My best is 'Sagae' this year :)

On a garden tour this weekend, I saw a huge montana that was absolutely gorgeous. However, my all-time favorite has to be montana Aureomarginata. A mature clump of MA is heart-stopping.

Gold Standard.

Late spring/early summer my huge 7 year old Gold Standard is so beautiful I want to lie down in the mulch and cuddle it.

Bressingham Blue - mine looks great and it never looks sad.

Sagae, Gold Standard, Regal Splendor (and can we call June an oldie yet) are all ones I could NEVER be without!

Sagae 2008

Sagae? An Oldie??
I am thinking of things like Royal Standard, August Moon and September Sun, Fortunai Aureomarginata, Krossa Regal, Antioch, Siblodiana Elegans, Sum and substance Golden tiara.....
Those are the oldies and not a dud among them!
And for the "newer oldies" I might add June, Strip Tease, Sagae and a few others.
Linda C

Love Pat, Krossa Regal, and Fragrant Bouquet - Always look forward to seeing these.
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Paul

One of the only all green plants I have kept is Invincible. Those glossy green leaves and rippled edge really make for a nice plant.

I was a hosta divider before a hosta collector and I have many, many fortunei albomarginata's (one of them was the "mutant".) They look great (to the untrained eye), nerver give me any trouble, except for that one :), and seem to thrive everywhere. Paul your picture is great, I think I will try something like that with my newer collection - since so many of the hostas look alike the closeup of the leaves alongside the whole plant is very helpful. Loved your slug!

Paul, great idea with your photos. How DO you do that? Linda C, I agree with all your oldies. So many of the newer varieties are so similar. Those oldies are unique. Lois

Lois, I use Picasa3 (freebie from google) which has a collage option - had to keep clicking rearrange till got positions I wanted. Link below.

Paul

Here is a link that might be useful: Picasa3

I've always been a huge fan of the species H. plantaginea. What's not to like?

- Steve

Lancifolia - unsung workhorse.
Grows in full sun. Grows in no sun.

My favorite hands down is Elegans

Here's my path lined with Lancifolia:

And this pair of Blue Angels:

Caliloo,
Nice Sagae! Do you know the name of the little green and white edged hosta under your Sagae to the right? It looks like it comes out cream edged and then turns to white...is this true?

My best oldie is the ever-changing GOLD STANDARD.

Gold Standard, Inniswood, Sagae, Love Pat, Blue Angel, forget lancifolia!! it grows like a weed, but do like the bloom in august, Regal Splendor, Northern Exposure,Sum & substance, and august moon, halcyon, blue wedgewood, sun power,

that is all I can come up with for now, the garden is quite dark to go take a peek at this hour.

Paul

Can't forget the "green and white one," udulata Albomarginata. Here they are lining a well-used path to our tram where nothing else would ever grow or look good.

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Good topic for a thread Janice. A lot of the older ones don't get much recognition.
I like the ones mentioned here. I'll throw in two green oldies but goodies :-)

We don't hear much of montana macrophylla, a real giant in the garden.

Another kikutii, also plain green, medium size and spidery purple flowers later on.

And one more, a big one with a yellow edge and good leaf substance, an old standby, El Capitan

A few of my old time favourites

AND THE GOOD OLD UNDULATA'S

What a treat. Beautiful pics from all. Lynnem, can we see more of your beautiful woodland garden?

Blue Cadet for its flowers always in proportion to the leaves. Love Pat. I'm glad to see Loisf mention montana aureomarginata - I just bought it having seen pictures that did stop my heart!

What a treat indeed!! I love all my 'classics', and I'm so glad to see so many of you
do, too!

What I am lacking is a clump of the 'Montana Aureomarginata'! I've lost two--one to HVX
and another to the '07 'gotcha' Spring!

I think I mentioned to someone that I haven't lost a hosta to hvx before--and I just recalled I did
when I recounted my M.A. losses!!! The brain--it's not what it use to be!!!

Anyhoo--I'd love to have a significant batch ot that one, but I'll just have to wait for the
two little eyes I have to 'come alive', probably next year!!! Swoon!!

Thanks everyone--and if you have more, please don't be shy!!

Like inlimbo said Blue Cadet for its flowers

Paul

I love so many of the oldies, and it was fun reading all their names and remembering them. Of course we also can't forget that if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have all the new Hosta that we do. F Hyacintheia has at least 50 sports including Gold Standard and Whirlwind. I don't think Crispula has been mentioned. I love it's dark green center with the pure white edges and the neat curly leaf tip. Montana AM is still my most favorite of all Hostas. A mature clump (of which I have two) is the most awe inspiring plant I've ever seen --IMHO. Hey-J, I did lose my 3rd MAM to HVX, so stick with your plan to get another one going. Mary

Oh, the classics are what keep me interested. 'Elegans' for sure and forever. I have 'Golden Sculpture' and 'Solar Flare' from Jim's Hostas last fall and they are really going to be great in 2 years. I thought 'Sagae' was old, she sends me to the moon in 5 places. My 'Fragrant Bouquet' knocks me out. When am I ever going to show you pictures????
Pat

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Sum & substance...It's not THAT old, but it is old enough! This year it's leaves are 16" long for me. What a beast!

I have a huge blue one,but I don't know if it's Elgens, Blue Mammoth or Big Daddy.

Dani

Pat-I agree 'when'?LOL Mary--I won an M.A. off ebay the other day--so I'm sticking with the plan!! :o)

Golden Sculpture is one I had and lost and plan to replace, too!

Great pic. Paul!!!!

Oh, and I forgot to say what an awesome S&S you have Dani!!
Thank you for posting it!! :o)

One of my very favorite oldies is Francee. The very uniform crisp white leaf margins contrasted with the dark green centers and the lovely shape of the leaf give it a very formal look. Even from a distance, it is very showy. And tough - one of the most slug-resistant hostas I've grown. I've had this plant nearly 20 years.

Elegans. Gold Standard. 'Montana Aureomarginata'- I've got this one in a very sunny garden and a very shady garden, and it takes pride of place in both. Sum and Substance - still one of my absolute favourites. Sagae, if she qualifies as an old lady. Sagae, even if she's just middle-aged! Does Patriot qualify as an oldie, because it would definitely be in my list. And HOSTA tokudama 'Flavocircinalis'.

I think it might have been a better question to ask, which are the LEAST favorites! lol

And,Janice,let's not forget your Sum and Sub,with you holding a leaf of same! And one of the best of the "oldies" holding it? Phil
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LOL, Phil--you're too funny! Thank you for the double compliment!! Glad to see you
remember my S&S, hidden out of easy sight! :o) It's still there and still big, this year, too!