Not true. If you get or borrow a digital camera, we'll all see it, and drooooooool.

I'm relocating hostas I've had potted or temporarily planted for the past three years, now that I'm getting close to my dream shade garden.

I feel your pain! LOL!

Seriously, it sounds like it's been an Olympian effort. Won't it be great when you can rest on your laurels? hostas?

Just think of all the exercise you got! We have all been there. You will find yourself eying other parts of your yard for another bed as soon as you forget the pain and start enjoying that new bed. June is an outstanding plant. I like June Fever, too. Can't wait to see some pictures.

Wow, I bet you are worn out! Do post some pictures to share if possible. All of of would really appreciate your efforts :-)

That is a huge job! I have to do that next year, but I don't have nearly the amount of plants that you do.

I'd love to see all your work, too.

Been there,done that,yardman,and at my age the pains take longer to go away! But,do post some pics when you can. I'm basically,the only one who ever sees my garden,also. My wife isn't into gardening like I am. Phil

I swear that after a day in the garden I practically need an IV drip of ibuprofen! It seems to help with the aches and pains of gardening.
Erin
(don't take too much, it's hard on your stomach)

It sounds like it's beautiful and will be well worth the aches and pains in the end! Yes, please do post photos if you can sometime.

Oh man - sounds like a great excuse to spend the evening soaking in a HOT steamy tub with a chilled bottle of white (on ice) within arms reach and a good book.

Isn't it a good satisfying hurt though? I am probably going to feel the same way tomorrow, I started removing sod for a new pathway today and dug and hauled 4 huge wheelbarrows filled to the top before I called it quits for the day.

Pass me the wine and Advil when you are done! LOLOLOL!

Alexa

Please, please show us pictures!

Hellebores love shade and will bloom before the hostas even start to sprout in the late winter. Some bloom at Christmas others in the late winter in zone eight. They have lovely leathery leaves that last all winter and help fill in gaps after hostas die back. Just cut the leaves back to the ground as they bloom and they will send up a whole new set. Quick warning...hellebores are pretty expensive since they take almost a year to germinate from seed and 4 years to bloom. A small plant can cost $50.00. They do grow quickly and some self seed all over the place so you get many babies. I love the combo of hostas and hellebores.
Happy gardening,
Erin

Why are the wrong husbands with the wrong wives! The only thing one needs for a utopian marriage (or partnership?) is for both to love hostas. Then there would be peace on earth.

Westy

It sounds like you did an outstanding job overhauling your garden Yardenman - sure hope you'll be able to post some pictures so that we can see it too (although you did a great job of describing it).

June is a beautiful hosta - it's my favourite.

A warm soak in Epsom Salts soothes away aches and pains - been there and no doubt, will be there again :)
- the joys of gardening.

June

Sounds like you accomplished a monumental job and yes, do figure a way to let us all see the results!
Your bed sounds truly awesome!

I also agree with the hot soak recommendations. I find it really can help eliminate a bad second
and third day after!!

I like all the companion recommendations, as well!!

janice

Hey, yardenman, if getting photos is a problem, drop me an email, I may have a solution.

Pictures! Pictures!

And when can you do mine?

Lisa

Sounds like you finished something I've just started, only mine isn't 38 feet long! It's a good thing, I'd never make it. I just started digging up plants yesterday, and I'm already hurting! Fortunately, it rained today, so I got a break. But tomorrow - back to it! I may have to be carried in on a stretcher!

Deanna

As everybody asked for pictures of the new hosta bed, I have been figuring out how to do it. I'm used to direct upload, so it took a few days (and I had visiting family). I had to re-learn how to reference pics the "older way"... ;)

Here is a picture of my hosta "June". If this works, I'll take and post a few pictures tomorrow. Keep in mind the plants are still small (though they are growing rapidly now), and the bed is long and narrow so I don't know how the pics will look.

Regardless, thanks for asking for pictures... :)

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Thats a beautiful June. I was admiring mine today, alone with the other 300 or so... Spring is a beautiful time of year, well, except for that IV drip we have to endure every weekend night.
Von

Wow, Von1, 300 hostas?! I didn't realize there WERE that many. :)

My current list is:
Alba Marginata
Aoki
August Moon
Big Daddy
Blue Cadet
Fragrant Bouquet
Gold Drop
Halcyon
June
Krossa Regal
Middle Ridge
PaulÂs Glory
Piedmont Gold
Sum and Substance

I have 2 I lost the labels to, too.

ItÂs a start. But I have a lot more shady space to fill. ;)

OK, I took some pictures. They don't look like much. The plants are young. I have raked up leaves to spread between the plants. And there is a mass of Lilies-of-the-valley. I regret planting them, but they seem there to stay.

The back tier has Big Daddy, Sum and Substance, Krossa Regal and Halcyon. The 2nd tier has Krossa Regal, Paul's Glory, June, Aoki, and Fragrant Bouquet. 3rd tier has Aoki, August Moon, Piedmont Gold and Middle Ridge. I fronted the bed with alternating Gold Drops and Japanese Painted Ferns. There are some ferns and heucheras intermixed.

The landscaping flags mark the little Japanese Painted ferns (so I don't step on them). The pond raceway has new alba marginata divisions on the right side, but I need to weed around them. The weeds respond faster to watering than the hosta do. LOL!
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You can't hear me, but I'm clapping for you - nice job. I've got a fern, lily of the valley and hosta spot too (with a few errant lilium tigrinum thrown in) with a neighbor's retaining wall as a backdrop. It's very pleasing to look at with the textures and shapes. The pain will go away, but you'll enjoy all your hard work for a long time to come.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the end of summer. They will fill in faster than you think! Nice Job!

Thank you for the positive comments. An addendum...

3/4 of my backyard is shady, so I am always stretching to find plants that will survive there. A few years ago, I added a row of arunculus (goatsbeard) alon the far back fence. They do well enough to bloom, so I extended the row this year.

Imagine my surprise when I noticed a thriving blooming columbine in the row! Apparently, I grabbed one of my columbine seedlings while planting. LOL @ me!

It is doing so well, I think I will add a few among the hostas and ferns. Since they are blooming now, when nothing much is very impressive among the others, it will make a nice point-of-interest next Spring.

But I want to make sure that the hostas remain the focus, of course...