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Good companion plants for my hosta?

15 years ago

I haven't been on here for so long and so today came looking for ideas and have spent HOURS reading and drooling and dreaming. I LOVE this place!

So to my question: I've built a new hosta/shade garden and am wanting some ideas for good companion hosta for the few I already have. I've got 2 Krossa Regal and 1 Splendor near the base of a tree and one Blue Angel further away. I'm wanting something good to plant around the base of these to bring out the colors and add some contrast but still be a soft and soothing look. I've got some ferns and Astilbe already planted, too. I get pretty good dappled morning and noon sunlight and bright afternoon shade.

Any photos you can post with names of the plants would be WONDERFUL! :)

Thank you,

Sunny

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Comments (7)

esther_opal
15 years ago
Canadian Ginger makes a nice companion and it droops when dry quickly that gives you a signal the hosta need water also.
sunnny
Original Author
15 years ago
Esther Opal - Thank you for the idea. I don't know anything about these so will do some research and hopefully will order this. I'm always insterested in trying new things!
Does anyone have any other suggestions for other hosta which would look good with my Krossa Regal? I'm thinking about June but wondered if anyone have these planted together and how do they look? Anything else??
THANKS for any help.
Sunny
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I planted hundreds of daffodils and minor bulbs amongst hostas in my west border. As the daffodils fade the hostas fill out and soon completely cover the messy foliage. Dicentra formosa and Sedum kamtschaticum 'Golden Carpet' with hostas under evergreens. Changable h. 'Janet,' h. 'Emerald Tiara,' and 'Golden Tiara' with pale pink 'Elfin' impatiens. Cimicifuga simplex 'Brunette'(foreground) with h. 'Gold Standard,'and in my neighbor's adjoining garden, Hemerocallis Â´Stella de Oro.Â´ Hostas underplanted with lamium 'Silver Beacon' and 'White Nancy' and lamiastrum 'Herman's Pride,' with Aruncus dioicus at the back of the bed. More lamiastrum: Blue sage and h. 'Wide Brim.' Clockwise, Lamium, h. 'August Moon,' h. 'Wide Brim,' and (foreground) pachysandra. Cosmos patch in a hosta bed, late fall. Ferns, impatiens, sedum and hostas (Too many) Rudbeckia Deamii in the back of the west hosta border in fall.
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Esther, thanks for the quick response. You've made this stepfather happy.
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Do you have any pictures of the Hosta? What color(s) are they, what size and what is the leaf shape? Dogwoods are great. Are you talking about a Cornus florida or Cornus kousa tree, or a shrub like Cornus sericea Silver and Gold? Burning Bush, aka Winged Euonomous, are a non-native invasive species. Planting one of these would be a mistake, not just for your garden but for any unmanaged ecosytem nearby. The birds will deposit the seeds and this non-native will take over crowding out native species. If you are looking for strong fall color in a shrub try High Bush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) or Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii). Fothergilla comes in dwarf size as well as full shrub size 8x8, and it gives you white flowers in April/May. There are lots of other great companion plants for Hosta. Just give us an idea of what your plants look like. Steve
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Companion plants to hosta???? duh! more hosta!! LOL! Huechera works as does alchimillia, thalactrum, and Solomon seal and astilbe. Linda C
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just1morehosta
15 years ago

I have these two planted together,I think they look nice as companion plantings,JMHO though.Any one else?

Carol
sunnny
Original Author
15 years ago
Carol, I think they look great together. I like that the greens of both are so similar. Enough contrast without eing too busy.
THANKS and I just love photos! :)
Sunny
mary52zn8tx
15 years ago
Hello, I think you need a nice yellow for that spot. Jimmy Crack Corn, Squash Casserole, or Dawn's Early Light would be pretty against Krossa. I don't have Dawn's Early Light yet, but I have seen some stunning pictures. Are you in Texas? One of your posts shows it, and the other two don't.
Mary
sunnny
Original Author
15 years ago
Mary,
I've seen photos of Dawn's Early Light and yes it's stunning. I actually looked for it yesterday and both sites I looked at were sold out. If you find it for a decent price please let me know. I'll look up info on the others you suggested, too.
The Summer Breeze in the photos above is pretty also.
OHhh this is terrible! So many Hosta so hard to choose.
LOL
Thank you for everyones ideas and suggestions. It's so much help.
Sunny
jtmoney
15 years ago
Hi,

Have you ever considered bleeding hearts? I have some 'Luxuriant' that has these neat ruffled leaves that really compliments some varieties of hosta. And the bleeding heart (at least mine) has been very mild mannered - it doesn't spread or become invasive.

John

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