What are your absolute all time favorite minis?

13 years ago

What are your absolute all time favorite minis and which ones have been nothing but STINKERS for you? Don't list the ones you are iffy about. Let's just have the Good (as in Great), the Bad, and the Ugly!

I'll start with a few I like....

Pandora's box - of course

Cameo

Abby

Hydon Sunset

Zandu

First Mate

Not so much...

I think Silver Threads and Golden Needles is beautiful, but it is definitely not thriving in my garden! Last year it was barely there, this year a little better but not much. If anyone is having great luck with it, please tell me what you are doing that it likes so well!

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Comments (19)

freshair2townsquare
13 years ago
I assumed others would've chime in already.

I love my Blue Cadet. I'm not sure whether its a mini or a small, but I love the color, fullness & shape.

~ freshair
chris-e
13 years ago
The only minis that I have been able to grow with any success are the Mouse series although Pandora's Box is hanging in this year.

Some of the ones you mentioned like Abby and First Mate are usually classified as "small". Now those are a whole different matter! : ) I can grow those and currently I am in love with Masquerade.

chris
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I love those pictures lindalana! Your Teaspoon is huge and cute! Thanks nshosta and Don. Dhaven, you have provided a wonderful list! Madplanter, thanks for adding to the list! And look at this list! I tried my best to put it all together---for myself and for others. It's amazing---thanks to all! Allan P. McConnell Appletini Baby Booties Baby Doll (really cute! Maybe unstable?) Bedazzled Blue Jay Blue Clown BME (I forgot about BME too. I have it!) (x4) Cameo Cheatin Heart (x2) Clown's Collar Cracker Crumbs (x2) Crumb Cake Curly Fries Diamond Tiara Dinky Donna (x2) Dinner Mint (x2) Extasy Feather Boa Flamenco Mouse Flash Forward Frosted Frolic Funny Bones Gemstone Golden Needles Gracillima Green Mouse Ears Hands Up Hush Puppie Hyuga Urajiro (x2) Ice Cream Itsy Bitsy Spider Kabitan Kikufurin Ko Mame Ladybug Lakeside Dot Com Lakeside Lime Time Lakeside Little Missy Lakeside Looking Glass Lakeside Lollipop Limey Lisa Mary Marie Ann Mighty Mouse Mini Skirt Munchkin Fire Nakaiana, Ops Paradise Sunset Purple Lady Fingers Pure Heart Ruffled Mouse Ears Stiletto (x3) Strawberry Yogurt Surprised by Joy Tea and Crumpets Teaspoon (x4) Trifecta Venusta Woodland Elf Vanilla Cream Wylde Green Cream Smalls recommended: Royal Tiara, High Society, Grand Prize, Rainforest Sunrise (x2), Blue Jay (small, but not tiny, a real beauty), Faithful Heart, Hideout, Ivory Queen, Rainbow's End, Coconut Custard, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Paisley Print (a beauty!), Remember Me (especially gorgeous in early spring), Ripple Effect, Marilyn Monroe (gets to be 26"), Raspberry Sundae, Gypsy Rose, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Paradise Island, Tiara Series and Sultana. So what did I chose? And you can imagine how hard that was! For the larges: Amalia (who could resist Donna's photos?) And Ooh La la. I have never been able to forget that one ever since seeing it at a garden tour. I don't think its a good grower, and I haven't seen anyone posting photos of it. But I just got to try it out for myself. For the smalls I got: Stilletto, Lakeside Down Sized, Hush Puppie, Mini Skirt, Church Mouse, Hyuga Urajiro and Curly Fries. Some of ones on the list were not available or sold out unfortunately. I wanted Teaspoon (sold out)! I love the list and I will use it when shopping again for smalls and minis. I had to really stifle myself and not purchase all that I wanted. I began purchasing minis last year and had a few losses so I am not feeling very confident in my ability to grow them.
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summermusicz4ia
13 years ago
Almost all my minis have done very well (I have many). Weak ones are Cat's Eye & Masquerade, lots of white & very thin leaves on those two may be the cause.
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
13 years ago
Don't mean to be pedantic, but:

Pandora's box - of course classified as mini
Cameo ditto
Abby classified as small
Hydon Sunset mini
Zandu suspect you mean 'Xanadu', which is classified as small
First Mate classified as small

The dividing line between miniature and small Hostas is 6 square inches. To be classified as a miniature the leaf area has to be less than 6 square inches, clump size has no influence on the designation.

Pieter

Here is a link that might be useful: Miniature Hosta List
jel48
Original Author
13 years ago
I can see that messed up on the dividing line between minis and smalls. I didn't take the time to check before listing my favorites and I have a 55 year old fuzzy mind.

I know where to find lists of minis.

I'd still like to know what are the current very favorite minis of the people who visit this forum. That's all I really wanted to find out.

Thanks all :-)
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
13 years ago
And of course I forgot to tell you what mine are:

Top of the list, 'Blue Mouse Ears'. Also like 'Cheatin Heart', 'Holy Mouse Ears', 'Teeny-weeny Bikini' as minis. Slightly larger are 'Peanut' and 'Goober'. And there are more of course, but these immediately spring to my 66 year old mind.

Pieter
franknjim
13 years ago
Lemon Lime
Little Patriot
Hi Ho Silver
Dragons Tail
Pandoras Box
Cracker Crumbs
Venusta
Blue Mouse Ears

Now if I would just stop digging them up and dividing them I would start growing some clumps.
loisflan
13 years ago
My favorites at this moment are:
Lakeside Baby Face
Blue Mouse Ears
Kifukurin Ko Mame
Dixie Chick
Hi Ho Silver
Green With Envy

I've not had any luck with Cherish - it has two tiny eyes this year. Fireworks hasn't taken off yet, but the jury is still out on that one.
Babka NorCal 9b
13 years ago
My old time good one is Gaigin. (translates to "foreign devil"). It has been in this dish planter since 2003 and always pleases.

-Babka

{{gwi:996138}}
maureen_ottawa
13 years ago
Blue Mouse Ears
Pandora's Box
Chartreuse Wiggles
Hidden Cove
Twist of Lime, even though it gets ratty later in the season
maureen_ottawa
13 years ago
Of course after I hit the send button, I think of a few more.

Just So
Ice Cream
Little Sunspot
Peppermint Ice
Surprised by Joy

The ones that did not do well for me are:
Medusa -- too much white for my conditions
Masquerade -- reverted to green too much
Green Eyes -- tried it three times, refused to grow
Shiny Penny
Hope
shade_tolerant
13 years ago
Dragon Tails is a favorite and I have a little mini streaked op that I'm keeping an eye on.
I also like the mouse themed ones.
trudy_gw
13 years ago
Hosta 'Little Maddie' ...check out the photo on the Hosta Library.
Named after my grand daughter Madison... :)
Changes colors with the season.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta Library
freshair2townsquare
13 years ago
Babka ~ what's the blue behind your 'Gaigin'?

~ freshair
Babka NorCal 9b
13 years ago
Freshair-

That blue one is Halcyon.

-Babka
hostajenny
13 years ago
Blue Mouse Ears
Lakeside Elfin Fire
Cracker Crumbs

Most of my others are too young yet or just haven't gotten much bigger in the 2 or so years I've had them (yes - I know they're minis :)).
swmogardens
13 years ago
Chartreuse wiggles
gardengirl_nancy
13 years ago
My favorites are Blue Ice and Teaspoon. I have quite a few others, but don't know their names, or only remember on occasion. Lost tags and a 60 year old mind. I keep these in pots and store in a shed in the winter. I'd someday like a big raised bed of nothing but small and mini hostas, nothing larger allowed. Wouldn't that be neat?
franknjim
13 years ago
I like groupings of minis but I also like having them right up against giants. The contrast in size between the largest and smallest hosta leaves is visually appealing to me. Non-hosta people are amazed that both are hosta.

{{gwi:996139}}

What are your absolute all time favorite minis?

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freshair2townsquare

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What are your absolute all time favorite minis?

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