A new hosta admirer with a newly acquired collection

9 years ago

I currently have a number of hostas throughout my yard that I mostly received from family/friends and I have no clue what they are. Last fall I acquired a large amount of hostas, with their labels, that I did not get planted and am now feeling a little overwhelmed with how to plant all of them. I have a bed next to my garage which is pretty much all shade that currently has one variety that I do not love so I will be redoing that bed with either all hostas or a mix of other shade lovers.

I'd love to see some all hosta beds or even some mixed with other flowers just to inspire me and help figure out what I'm going to do with them all.

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Comments (5)

gardenweed_z6a
9 years ago
This is an early season view of a full shade area on the north side of my house. I designed it to incorporate hostas but also growing in the bed are these:

Brunnera/Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'
Hellebore/Lenten rose
Athyrium nipponicum/Japanese painted fern
Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba'/white bleeding heart
Cimicifuga racemosa/black snakeroot
Astilbe/false spirea
Mertensia virginica/Virginia bluebells
Alchemilla mollis/lady's mantle
Heuchera/coral bells
Aquilegia/columbine

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gardenweed_z6a
9 years ago
The same bed from the opposite (east) side & later in the season
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The slope to the right gets part sun
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Hi, Yes, I have been to Lamrock's; they are nice people in fact everyone that I have met that grows hostas have been nice. There was a closed sign up but they were out in their garden, so I drove up and asked if they were going to be open at all. They weren't because they were prepping for a busload of 50 people the next day. Anyway, he asked if he could help me and I said that I was there to browse and that I am a 'hosta person'- lol. It just popped out of my mouth, too funny. They said well so ahead up to the greenhouse and have a look around...$50 later. I have been to Strickland's, too. There are a few smaller places but they aren't really into hostas (at least none of the different types). Vandermeer usually has a pretty good selection. The heuchera is 'Autumn Leaves' and the heurcherella is Brass Lantern so Karen, you are correct. I like this one, too. Dolce Peach Melba Southern Comfort - the leaves are so big! Now I have to start another thread with today's haul; but I am done now... Cheers, Paula
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they probably wont bloom this year .. maybe next ... i would throw out everything that look like most everything else ... you have a couple that are round leafed .. a couple that are yellow ... those.. imo.. are the keepers ... most of us do this.. under lights.. as a winter hobby .... edged hosta come from streaked mothers ... you either buy a couple of those ... or you buy seed from streaked mothers ... and then you get streaked babes.. which 5 or 10 years down the line.. edge out into .. MAYBE .. something new and better ... growing OP seeds is a great way to start ... to learn ... but when it all boils down.. after a few years.. you will just end up with a bazillion nondescript hosta ... and you will start wondering why you didnt cull them better back when they were this size ... you absolutely need a goal ... and when you declare a goal.. then you can throw out everything that does not further that goal.. when you have no goal... see above about bazillions.. lol ... every trait of a mature hosta.. is right there in each babe.. when you spend enough time gazing at them ... and after a few years.. you are able to predict what it will look like.. when nearing maturity ... there might be one ripple indicating future pebbling.. a lance shaped leaf.. will never be a round leaf.. a yellow.. will never be a blue.. etc ... keep up Gods work .. and look to some of our better sources for better seed next fall .. i think the library runs the seedling auction.. where get this... peeps spend hundreds of dollars for a dozen of so seed... or they used to.. i dont follow it all that carefully anymore ... welcome to the insanity ... ken http://www.hostalibrary.org/cgi-bin/auction.pl http://www.hostalibrary.org/ click the indoor and outdoor links http://www.hostalibrary.org/growingseed.html
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
they plant and move easily all summer long ... just get them in the ground ... unless you are a master of pot science ... or want to become one ....

there are 3 parts to a hosta.. the roots.. a potato like crown.. and the leaves above. ..

the crown should be planted AT soil level ... with no roots showing ...

so .. just pop them all in the ground ...

AND THEN START DESIGNING A GARDEN BED ... and if it takes all summer.. fine.. we will move the hosta over to it in early fall ...

this will reduce your feeling of being overwhelmed ... which was the thesis of what you asked ...

what weed above.. may have failed to mention ... is how many years.. it took her design to evolve ... and that is what you are overwhelmed about ...

you know.. the hosta will live.. if you throw them on the driveway for summer.. entirely remove them from your stress level ... but the surest way to not screw it up.. is to plant them in mother earth ...

you dont mention how many you have... but you couple probably put 100 of them in a 10 by 10 foot area ... i would call it a nursery bed.. where it will be easy to deal with them ... while you think up a plan like weeds ...

just make it easy.. by reducing your stress variables...

so it is said.. so it is written... good luck

ken
ps: after putting them in the nursery bed.. then you have to ID the trees you have .. and decide if any of them do NOT favor hosta.. like the dreaded maple... and then.. you have to define light levels.. then define soil type ... etc ... frankly .. it would take me all summer.. to figure it all out.. and then i would plant in fall ... and that is why a nursery bed would be brilliant...

BTW .. are they in potting media in the pots.. or dirt.. if dirt.. its IMPERATIVE.. that they be planted immediately ... otherwise.. you are going to have severe watering problems in the heat of the summer ...
snowbunny_wi
Original Author
9 years ago
I work at Home Depot merchandising for tbe perennial company. At the end of the year I got to take what was left which was hundreds of plants. I wasn't able to get everything in the ground so right now it's been a waiting game to see what survived the winter. So yes they are in a potting soil of sorts. Some of the hostas I still want to get rid of. Thing is I will more than likely get more this fall.
funnthsun z7A - Southern VA
9 years ago
This is the new hosta bed that I put in last year. It is doing quite well! This pic is from my front porch, where those two bushes reside against, then there is a concrete walkway in front of the hosta bed.

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There are, with a few exceptions, of course, only 4 main types of perennials present in this bed. Hostas, heucheras, grasses (carex & hakone), and ferns. Look at all the color you can have with just these 4 and not a single bloom! And the colors will last for 3 seasons! Can't beat that. There is also some asiatic lilies on the corners and solomon's seal around the tree that was there before I decided to revamp the bed and I decided to leave it. There is also cast-iron plants that are just poking their noses out of the ground after being whacked back earlier this year. They are mingled in the solomon's seal. Some of the hostas are pretty close to mature already, some have plenty of growing left to do. I like to thin out and move, as needed. I do not like the look of an empty bed waiting to mature. Everyone doesn't agree with me on that, but that makes us all unique! You do what makes you happy and have fun with it :)

Edited to add that there will be a lot of height differential when all is said and done in this bed, but it will take some time for the taller guys to show themselves as a head above the rest!

This post was edited by funnthsun on Fri, May 16, 14 at 15:33

A new hosta admirer with a newly acquired collection

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gardenweed_z6a

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A new hosta admirer with a newly acquired collection

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gardenweed_z6a

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