I've gotten some surprises since I moved from Northern CA to OK. Plants that were invasive in CA are not here, and vice versa. My all-time hated plant for taking over the world is Hypericum, in any of it's varieties. I would never ever consider planting it unless erosion control was desperately needed on a hillside. The root system is very tough and can turn into a nearly solid mat, killing anything else in its path. Once it's really established, I think it would take a tractor and a lot of weed killer and several years to eradicate it. Lily of the Valley can spread out over a huge area and be all but impossible to control. Coreopsis in CA is like a weed. Start a plant or two and it spreads everywhere. Here in OK it doesn't seem to be nearly as much of a problem. In fact, I tried scattering seed in hopes that I'd get a crop of new ones, but nothing happened. However, I found that the spiderwort likes this climate and had a dozen babies the first year. The remaining ones are vinca major or minor, which can be really hard to control; sweet woodruff that was mentioned above, which has such tiny roots that it's easy to keep where it belongs; monarda, which began as 8 plants and is now over 8' wide; and evening primrose (oenothera) which spreads like crazy. I'm using it to fill in an ugly patch and it's doing a very good job of it, very fast. Six little starts last year turned into an area that's about 8'long and 5' wide. Also, honeysuckle in OK is an invasive weed, climbing over, under, around and through anything in its path. I'm growing Goldflame, which is well mannered, with an extremely long bloom period.

What a great find! Is the house old? I love treasures like that! :) If you want the same hosta everywhere, you would be doing well w/ Royal Standard. They are full, lush, TOUGH, can handle some sun, lightly fragrant, grow quickly, upright habit and are readily (and cheaply) available! I think that is an excellent choice. As for a smaller one in the front, what color are you thinking? If blue, you could do something like Blue Cadet. Gold - there are many choices....Sunny Disposition, Maui Buttercups, Gold Edger, etc, etc... For a variegated that would blend well w/ the RS, what about something like Golden Tiara? Small, but not too small, dependable and eyecatching yet subtle.

Your majesty, I think you should look at where you will plant the hosta first. A lot of room, then go big. Shade, go dark as deep colors do best in deep shade. Half day of sun, almost anything goes. Full Sun stick with light green, chartreuse, wider margins. Connie Mae had some good advice by suggesting the hosta growers hosta of the year. The AHS lists these: AHS Hosta Ratings #1 - June #2 - Sagae #3 - Liberty #4 - Guacamole #5 - Blue Angel #6 - Striptease #7 - Paul's Glory #8 - Stained Glass #9 - Gold Standard #10 - Halcyon #11 - Sum and Substance #12 - montana Aureomarginata #13 - Paradigm #14 - Orange Marmalade #15 - Regal Splendor #16 - Whirlwind #17 - Spilt Milk #18 - Abiqua Drinking Gourd #19 - Guardian Angel #20 - Patriot #21 - On Stage #22 - Niagara Falls #23 - Great Expectations #24 - Praying Hands #25 - First Frost AHS Mini Hosta Ratings #1 - Pandora's Box #2 - Blue Mouse Ears #3 - Baby Bunting #4 - Tiny Tears #5 - Popo #6 - venusta #7 - Cracker Crumbs #8 - Lemon Lime #9 - Cookie Crumbs #10 - Twist of Lime Honorable Mentions ⢠Cameo â¢Country Mouse AHGA Hosta of the Year 2015 - Victory 2014 - Abiqua Drinking Gourd 2013 - Rainforest Sunrise 2012 - Liberty 2011 - Praying Hands 2010 - First Frost 2009 - Earth Angel 2008 - Blue Mouse Ears 2007 - Paradigm 2006 - Stained Glass 2005 - Striptease 2004 - Sum and Substance 2003 - Regal Splendor 2002 - Guacamole 2001 - June 2000 - Sagae 1999 - Paul's Glory 1998 - Fragrant Bouquet 1997 - Patriot 1996 - So Sweet Pick the hosta that fit your light situation. Pick the size that fits, the full grown size. Decide if you like 'wave planting' where hosta grow into each other or individual specimen planting. Bright borders, bold borders with Liberty (for example). Grouping similar colors, a Kaliope of colors, making each plant a centerpiece or swaths of the same hosta. Pick what you like, and if you have questions you can certainly get a lot of good advice on this forum and no shortage of opinions. Such as the above. Welcome, Jon

Good luck with your recovery Marin, I've heard horror stories about nasal surgery. To offer my 2cents, 1. Kill the ants, they spread various types of scale and are a nuisance when you try to bring your pots into the GH or worse the home. 2. Kill the ants. 3. Did I mention kill the ants? Find out where their nest is (in your pots) and soak those suckers. I've been using Bayer spray lately and it seems to work OK. I use it to spray a line around my house and garage and now have a kill on sight policy towards those little buggers. If I come across a nest or a trail to follow back to the nest, I will stop almost whatever I'm doing to douse them. 4. While at the box store buying poison to kill the ants, check on masks, maybe in the paint dept? I've seen them from simple surgical mask with filter inserts to serious canister type with micron filtration, carbon, etc. It might get pretty miserable wearing to heavy of a mask around in you heat and humidity. 'Course you could just get a bubble suit so at least it is air conditioned? Did I mention, kill the ants? best wishes, -Ethan