Cecila. What a wonderful offer! I would LOVE any one of those plants! Do you grow from seed? I have a short seed list that will be growing as the season goes on. I have some F2 heuchera seeds that were gathered this year and have the potential to put out all different kinds of babies. Plant wise, I will have several, probably in March, or perhaps in Feburary. I DO have some rooted, large, red flowered Epiphilliums, taken from a mature plant. However, these need to winter outside. I will be adding to my seed and plant list later this evening after I do a 'tour' of the gardens. In Z8 many of our perennial plants will be ready to go into growth soon. Please tell me how one goes about sending stuff? I've never done that before. Thanks so much! Sam

I would skip 'Electra' and go for huecherella 'Solar Power'. It has proven more vigorous for me and its color is just fantastic, especially in the spring. 'Midas Touch' hasn't done very well for me either, perhaps give heucherella 'Sweet Tea' a look. Color and shape are different, but 'Sweet Tea' is a better grower and the color is better than 'Midas Touch' during the blah days of summer. Heucherella 'Sweet Tea' Heucherella 'Solar Power' For hostas I would stick to ones on the small to small-medium side. Here's a favorite arrangement of mine: From left front to right: Dixie Chickadee, Tiny Bubbles, Dixie Chick, Toy Soldier, Gemstone, Heuchera Autumn Leaves, Janet, and Devil's Advocate in the back (which will be too big for your spot). You could replace 'Gemstone' for 'Blue Jay' for a difference in shape, and it also has a more intense blue color, but it is also very slow growing. 'Prairie Sky', one of 'Blue Jay's prodigy, is a little bigger but it's a better grower and holds the nice powder blue of its leaves for a long while. 'Yellow Boa' could be a replacement for 'Tiny Bubbles', both have nice yellow color in spring and grow well, but 'Yellow Boa' has nicer flowers whereas 'Tiny Bubble's flowers do not open. Restless Sea is a beautiful rippled blue hosta with wild, undulating leaves: Teaspoon is just freakin' adorable and you should have it just because: Rainbow's End has fantastic color and foliage that looks almost plastic: You can't go wrong with any of the tiaras, 'Luna Moth' is gorgeous and there's always the mouse clan: Eight mice in this picture (sorry I didn't get any close-up pictures), Rainbow's End is on the left, Luna Moth on the right, back center is Hoosier Dome (much too big for your area), Lakeside Cha Cha to the back left and Dragon's Eye to back right (again, both too big). Hopefully this is a start. There are just too many hostas to choose from, so maybe these will give you something to think about. Karen

There is no hosta that would tolerate the sun in Texas for even two hours in the summer. That being said, I have just the common variety in my front flowerbed under teh porch overhang and they are fine. I hand pick a slug or two, but I've not had any serious problems. This might be because they are contained in a bed, and not near any leaf litter or anything, I don't know. If you want to bring some of your beloved hostas-the more hardy of them will likely be fine in the shade. Look online to see what they are rated as far as zone goes. If you use the moisture control beads in the pot, they may be easier to care for as potted plant specimens, if you don't mind fussing a bit. I don't fuss over mine a bit. I need to lift one or two that are dwindling because they've sunken too deep, but other than making sure I turn the soaker hose on for at least an hour once a week in the summer, I don't do anything for them save a bit of compost. They sell heuchera here..but you must almost create a microclimate for it. If you want to baby it, and don't mind failing just in case it happens, I don't see a problem with trying one or two in an appropriate spot to see what happens. We have a lot of pretty foliage plants, both annual and perennial down here. Some coleus are rated for sun, and those are beautiful. If you like grasses at all, those are good. What you will find in the nurseries here is that most of them stock a lot that while it may say Zone 9...it may not necessarily grow in this part of Zone 9. If you can, take a new friend that would know to the store with you, or at least look on davesgarden to see if it's reported as being grown here or near here in similar conditions (or you can just ask here....there are a ton of knowlegable people growing everything under the sun).

first .. and most importantly ... if YOU just drink enough of the beer ... you can get to the point that you dont really care about plant damage ... lol ... second.. anyone who denies that they have slugs ... need to drink more beer ... lol .. third ... as your collection grows ... the slugs will find them. and the population WILL grow ... 4th ... slug patrol is a year around job ... if the populations explode this time of year.. you already lost the competition ... start with a full fall cleanup.. start as soon as the pips do.. and keep at it ... 5th ... perhaps you can find these at the dollar store ... or just buy those little fat free pies {not!} .. if you can still find them in the alum. pie plates ... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=small+aluminum+pie+plates&t=ffcm&ia=images&iax=images and finally ... if you are using a LURE ... lure them away from your plants .. rather than to your plants .... so you might be further ahead ... by putting the beer away from the hosta ... i never understood the beetle bags .. and peeps put them right in the middle of their most precious plants ... i used to joke.. you give them to the upwind neighbors as xmas gifts ... lol ... lure the bugs to their yard ... good luck ... ken ps: see first comment above.. focus.. lol..