Welcome me back to the world of hosta gardening!

11 years ago

How I've Failed at Hosta Gardening in 2012

Since going back to work outside the home and no longer having summers off, I've not had the time to spend in my garden. So, the beds are loaded with weeds. I pull a few at a time, but every single bed makes me ill looking at how overrun with weeds they are. And since losing the tree, my main bed gets a lot more sun and therefore a lot more weeds. FAIL!

And the section getting more sun was already overcrowded, now it's awful! FAIL!

Other than moving a hosta to my newly expanded front bed, and digging one to give it away, I'd not planted a single hosta. FAIL!

Until tonight, I was feeling absolutely disconnected from hosta gardening. Despite acquiring 28 hostas (some replacements for deads/duds) and despite going to the Midwest Hosta Convention, I did not feel like a hosta gardener.

What changed?

I planted a bed I started last summer!

I remembered how much I enjoy composing a bed. Ok, I have a solid green, then a white margin, then a solid gold, what next? Got it. Dark Margin. And down here, a solid blue." I adore that! My bed is composed of several mature/maturing sized hostas from my overcrowded beds. I had no idea that my Clifford's Forrest Fire was nearly 4 feet across, cuz it was hidden by a hydrangea bush! I have a huge Pineapple Poll I moved in there and a nearly mature Rainbow's End that I finally graduated from my ICU area (a TC I bought in 2007, my first year). But for the most part, I planted new acquisitions from this year and last year.

So, all in all, I got 35-40 planted between last night and today. I think there will be anothe 25-30 to plant to complete this bed. I'm planning it in such a way that as the giants get bigger, I have smaller plants next to them that I can remove.

Ok, so I'm baaack! My name is Melissa and I'm a hostaholic!

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Comments (15)

hostahillbilly
11 years ago
Mel,

First, it sounds like you're fighting.

Yes, sometimes that's what it takes.

Briefly, since the worst problem, besides your frustration (and that's actually the worst problem, IMO), is weeds.

That part is easy, since I've seen my wife plant Hosta so close that absolutely no weeds stood a chance.

Now, however, I have to plan how to rescue 'weaker' Hostas from being 'drowned' by such beasties as 'Blue Angel' etc.

Still, rescuing overgrown Hostas from bigger, badder, meaner, faster, Hostas is surely more time-effective than WEEDING, eh?

thisismellisa, I have been, off-and-off, hanging out here, and distinctly remember you as a good and valued contributer (sp?) here,

so I ask you to stop and re-consider if you should 'quit'.

fwiw,

hh
Babka NorCal 9b
11 years ago
Welcome Back! We all have our up and down years, but the hostas win in the end...and so do you. ;-)

-Babka
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bkay2000
11 years ago
I'm glad you had such a great day! We've missed our fellow hostaholic. We all need more enabling with those photos of your gorgeous hosta.

bkay
User
11 years ago
Yes, Melissa, good to hear your very refreshing voice.
The spirit is willing, I see.
chris-e
11 years ago
Melissa,

I am so glad to see your return!

Don't get discouraged, this has been a weird season. Besides your going back to work full time, winter was too warm, many plants were badly affected. Spring was too warm and everything sprouted too early. Summer has been hell and the heat and drought has hurt a lot of plants and it has been way too hot most days to go out and weed.

So I just look at my gardens and sigh, get the hose out and remember that the hosta plants WILL come back next year and look beautiful!

chris
i-like-to-grow
11 years ago
Welcome back babe... I had always been jealous of how much more obsessed about hosta you were... Than me... Lol... I took last summer and fall off and just let them do their thing... When I got hooked again this spring... My beds were full of weeds as well...weeds and vinca and violets which I hate lol... When I returned back to the forum... I was like where the freak is that freak Melissa lol.... Good to have you back!

John
lavenderlver
11 years ago
Welcome back! I'm so glad you've returned as your gardens have been an inspiration to me as a newbie...thank you!

(and after planting 40 plants, you deserve a piece of cheesecake for dessert)
beverlymnz4
11 years ago
Welcome back. Actually, your timing is perfect. The temperature has come down, and its raining. that makes the weeds easier to pull and a great time for planting. June and July where too hot. The best part about July was the convention and you were there. Trust me, you didn't miss much.

Beverly
thisismelissa
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks all.

I've been lurking on the forum, but didn't post much.

Not sure how much posting I'll be doing since I have so much gardening to do, but know that I'm here in spirit.

I still need to plant more, but now that we're having this soaking rain, I'm guessing it'll be a weed pulling day, rather than a planting day!
hosta_freak
11 years ago
Really? You were gone? Didn't notice! LOl! Glad to see your smiling voice! Things getting bad here. No rain for more than a week,and temps well above 90 every day. Hostas are going down at an alarming rate,but they will survive. They always do. Good to see you back. Phil
Ludicious Acres
11 years ago
While I have not been an active member of this forum long enough to notice your waning enthusiasm, I must say you have been one of my biggest supporters. I can't imagine you stepping out now, I still have so much to show you and everyone else.

You all inspire me everyday, let us in return help you to rediscover your amazing hobby.

Cheers to rekindled passion,

Ludi
thisismelissa
Original Author
11 years ago
I wasn't really GONE from the forum, just gone from gardening. My backyard hadn't seen the likes of my shovel all summer.... till Friday!
peggy_hosta
11 years ago
Some times we just need to deviate from the regular routine for a while but catching up from the change can be a killer- like going on a long vacation and coming back to work only to see a mountain of paperwork. You'll be caught up in no time with a little weeding each night.
Hope to come to the Midwest Convention next summer and see you Mpls friends again.
Peggy
thisismelissa
Original Author
11 years ago
Peggy hun....
Midwest was in Rochester this year and next year, it's in Lisle IL. National convention is in Milwaukee. I won't be going to either, but I hope to send some auction donations!
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
11 years ago
Reading your post brought me back to a difficult several years in my life. Everything took a back seat while family illness and death took over. I needed to reshuffle everything I considered important in my life, and gardening just didn't seem that important anymore. I, like you, felt that I was FAILING!

What I am trying to say is that it may be your time to reshuffle your priorities. If you have gone back to work and will not have summers off, then maybe you want to give some thought as to how much time you can realistically spend on your garden. That way you can perhaps not feel so overwhelmed. Decide what brings you the greatest joy---having a well tended garden; acquiring new hostas, etc? Also, do you have a young person who can do some weeding for you for a few bucks? That way you could get your weeding done faster and be happier with your garden.

I think you are just in the "readjustment" period when you need to prioritize and reshuffle your time due to your going back to work. I believe that you will find and do what is right for you. Good luck.

Welcome me back to the world of hosta gardening!

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hostahillbilly

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