Touch of Class

Some may not find this a special hosta but Grand Prize is looking so bright and perky in the morning dew as it unfurls. Show me your eye poppers from your morning hike

So bright and fresh. They are lovely.

Three of my favorites. I finally found a home for Grand Prize last year. I'm hoping it will be a fast grower like the other Tiara's.

Gesila

Here is a visual difference of First Frost - mine in Ontario, a mere 3 hour time difference, and see how further along the growth in BC is. :-)

Taken an hour ago...

Another that caught my eye...Revolution pips - they are amazing in colour!

Sagae showing progress!

Love your beautiful hostas, Faye - such amazing photos. Thanks for brightening a rainy day!

Jo

That Grand Prize is another dazzler! Here is a tulip just for you! :-)

Jo

AWh , thanks Jo. I should take some pictures of the tulips and other bulbs before they all disappear , Your gardens are a bit behind but will catch up to BC in no time flat. Myrle's and my other neighbours garden are not as far ahead as mine but they are higher up our hill and them have more forest then mine does. This use to be an old apple orchard so any trees we have I had to plant , except a few wild apple trees that give the most beautiful fruit for juices and pies. Not sure what kind they are but good and juicy especially since we keep pruning them
Spring better be there in Ontario as my Hosta Choice order has to come soon. 34 ordered and not very patiently waiting. Myrle has some coming too so she will phone Glenn

Lol, I hear you! My daughters and I are doing a road trip very soon to Hosta Choice.

How long have you lived there? It looks so established with many trees, shrubs etc. viewing your gardens is like looking at the finest gardening magazine - you really have an artistic flair.

Jo

Thanks for sharing, Almost. Those first two are particularly pretty. I agree, nothing is quite like the first few things to leaf out.

bk

Hey Jo, Faye has an artistic flair alright.....and a husband with a BACKHOE. Plus unlimited supply of BIG ROCKS.

NOTE: I potted up 35 today, new arrivals, some duplicates though. And waiting on the steps for me was the box containing the Savory order with 10 more. YEP, more work tomorrow.

Does a couple of days ago count? I had to work today, and it has been raining for the last two. Autumn Frost was a real looker. Still is. Hopefully we don't get any real frost over the next couple of nights. Stupid cold weather just can't stay away.

Karen

Some of my tulips before they are gone

Jo I have lived here many years and actually raised my kids in the same home. We left for a few years and had a renter that almost destroyed the place so it was like having to start from scratch again. I never knew anyone could make that much mess or damage in three years. Yes Moc I am fortunate to have a husband with an old backhoe and an old skid steer so when things get too heavy I get the machine work done and makes the jobs happen way quicker. The trees were planted years ago but all the hosta gardens are new and started in the summer of 2011 when I was going to have my last last garden about 6 beds ago. Our neighbour and husband built my waterfall last fall and I have it mostly planted now and things are looking okay but need more grow time to fill in better. Any large rocks we have a friend who owns a rock quarry and Murray drives his truck for an exchange of rocks or gravel for me.. Lucky me, huh!. The small rock we go to the mountains on the hunt. I have brought some back from our travels as far as Arizona and Texas . The wood& roots is rescued out of the bush or driftwood on the lakeshore have found. Husband calls it junk, I call it treasure
Anyway I will show a picture of my grape hyacinth this season

Josephine, My Touch of Class looks almost identical to yours. Ontario to BC doesn't make a difference but 1/2 mile up must! Faye's garden is truly amazing in a few short years. How I envy your trip to Hosta Choice. I would love to be able to do that. This year I'm going to Sebright in Oregon - my first hosta nursery ever.

Gesila, Grand Prize is truly a prize. It grows just as fast and hardy as the other Tiaras. The color is similar to Liberty with that bright yellow margin. If you have some of it in the shade it will keep the yellow almost the entire summer. In the sun it will fade to white but will put on more growth with the yellow. Have some of it everywhere.

Here are a few that caught my eye yesterday morning.

Myrle, your Lemontini is the softest-on-the-eyes looking hosta I have beheld in a long time! It is so lovely. I want one! :-). Btw my pic is of FF, not TOC . . . coincidentally, I have Touch of Class on my want list - can't have enough of June progeny.

My friend lives in Sardis - is that anywhere near you gals? Generally speaking, some of you folks in BC (I'm relating to Sardis) start your growing season as early as in February..snowfall doesn't usually linger when it falls and the temperatures are a lot milder than ours. Often times I wished I could start that early! :-). But if you are in the interior, now that is a different story.
Wherever in B.C., the forests, rivers and Rockies are breathtakingly beautiful. I've flown in and drove in and hiked - each an experience in itself. Amazing rhododendrons and azaleas...I could go on and on. :-) you are just that much closer to heaven!

Faye, considering your gardens are not that old, I have to say it is an amazing feat to have accomplished so much in such a short time, truly!

Both you and Myrle have wonderful gardens and your pictures capture them so well, especially the hostas! I can never tire looking at them. :-). Thank you for sharing them with us.

Jo

My friend lives in Sardis - is that anywhere near you gals?

Nope, not anywhere close, BUT, that's fairly close to me. Sardis is maybe 1.5 hr drive from Richmond B.C. depending on which road I travel. Faye and Myrle are a good 6-7 hour drive for me. For sure I'm in Canada's banana belt, Sardis is about 3 weeks behind us at the coast in terms of plant development. Some of my hosta pips will be starting to unfurl when the girls in the interior aren't seeing pips as yet...

Pieter

Hello, Pieter! Nice to hear from you - so how IS your garden faring this spring? I hope you haven't had any losses over the winter? It will be nice to see some pics from you if you've got the time? :-)

Thanks for putting it in perspective for me as far as the B.C. Geography and proximity to Sardis goes...always good to know! I may be planning another trip in September if all goes well. :-)

Jo

Actually Jo , it is just a little better then 200 miles so not quite as far as you think Pieter unless you drive slower then us lol . So Jo and your friend you could come visit us too. Hosta not near as nice after August but still not that bad as long as the slugs are kept at bay. It doesn't rain near as much and we heard on the news that Salmon Arm is # 3 of the best places to live in BC. Not sure where that came from but hey, we'll take it

The hostas in the pictures are picture perfect; I just love the early spring emergence process, too. That Autumn Frost is stunning. Touch of Class is a wonderful photo and Patriot looks like it is standing to attention ready to go!

I have these three hostas but mine aren't anywhere near this far along, they haven't leafed out yet. I will see what happens while I am away this weekend, I am looking forward to seeing the progress.

Faye, that's mighty neighbourly of you! Thank you for the invite! :-)
I brought in all the unfurling hosta that looked more delicate of leaf and all the small ones...brrrr down to 1 tonight!

Actually Jo , it is just a little better then 200 miles so not quite as far as you think Pieter unless you drive slower then us lol .

Well Faye, hate to say it, but you're incorrect with your distance, it's more like 469 Km (291 miles) from Richmond to Salmon Arm. Driving straight through, without any stops you should be able to do it in about 5.5 hrs. I prefer to stop off for a java somewehere along the line and that'll take me to between 6 and 7 hrs for the trip.

Haven't had time to add some of my shots to this thread, but I will tomorrow.

Pieter

This post was edited by pietertje on Sat, May 17, 14 at 21:59

Loving all of these great shots in this thread!

Peiter,
I must be wrong but then again so is Google maps to Sardis . If you go #5 hwy. through Merritt it is 225 miles or 363 km but who's really counting lol . Just to say Jo, you are more then welcome to do the tour of Myrle's yard and mine if you choose to come this way. Yes we do have coffee and bathroom privileges too.
Faye

This post was edited by almosthooked on Sat, May 17, 14 at 22:49

This is from a couple of weekends ago, 'Lemon Lime'. By now it has started to scape up.

This is 'Ice Age Trail' the same day.

Faye, you are so accommodating! Lol ... if I had my own vehicle while in BC I'd be there in a heartbeat (give or take a day!) . The tour of both your gardens would be quite an enabling experience!!!

Pieter, your Lemon Lime is HUGE. IAT has soft looking streaks till I spied the "screamer" leaf at the back! Is that part of the same plant?

Jo, yes, it's one plant. Each shoot shows a differing amount of streaking, if any, and indeed there's one leaf that's not far from being medio variegated. I'll try and get another shot if tonight.

Pieter

In this shot you see 3 fairly heavily streaked leaves, they're off the same shoot. I might well divide that shoot out later this spring.

Pieter

I noticed the other day how big the leaves on 'Earth Angel' were getting. It's sitting behind a 'Striptease' in a large pot.

Pieter