very large... and giant hosta... can take 5 to 10 years to achieve max size ... on rec'g mail order ... plant them.. pot or soil ... do not leave soaking in a bucket for more than a few hours ... even if all you do is heel them in.. until you can do it properly ... if you need to use a bucket.. JUST THE ROOTS .. and not the crown .. can sit in water.. in a cool dark place ... it depends how dry they were on shipping... it is not good to leave them wrapped in a plastic burrito for very long.. they need air ... i have been know to tear away the bottom of the burrito .. and stand them in an inch of water ... for a day or two ... in the dark basement ... i have also had some damp media.. in a wheelbarrow.. and held them ,.,. heeled in.. in that for a few days ... until they could get into mother earth ... long term growing in pots is tricky.. and all depends on what you fill the pots with ... the media .... there should be hundreds of posts on such ... though i am sure... the pot heads.. will be glad to type it all up again ... VL hosta.. have to grow a very large root mass.. to ultimately grow VL leaves.. and all that work is done.. where you cant see it ... so patience is a virtue .... whatever sprouts out this spring.. is about all it will be .. this year ... 'fast growing' .. in the hosta world.. is not similar to fast growing in other plants ... unlike a rose.. which can go nuts its first year.. a hosta will not do that ... the difference between 5 and 10 years.. can start.. with what you pay for.. and what you receive to start with ... if you go cheap;.. and buy a tiny twerp of a plant.. you will be toward the 10 year mark ... if you invest upfront.. and buy a plant that already has a 2 or 3 year old root mass ... then you will be cutting that much off the 10 years ... e.g. ..... halson's field grows there stock for 2 to 3 years... and is one of our favored vendors ... there are a few older posts on vendors ... good and bad ... maybe someone can kick up one of the old posts... from a handy link ... there are plenty.. that we dont like ... and do be aware... if you order from vendors in the great white north... and they grow in the ground... it wont matter when you want them... it matters when the soil thaws for them to be dug ... you can barely kill a hosta thru abject neglect.. but you can love them to death.. lol ... water is about all they need ... and i mean deep complete watering.. not spraying the leaves down ... and heavy fert is not going to change the genetic tendency of maturity ... a little of this or that wont hurt... but maturity wont come faster by hyper-fertilization [which is within the definition of loving them to death ... the biggest problem with pots... is winter dormancy.. and pot storage ... and you will have plenty of time to get that all straight by fall ... hosta have a requisite dormancy temp and duration .. and that is one of the biggest hurdles in the south ... have you read thru all 65 pages of posts... lol ... new questions... on new topics.. are probably best in new posts.. never fear doing too many.. but try to use searchable titles.. so others can track them down .... should a topic reappear ... titles like 'HELP' ... well there are millions of them .... this title was spot on .... but as you can see... by now.. or responses arent on topic ... but have no fear.. just enjoy yourself .... everything i know.. is there for the asking .... good luck ken

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll google and learn more about them and may find something else when researching online nurseries. Any online nurseries you buy from that you'd recommend? Also, any thoughts on using bamboo--the clumping non-invasive evergreen type as a background for the hostas?

How about Rhododenrons..Pieris...Nandina...Kalmia...Hollies... I am sort of new also so I don't know about the trading possibilities.

I think it looks nice now, but do see some pinkinsh tones in the one pic. Cute house. How about SW6002 Essential Gray or 6003 Proper Gray? I think your house would look very cute in gray with white trim. Or 6247 Krypton or 6248 Jubilee? Those are slightly more blue-gray with green tones in them. Actually 6248 is still beachy but has a green hue as I look at it inside. Not sure if it will hold that color outside. I like the green you like and think it is ok for beachy, but think I might lighten it a shade or two.