Seil ... I loved and hated your vent ... lol. This is a rose forum. You would find the same kind of over-concern on an iris forum, a bulb forum, a daylily forum, etc. When you are new to growing roses, you really don't know what is true and what is myth. You don't know what applies to your climate, soil, etc. People who write books, articles, etc. have to generalize simply because there is not enough space to list all of the variables that could impact a simple statement about growing roses. Those who are new to roses can't possibly know all of those variables and that will give rise to lots and lots of questions. The primary question is, "Am I doing something wrong or is it the rose ?" It takes time to learn how tough our roses really can be. It takes time to see how forgiving roses can be and that they will recover from our mistakes. It takes time to see that some roses can shrug off disease while others must be pampered. It takes time to learn that often growing good roses is all about patience. It takes time to learn that even an imperfect bloom can be a joy to have in your garden or your vase. It takes time to learn that there are good rose years and lousy rose years. It takes time to learn that this rose will never thrive in your climate or your soil so it's time to let that one go and find one that will be a happy rose in your garden. The learning curve is shortened by asking questions of those who have been growing roses long enough to learn these lessons. Ralph Moore often said, "Knowledge unshared is knowledge wasted." You are a perfect example of someone who is more than willing to share what you have learned in your rose life and I know you've helped many newbies along the way. Even your vent is a way of helping newbies find perspective about growing roses. Sharing what we have learned in our rose lives is another way to enjoy our roses. To me, it's kind of the silver lining. I may know more about growing roses, but I love learning how to grow other plants well, too. Smiles, Lyn

Here is that great advice from Forum member dhaven given in 2011 : "dhaven Some varieties are very picky about growing conditions, and unless they are planted in optimum conditions, they will either remain small, or fade away and die. The best example of this I know of is Great Expectations, which also happens to be my favorite hosta. A great many people have lost this one, sometimes more than once. I have three very large mature plants, and they are the prettiest thing in the garden. It took some experimentation, but there are three things that GE absolutely must have to thrive. First, and most importantly, plant it shallowly. It's going to be a very large plant, so the natural inclination is to plant it deeply, but this will kill it faster than anything else. Plant it so shallowly you are convinced that it will tip over, and you've got it right. Secondly, it likes a lot of light. Dappled shade is ideal, but it will take several hours of direct sun, either morning or afternoon. Third, it likes a lot of water. If you give a GE all three of these things, you will increase your chances of growing it into an absolutely stunning plant. If you want to try any of the hostas that have the reputation of being difficult, be prepared to try different locations and growing methods, and possibly go through several plants before you discover what works for that variety in your location. When you do find out what works, please share the information with the rest of us!" Bernd

Here is this GREAT advice on growing GE, from forum member dhaven, which I have saved for future reference. "dhaven Some varieties are very picky about growing conditions, and unless they are planted in optimum conditions, they will either remain small, or fade away and die. The best example of this I know of is Great Expectations, which also happens to be my favorite hosta. A great many people have lost this one, sometimes more than once. I have three very large mature plants, and they are the prettiest thing in the garden. It took some experimentation, but there are three things that GE absolutely must have to thrive. First, and most importantly, plant it shallowly. It's going to be a very large plant, so the natural inclination is to plant it deeply, but this will kill it faster than anything else. Plant it so shallowly you are convinced that it will tip over, and you've got it right. Secondly, it likes a lot of light. Dappled shade is ideal, but it will take several hours of direct sun, either morning or afternoon. Third, it likes a lot of water. If you give a GE all three of these things, you will increase your chances of growing it into an absolutely stunning plant. If you want to try any of the hostas that have the reputation of being difficult, be prepared to try different locations and growing methods, and possibly go through several plants before you discover what works for that variety in your location. When you do find out what works, please share the information with the rest of us!"

There are quite a few people here who have GE growing in their gardens. I bought two 3 years ago and have those two still growing nicely, must be my soil, light or whatever. I just bought two more cheaply. Here is some advice given by forum member 'dhaven' : "Some varieties are very picky about growing conditions, and unless they are planted in optimum conditions, they will either remain small, or fade away and die. The best example of this I know of is Great Expectations, which also happens to be my favorite hosta. A great many people have lost this one, sometimes more than once. I have three very large mature plants, and they are the prettiest thing in the garden. It took some experimentation, but there are three things that GE absolutely must have to thrive. First, and most importantly, plant it shallowly. It's going to be a very large plant, so the natural inclination is to plant it deeply, but this will kill it faster than anything else. Plant it so shallowly you are convinced that it will tip over, and you've got it right. Secondly, it likes a lot of light. Dappled shade is ideal, but it will take several hours of direct sun, either morning or afternoon. Third, it likes a lot of water. If you give a GE all three of these things, you will increase your chances of growing it into an absolutely stunning plant. If you want to try any of the hostas that have the reputation of being difficult, be prepared to try different locations and growing methods, and possibly go through several plants before you discover what works for that variety in your location. When you do find out what works, please share the information with the rest of us!" Bernd