Mini hosta bed... ideas?
Comments (30)
loisflan
14 years ago
ptilda
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Mini hostas
Comments (17)Webwalkway is not doing any mail order this year (at least that's the plan for now), however, there are quite a number of people on this forum who shop there, and I usually help out at her sales, so it's possible to get plants selected from her sales and mailed by someone else (like me). On older varieties, especially minis, her plants are more than generous, and the prices are excellent. The brand new varieties will be tc starts, however, she seldom gets the really little ones, rather plants that are a single division, but with a year's growth on it. The rule of thumb when buying hostas from any seller is to ask in advance exactly what size the plants will be. Even when buying a number of plants from a single seller, the size of the plant sent will vary. Newer varieties will likely be a single division, but that division may vary in size from very small to quite large. Most hosta sellers buy small tc plants and grow them out for at least a year or two, and obviously a 2 or 3 year old division will be larger and have better roots than a 6 month old tc start, even if it's still a single division. Many sellers also have their own gardens full of mature hostas, and dig much of what they have to sell directly from their own garden. These varieties will almost always be double divisions, sometimes larger, and should have very nice root systems. Of course, these will be varieties that have been around long enough to grow into mature plants, so you won't find the latest, newest hostas being sold this way. But there are a great many classic hostas that have been around quite some time, and it's fairly easy to find nice pots with mature multiple divisions of hundreds of varieties. I do not recommend tiny tc starts for anyone who hasn't had some experience with hostas or with growing tiny starts in general. They tend to be rather expensive, a bit touchy to get going really well, and they certainly don't look like much when they arrive. Imagine paying $15-20 (or much more) for a hosta and getting a tiny plant with one leaf the size of your thumbnail--that is not uncommon with the first year tc plants. These little tiny starts will, if given proper care, grow just fine, but most people prefer to receive a larger plant that already has a good root system. If you do purchase tc tinies, give them a sheltered area in at least half shade with very well amended soil, and expect to wait anywhere from 4-10 years for a nice mature clump, depending on the variety. You will need to keep the little tc starts very well watered and checked daily. Keep in mind that when you purchase a hosta, you are really buying the roots, not the foliage. If you can see the plant in person, ask to see the roots. A reputable seller will not hesitate to up end a potted plant to show you that the root system is good. Of course, some varieties have smaller roots than others, and there are minis with absolutely huge root systems, such as Blue Mouse Ears, and giant hostas with comparatively small root systems. What is important is that the roots look adequate for the size of the plant being sold, and that they are healthy. Again, if you are buying via mail order from a dealer with whom you are not familiar, ask specifically about the size of the root system on the plants you intend to purchase. Reputable hosta sellers will give you reliable answers concerning what they are selling, and will also stand behind their plants. I've sold hostas via email for years, and guaranteed all my plants, and have only once had to replace plants. On that occasion the person left the box of miniature hostas in the Texas sun for 6 days, and needless to say, the plants died. But in general hostas are very tough little critters, and they ship well, so don't hesitate to order via email if you are satisfied that you have found a reputable seller. There aren't really all that many top notch local hosta sellers around, so many of us don't have the luxury of being able to shop in person, and mail order opens up a much broader range of available plants. I also recommend that your first order from any seller should be a relatively small one. That way, you can see for yourself what the plants are like before putting in a larger order....See MoreMini gnome and hosta garden
Comments (3)Neat presentation! You have the scale of the gnome just right for those tiny hosta. Since I keep mine in pots, the minis need special consideration. So I keep multiples in wide bowls where I can cluster 4 or more together with a watering source in the middle. Last winter I lost several of the small guys because the pots dried out too badly and the squirrels dug into the soil and the crown dried up. Using the super hot cayenne (90,000 heat units) works to keep out the squirrels, but it sometimes makes a mess of the plant and potting mix. Whatever works, I use it. And, when a bowl is looking really fine, I bring it up to the deck to display beneath the umbrella-covered wrought iron table. Best way I can figure to watch Tiny Tears open those teensy flowers, which are precious! Looks like you have room for more minis in that spot....See MoreIdeas on a very TALL hosta for back of this bed
Comments (12)How much space do you have there? All of the above would be very nice. 'World Cup' as the name might imply has cupped leaves. It is 28-32" tall and 40-48" wide and bright gold. Not many attain that height with a smaller girth. 'Blue Angel' is a given and has a quick growth rate. I love 'Powder Blue'. It has proven to grow quickly and has attractive flowers. It is 29" x 64". Here is 'Powder Blue'...See MoreMini hostas?
Comments (28)You're still pretty close :) How badly "addicted" are you? I was just fine with my reliable old trio of hostas for a good 7 years, but then came across this place. Your guys' pics are so much better than HostaLibrary and Google alone. Anyway, my collection exploded in less than a year, although most are duplicates since I like repetitive patterns. The OCD prevents too much randomness, but some of the "loosely" arranged shade gardens I've seen pics of on here look so much more serene. Anyhow, I don't have much to show/share yet since the newbies are all babies. Don't have that much planting area anyway, but stuffed a bunch in to let them grow and then decide what to move, what to thin down on etc. Unfortunately a lot of newbies get fried the first year here, but trying to be patient to see if they can handle it better next year. All are on the Northern side of the house (small corner in Northeast and Northwest) but apparently not a whole lot of shade from the house alone (and only one small tree). I am watering them in like crazy this year though, hadn't done much of that up until last year. Have fun at the hosta sale! I don't dare join any clubs yet. Need to thin down a bit before I can "look" at any new/bigger hostas :-S Maybe the minis/smalls will hold things over until then...maybe :P...See Moreken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years agocritter-ridder
14 years agoI have several mini's in barrels and have been happy with the results:
clockwise starting at 12: Teeny Weeny Bikini, Country Mouse, BME, Chartreuse Wiggles. (Disrecard Cracker Crumbs rock, my grandson moved it there!)
12 o'clock Fantasy Island, Silver Threads and Golden Needles, Unknown, Chartreuse Wiggles and center, Baby Bunting
Queenie
calicocat1967
14 years agobecky_ia
14 years agoaka_margo
14 years agocritter-ridder
14 years ago
woodthrush
14 years agodcketcham
14 years agopeggy_hosta
14 years agoidiothe
14 years agoloisflan
14 years ago
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
14 years ago
Lee
14 years agoI created pockets on my rock walls for some of my minis..
you can compare the size of the mini's with the big "Sagae" in front of them but still visible with them sitting up higher on the rock walls.
ptilda
14 years agoKen, My concern is mostly not loosing them! :) And I'd like them to be in a prominent spot where they will get the attention they deserve.
I LOVE the container ideas, but in my zone 3/4, I think that's too risky. Maybe a raised bed, if it's big enough.
Margo, your little mini-garden is amazing! Where is it in relation to the rest of your garden? Is it pretty obvious to visitors?
Peggy, the little door is FANTASTIC! In fact, I JUST finished (like 2 days ago) putting a frame around a 15"-high screen-door (probably used to be a sales-man's sample) that I got off of ebay & attached it to a stump. I'm looking for a resident (a Gnome, probably), but the mini hosta bed is an excellent idea! I also drilled about 8" into the top of the stump (which is about 4-feet high) and planted wave petunias in it. I'm waiting for those to trail down. The whole thing is right next to the double pond in the front yard, right outside the front door, so it will be seen by all visitors when they leave, if they miss it on the way in!
Here's a pic of the door from the ebay sale (not my pic). I'll try to take a pic of the "finished" product tomorrow. My sister says it needs a dormer, and my brother suggested a window, so we'll see...
{{gwi:150019}}
Here's the stump when we hollowed it out, with a gnome by it that I thought was cute, but he's too small for the door at only about 6-inches:
Peggy, do you use loose shredded leaves? Or bagged? Do you think wood mulch would do the trick if it was piled 8-10" high? What about straw? I'm not sure what will be available to me come winter, so I want to check options. I KNOW I'll have a lot of mulch, since I live less than a mile from a small-time lumber farm, and he gives me as much as I can carry out... not charge! :)
Melati, I like your rock wall idea too. In fact, I have field stone as a primary landscaping material in my yard, and there are various groundcovers planted in it. Minis would look great, but I'm always affraid that they will get lost in the rocks. So I'll probably have to wait until some more of them get bigger. I might also make a "front yard" for my Gnome (that I don't have yet!) using some of your ideas with rocks, but on a smaller scale.
flowerchild59
14 years agopeggy_hosta
14 years agoptilda
14 years agoaka_margo
14 years agoThis is a picture of the whole garden. It is an outcropping from my other garden beds. The green beads are actually mung beads that I sprayed with polyurethane.
Janice
14 years agoaka_margo
14 years agojanroze
14 years agoptilda
14 years agojel48
14 years agoI love all the mini beds. You guys are all so creative! Here are some pics of mine. I put these in late last year. They are in a corner up next to the foundation of the house. They get south and some east exposure. All are doing great except Silver Threads and Golden Needles which seems kind of puny (not pictured). Maybe it's just picky. This is the first time I've planted it so have no prior experience.
These two pics cover at least half the bed, maybe a little more.
stickytoffee
14 years agoi-like-to-grow
14 years agocraigbear
14 years ago
aka_margo