my place in MA! Very nice, knowledgeable people there.

For our anniversary, my husband got me a few hostas from NH Hostas, and they are gorgeous. They came wrapped very well with a "stake" for stability in the box and to keep them from moving and crushing the ample foliage. I am fairly new at mail order, but was very surprised and pleased with the order. (Abiqua Drinking Gourd, Blue Hawaii, Ultramarine, and Regal Splendor, and August Moon as a bonus plant)

Jen

Jen, I've never seen Ultramarine, do you have a photo?

I too have ordered from White Oak and New Hampshire and they were all splendid.

I recently ordered three hostas from a fellow on e-bay that sells all his hostas for $5 each. He says he has 100 varieties. You bid on the hosta (generic) and when the auction is over, you write to him and tell him which ones you want from his list. $5 seemed worth the risk to me. I ordered Paul's Glory, Abby, and Blue arrow. They arrived in splendid shape, were healthy and big, look beautiful, and were well worth it. The fellow was very easy to work with and sent me a free hosta too.

Lainey