Nice, Mocc. I can't wait to see 'em!

Don B.

PS Tissue cultures are great, as long as they're not tiny babies, but there's nothing like getting fresh-from-the-field plants/divisions. I'm excited for the Van Wade order, and they're not even my Hostas! :)

Hudson Bay is a MUST HAVE hosta. It puts Eskimo Pie to SHAME! Mine is growing in a hot spot in the garden, so it should do well in your climate.

BTW, my Allegan Fog is just a few doors down from Hudson Bay. A $10 hosta from Cory's, I haven't liked this one in past years and have moved it around several times. I think I found a good spot for it, cause I'm liking it this year.

I agree 100% about the pots have side drainage. I'm removing all saucers and placing those pots on bricks that have holes in them.

Gesila

Mocc- You are going to need 40 acres soon, very soon.

-Babka

Babka, 40 acres and a mule.....or was it the French rail cars that said 40 men or 8 horses.....I've been distracted by the benefit auction, Building a Dream.....the number 40 comes to mind from that.....finally figured out how to do auctions!

I'm planning on going VERTICAL. And expanding into the front garden, where DH is busy removing huge old roots of azaleas, briars, and funky trees. With enough shade from plantings of shrubbery, and of course WATER, I can place more in the ground at that spot. Maybe a dozen or so. Medium sized I suppose. Fill in the empty bare ground. Could not bear to have my Sagae stolen out of the ground like they did my Japanese maple--so Sagae stays safely behind the stockade.

Gesila, Hudson Bay was out of stock in several places, so I am fortunate to get such a sweet looking filled out plant. I was tired of dealing with Eskimo Pie when so many others are good performers....everyone says Hudson Bay outperforms EP.

While London Fog is a totally streaked hosta, no green margin like Allegan Fog, I'm judging by the size of the plant--it could fill in for a big old fashioned feather duster--and my conclusion is it must be a real grower. If it falters, surely there is a spot in my garden where it can flourish! I did not care for streaked hosta much, but now I see the error of my ways. :)

Don, thank you for your generosity of spirit. It is great to open presents or watch others do so, with delight for everyone. Yes, when the next shipment comes in, from what I am told, those hosta are being dug personally by THE Van Wade! It is like an Irish blessing for the plants I receive.

What they say about eating potato chips is true of hosta:
Betcha can't buy JUST ONE.

Allegan Fog is one of my favorites, and it is a good grower in our heat here. I added London Fog last year, but lost it over the winter. I will probably try it again. Hudson Bay looks interesting. I may have to think about that one as well.

Okay, I was out morning before last, June 2, to take photos of the hosta potted up the night before. Lo and behold, the squirrels....yeah, you got it. They had dug up almost the entire bunch, and thrown the potting mix all over the rest. So I had to essentially repot. Then it rained, and rained some more.

But at last, here they are, cayenne pepper present in all cases.

First is Hudson Bay. I am going to like this one.

London Fog....misty leafed for sure. Hope it holds on to it.

Three Sisters....for my three granddaughters

Heart's Content

Guacamole replacement plant

Frozen Margarita looking really fine

So Sweet...a 2nd one of these, and then the squirrels broke off some of the petioles but it still looks healthy

They were big and healthy, and came from MITS....Made In The Shade.

Since I added that spicy ground cayenne pepper to every pot in the area, no squirrels are digging in the pots.

Leave it to Esther to point out that she bought CRUSHED red pepper and that give more surface area easier to treat the squirrels, so I may have to try it.

Gee, that will mean opening a lot of pizza pepper packs to cover all my hosta pots.

I was hesitant to purchase a 'Hudson Bay', but after seeing yours and Gesila's, I may just reconsider, beautiful!

Lovely plants! and sorry about the extra work due to the squirrels.

Nice London Fog! It's easily three times the size of my two year old. I"m still holding out hope for Eskimo Pie. Hudson Bay is growing a lot better, but I like the variegation on EP. As long as it doesn't die, it can stay. Allegan Fog grows well here in zone 5 - well, except for that one funky leaf. Squirrels - grrr. If they aren't breaking things, they're burying stuff.

I'm excited for you, Moc. Those are great looking additions to your hosta collection.

Gesila and MadPlanter, lovely hostas.

Thanks. I slept late this morning, and have yet to walkabout the garden checking noses. Hopefully the new guys are recovered enough from transplant they can be moved off my big rolling wagon into their MITS schoolroom.

The air yesterday was so still and humid, after the long soaking rains, that I worried about southern blight striking again. I lifted up a couple of the pots in the hottest area to a point they got better air circulation. Even greenhouses must vent the heat.....really I'm thinking of moving a fan to the Back40 far end which has an "L" shape of tall privacy fencing, and that is the cause of the air problem.

Thanks for the discussion, guys.