It's always great to see your pictures Paul. About the sleep, creep and leap idea - sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. Some seem to hibernate for a while, at least for me. Your comment about Satisfaction and looking forward to it this year got me looking back at my plant. It was one that followed the rules and grew very nicely. Here are some pictures. It's in a fair amount of sun.

HI Diane, thank you. I really had no idea of the type of hosta available, like you mention, the local selection isn't much, so I wasn't really impressed with hosta. Then I started seeing some of the ones you see listed in catalogs, but in person and they are really gorgeous. I am pretty new to hosta, the few that I have aren't size enough to start dividing to share yet, other than a few typical undualatas. I recently placed an order from Naylor Creek, but there are so many, I'd still like to buy locally. I did get a few from Adam's in Newburgh..I had gotten my Aphrodite there three years ago, and my Guacamole, and also my Francee. Fire and Ice was a real treat to find there. So far, that is the only place I have seen any variety. I think I got Brim Cup at Devitts a few years back. I may try Matterhorn later in the week. I don't think I am going to pay big bucks though. I'll still look, and if I find a must have at a reasonable price, fine, but if not, it will give me a chance to see some of them 'in person'. Most times a photo or catalog just does not do a plant justice. It is easy to overlook one in a catalog, that has happened a few times to me. I recently saw on the hosta forum someone mentioned Hallson Gardens as a reliable source. Now you've confirmed it too. I'll have to check out their website. Thank you for the weblink above about HVX...that is really a scary thing in the back of my mind. I see from your site, you REALLY like Hosta. How have you faired with this virus? I see you have an extensive and impressive collection. Very nice, I bet they are just beautiful. Any chance you can post a photo or so of your hosta gardens. I don't think I've ever seen that many hosta even listed in a catalog..lol. Are deer or groundhogs a factor where you are? One of the things that concern me as I start my journey of hosta exploration and gathering, is that the deer will come along and make a feast of that many in one location. I am planning a new shade garden that will be 50 to 75 feet by 15 or so feet with a sitting area, so I have many to gather. We have a deer run through here, but knock on hickory...the spray I use has helped so far this season. Of all my gardens I have only lost the tops off my geranium Splish Splash and a few leaves from an Oreintal Lily stem. That's it. You never know when they will decide to eat it anyway, or a rain will come and I do not get to spray though. Thank you again for the reminder that some places put hosta on sale this time of year, I'll have to make the rounds again. JoAnn

I started a new bed last spring that contains nothing but heuchera, tiarella and heucherella. I have about 50 varieties in this bed and a few in my front bed as well. In this pic, the fuller ones were transplanted from other parts of the garden. The small ones are new. And lemme tell ya, some of the brand new varieties were REALLY tiny! I did lose several this year, however. We had an exceptionally hot streak of weather and I think they bit it from lack of water. My favorites include Brownies... it's got such huge leaves, Sashay.... cool texture Stoplight.... in spring, it has red, yellow and green leaves Obsidian....amazing color Caramel...always looks great and a good grower Georgia Peach....what an amazing leaf color We got our first substantial snow yesterday, so no heuchera pics from right now! Besides, the leaves had already collected around them.

"Sweet, i want to start adding lilies to my garden too, I'll have to check these out." If you have squirrels you'd better cage the bulbs. My first foray into lilies was this year and I was so excited and bought so many lovelies. Every morning was a new adventure in disappointment as all I had to show for it was holes in the beds and fat and sassy squirrels. This being our first year without any dogs the squirrels had an open buffet. I did get some wire and caged all those remaining, but I lost a good many. Lesson learned- lilies may not be where my continued interest focuses :)