Mine was Risky Business. I had visited a relative who had a Hosta collection, and I was amazed at all the varieties. I went home, looked at all my boring albomarginata and lancifolia, and immediately went on the internet and found Risky Business. It arrived healthy, happy, & beautiful. I thought, wow that was easy, lets order more. My next order was 5 plants, and that's how the madness began...

Wendy

Mine was gold Standard in 1997.I was so pleased that it turned a beautiful pale yellow and almost white.It was a beautiful contrast with the Huechera, that I went looking for more.Even though I moved away,I'm right back collecting.Judy

I've had hostas for 32 years but I got my first hostas that had a name tag attached and paid money for in 1995. A couple of hundred named hostas later, well you know how it goes! lol

Connie

My first hosta was Gold Standard in 2005. Got it from a neighbor at the lake and she's given me several more plus the fever!
Peggy

In 1982 a friend gave me 5 old time Hosta (Hyacynthia, Gold Crown, Plantinagea and 2 more). I planted them in a corner of my yard and ignored them until 1994. Then one day I looked at them and realized that they were gorgeous and needed NO care to be that way. So now I have a yard full and I do take much better care of them--including my original grouping which has been added to and still looks gorgeous. Mary

Our first one is a simple medium sized green plant that was in the corner of the yard. I must have stomped on it alot as I installed new fencing there the first year. It filled the corner up..my wife bought a few real generic types, Then I started bringing home some more typical stuff from my mom..and splitting the green one from the corner. Suddenly I had a good bunch of two types..
Then the bug hit.. SO,bought a few nice ones last year, and this year its full addiction.. Will have to build planter boxs around the trees to plant more !

'Bressingham Blue' in 1987 (my brother calls them 'Bressingham Green'). Cleared out beds of stone and plastic the year before in our newly bought home and needed "something for shade" and my wife likes blue. Who knew there were bluer ones to be had? Still have them...and some divisions scattered about.

tj

Striptease. I was at a farmer's market and there was someone selling hostas. I saw the striptease and had to have it. At the time I thought $10 was too much for a plant but bought it anyway. I planted it next to my doorway and still enjoy it every time I go out the door in the summer.

Good thread.
My first that I paid money for was also Krossa Regal. As I recall it was a real bargain, three for $7.00 and they were multi-eyed big pots.

In the '80s, Blue Angel.

I thought hostas were "the green one, the green and white one, or the white and green one." I lived in a townhouse then, with a tiny garden in front and a deeply shaded private patio in back. A neighbor was editing her patio garden and she gave me two huge Blue Angels from a grouping that had outgrown the space available. Those plants started my love affair, but now in my much larger garden, I don't have Blue Angel. :-(

Over 20 years ago a friend took me to Hornbakers where I saw a mature Sum & Substance and Love Pat. My first two. I collected about a dozen different hostas that year and have kept them all with me in 3 different gardens until last fall. I ended the year with 64 varieties. This year I added an additional 139 varieties.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hornbaker Gardens