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The 10 foot rule...

15 years ago

I think I have about reached it....I mean how many other slightly gold edged or wide gold edged, and the same with whie on the edges....then there are the big blues and for most purposes elegans and blue angel as well as others are the same, and touch of class, june and Paul's glory fill the same purpose, and gold edger and birchwood Parky's gold....and for most purposed the undulatas will serve for a lot of things like Night before Christmas and patriot and minute man.

I am reminded of cooking...in many cases you can substitute parsley for cilantro and pork for beef and chicken for turkey...

So what is the fewest number of hosta varieties you could do with....that is considering the 10 foot rule.."if you can't tell what it is at 10 feet, don't bother to buy it."

Or...is them fightin' words?

Linda C

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Comments (12)

esther_opal
15 years ago
Oldies but goldies that are fairly cheap. Are you decorating or collecting?

SAGAE

REGAL SPLENDOR WITH PAULS GLORY IN FRONT AND SAGAE again in the rear, BTW that Jap maple did not survive last spring.

PAULS GLORY AND SUN POWER ON THE LEFT

{{gwi:284859}}

BLUE ANGEL IN THE BACK
hosta_freak
15 years ago
I don't know how many,but you're right Linda! In the past,I would buy a hosta just because it was one I didn't already have. Now,I am getting more selective. The only thing is the rarer the hosta,the more you pay for it. I know I'll never have every hosta there is,but now I am limited buy my budget and places to plant them. Phil
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esther_opal
15 years ago
Linda, I think I'm following your lead of Oldies that meet the 10 ft rule.

Montana Aureo marginata

JUNE

GREAT EXPECTATIONS, it ain't easy being a 10 footer that is hard to grow BIG BUTT when you get there it is grand.
lindac
Original Author
15 years ago
Just proving, there is nothing new under the sun...or perhaps NOT under the sun but in the shade...
bunnycat
15 years ago
That GE is fabulous!
esther_opal
15 years ago
That GE is fabulous!
bunnycat

I know it is hard and I've had my own problems but it is worth the trouble, I think you just need to keep buying until you have a good one. GE is an example of why I brought up the tc thread again. This is the best one I have out of hundreds, really hundreds that I've had.
esther_opal
15 years ago
There are many old wonderful hosta, enough that no one would have to have the newest and best to have a wonderful display. Of course, I bought about 100 new ones last year. LOL

Here is a 7-8ft wide H.'Wide Brim' growing in the front bog with H.'Striptease" on the right.

Then H.'On Stage' just opening up today.
lindac
Original Author
15 years ago
Yeahbut.....
Take for example that Wide brim in the last picture. How much of it's appeal is due to the cultivar and how much to the fact that it's a big beautiful mature plant and would anyone, including you really know if it were Wide Brim or Leola Fraim?
I mean how many does one need and what's the lower numbers limit of having a variety of all the sorts of variations?
Linda C
esther_opal
15 years ago
lindac, very true I'm only following your lead that there a lot of older hosta that are worth having and the cheapest plant that looks like Wide Brim or Leola Fraim is all you need maybe vs chasing a new one very much like those two but new on the market.

How many Fragrant Bouquet look alikes like Holy Mole, etc does one need or want or can afford (now you're talking about me)? I usually can spot F Bouquet from 10ft. BTW, I bought Holy Mole last year?

Leola Fraim or Wide Brim comes up a little later than the other, BIG BUTT who cares?
jbranch
15 years ago
I agree completely about look alikes. I am messing around with how color of a group of hostas play off another. By the way, a oldie but goodie...

Bressingham Blue

Paul's Glory on left, Antioch on right, in the back - Gold Standard, Red October, Fragrant Fire
flowerchild59
15 years ago
I think there are some amazing hybridizers working today and creating some stunning hostas that look new and different.
That said, I am a collector, lucky enough to have unlimited space, and will continue to collect on the name and the look of the hosta. I try to purchase more of the "heavier leaved" type that resist slugs. I think that is important too.
whip1 Zone 5 NE Ohio
15 years ago
I just bought a new house, and I have a lot of room. I still have a hard time buying a hosta that is similiar to another one. I want the plants to stand out, and be unique. My original wish list has been trimmed by about 25% when I started to eliminate similiar plants.

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