Update on Hosta Moved from NE to MO Last Winter

16 years ago

You may recall I posted last winter about attempting to move a couple hundred hosta divisions in the middle of winter from Nebraska to southeast Missouri. Just thought I'd stop by and update everyone on their progress.

As further background for those who may not know, I had several hundred hosta growing in my gardens back home which had been a gift from a friend, a lifetime hosta grower, who later passed away. I will put a link to the story about Scooty and her hostas below for those who are interested. When you get to the Pearl Soup website, just do a search for the author SheilaNE and then click the link on the story, "A Walk In The Hostas With Scooty Maguire."

ANYWAY the survival of these plants was very, very important to me. I am sad to report that of all the many dozens of plants I dug up and moved, (there were a lot of perennials along with the hostas too) only around three dozen have survived. They are all in one nice garden I put in for them out front and many are just "babies." None of the blues survived; everything that made it here is medium green or green/white. Interesting. Three heuchera and all of my sedums survived the move. No chameleon plants, no daisies, no mint, no phlox, basically nothing else. No roses either.

At least I have tons of photos of all Scooty's beautiful hosta and all my other plants growing happily in my old gardens. It is very sad that the new owners have no appreciation for gardens. I did have the opportunity to share many plants with my gardening neighbors before I moved, so I guess I did the best I could for the plants.

I just feel really, really bad:( I miss my babies.

I knew y'all would understand!!

Hope you are having a wonderful gardening summer! Hugs to all, -sheila

Here is a link that might be useful: Scooty Maguire's Hosta Story

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Comments (11)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
bummer .....

any chance you can tell us how you tried to do it.. and what you believe the failure was related too??

i moved 1500 potted hosta back in 2000 ... i lost about 100 or so .. most of my best blues ... i think the sieboldiana/tokudama heritage did them in .. i don't think they liked cold wet feet in the pots in early spring .... the promix held just too much water.. or in the alternative... they went dormant in too much water in the mix ....

anyway .. at least you tried .... you would be much sadder if you had simply abandoned them ...

ken
Hosta_Haven
16 years ago
Sheila,

So sorry...so glad you still have the pictures.
Thank you for sharing.

Char
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Perhaps using heavy duty garbage bags would be useful. They won't fall apart when wet like cardboard. The bagged rootballs and extra dirt and straw won't spill out in the move. They can be packed more tightly together during the move. I have used garbage bags when relocating hostas or other perennials were too big for any pots that I have, although those were fair weather moves. However, several autumns ago we had a terrible storm with lightning and winds of up to 89 mph. Two enormous trees in the backyard were felled, and crushed many smaller trees and most of the shrubs in the center of the yard. I dug up the only 2 rhododendrons from under the downed trees and branches that were not destroyed while waiting for the tree guys to cut and remove the huge mess. The damage was so widespread in our area that it took them over a month to get to us. I had no idea when or where I could replant the poor rhodos. Most of the yard was a ten foot high wall of downed tree limbs. I dragged the bags to an undamaged part of my daylily garden. Winter came early, and the poor rhodos sat out until spring with only dirt in the garbage bags to protect them. To my utter shock, they survived undamaged, bloomed and thrived once replanted in the spring. ~Bunnycat
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Because that's the way the guy who put the gutter up which spills over did it. I hate it and want one of those fat flexible black plastic things you bury, would have to get the slope right and filter the opening since attaching it to the downspout will do no good because of all the spillover. A gutter company did not want my job to do it right but did tell me I need a wider gutter there. I don't think that spout even works, and I had somebody check if it was clear all the way up. It was, ran the hose down it, can't remember if any came out the other end or not. It's supposed to rain in a couple of days, so I'll check if anything comes out of it. I can guarantee you there will be a nasty puddle that takes awhile to soak on down and gets in the corner of the basement. Ugh! I'll have to set my 5 gal buckets out to catch some of it, then use it to water plants. Ugh again! Look awful. I don't have a DH and help is sporadic. You would not believe how I have to improvise, the toilet is broken so I tied a string to the plunger chain until I can repair it. I duct taped a nice terra cotta planter my daughter broke. I tried to glue with with old but unopened J. B. Weld, and while I left the room crash. Put it back and crash again, broke into two more pieces. And that isn't the worst of it around here. If I got everything done and done right, well I cannot afford it and would rather put up with it than other options, none good. I spend money on plants and photography and couldn't have any of it if I did it all. If I angle it to direct it, the iris may get too waterlogged as well as a rose I have planted by the arbor there which is not doing well at all but it is pretty long and might bypass the rose, again if it works. Thanks for the tip about the bricks. That is exactly what I will do when I find enough bricks. I 'spose things will grow between the cracks but not as bad as nothing. That makes is sound so doable now. Fantastic! My daughter asked why I don't use my glass blocks I found in somebody's trash. Well I wouldn't like them there, and they would be slippery plus may be too reflective and burn something. I hate to give them away after carting them home and piling in the garage that hot, humid day. One chore at a time, we're getting it now, got some stuff done today, any little thing makes me feel like I've accomplished something. Tomorrow and subsequent days, I have to dig quite a bit :-( I yak too much, must be tiresome.
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So what did your mom think? I moved a large Krossa yesterday, it was just too darn big where it was. Moved it whole. Today I have some dividing and moving to do to add different color where all I see is dark green. Hosta are like furniture at my house. If all goes well the ones I move today will need less babying than the Krossa. #1 the plant is smaller, easier to deal with #2 I will remove all the dirt before dividing so I will have little root loss. I baby mine for a week or two. All summer Paul? That is a lot of babying. My only issue is what to do with the ones that are where the new divisions will go. I really don't like putting the time into potting and hate to lose my pots and dirt for such common specimens.
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gardens dress accordingly .. and go play in the dirt ... whats this nonsense about too dirty .. if you dont have mud in your eyebrows.. in your hair.. and gritting in your teeth.. you are a gardener.. btw ... this is the type of thing i would do at the very last.. just before heading into to the laundry room to throw everything i was wearing in the washer ... and then up to the shower ... its not the job you want to do first .. lol .. of course.. i only lander the garden clothes.. when they stand up in the corner by themselves because there is so much dirt encrusted on them .. lol .. when too encrusted.. its hard to bend your knees.. lol ... ken
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Janice
16 years ago
Oh, I am so sorry, Sheila! I remember the story but I want to read it again! It was quite good, sweet and very touching!!
Could you please find it for us(because I can't seem to through the search engine as you instructed)
and link that page to us directly? :o)
Janice
16 years ago
I just found it, (round and about) through our search here at GW! Here it is?

Here is a link that might be useful: Sheila's story about Scooty
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
shiela ...

you sent me a private note ..... can you link the referred post using the line below the box you type in ..... so others can see it ..

now.. I HAVE A DEAL FOR YOU ....

i have a bunch of hosta that i need to get rid of.. it will be cheaper to send them to you .. than make 10 labels.. for duplicates ....

privately email me your address ... and i will mail them to you [maybe this week .. next week at the latest] .... may even send you the duplicates, just to get rid of them ..... for you to trade off to others ... sorry no blues ....

think of it as scooty still looking over you ...

did you get a scooter to keep for yourself???

this is absolutely the last nice thing i am doing .. garden wise .. this year.. lol ...

ken

PS: dont leave them in the box under the eave until next spring... lol ...
hostasformez4
16 years ago
SonKen, You are such a sweety to do that for Shelia.

momConnie
sheilaschnauzies
Original Author
16 years ago
Ken, I put the link below to my original post about the hosta move.

I sent you a separate email but I just wanted to give you a HUGE HOSTA HUG here too - you are absolutely unbelievable in your generosity. No, I was not able to save my Scooter hosta nor my Paradigm, which was her first gift to me when we became friends. They are #1 and #2 on my shopping list for next Spring! (Along with lots of blues, LOL!!)

I think the one I miss SEEING the most is my Lakeside Black Satin. That was sooo beautiful. And the Brenda's Beauty... and the Fried Green Tomatoes I received in a trade once... Ohhh... I am getting misty here!

I think the other perennial I miss most is my purple Wisteria that a GardenWeb trader sent me several years back. It was soooo beautiful. But way too big to move!

You know what? I just remembered something GOOD. I still have all of Scooty's metal ID tags that were scattered all around her gardens. I should do something "garden artsy" with them as a memorial. That could be neato!!

I just thought of something else too. I need to sort through the plethora of photos I have of all the hosta and stick them up on a web page on my site. That would be a good way to remember them. And a great winter project too!

I want to thank each of you who has sent a note to me, it means a LOT. My husband doesn't get my grief over these plants, bless his heart. He isn't a gardener. He keeps telling me, "But look at everything you have here now" and he's right. I have 5 beautiful wooded acres and some previous owner long ago did lots of landscaping with nice perennials like iris, liriope, yucca, and daylilies. So yes I am grateful of course BUT I still miss MY babies!! It is nice to talk about it with people who "get" it. Thank you!!

Here is a link that might be useful: My Original Post About Moving The Hosta
micke
16 years ago
I have a small fried green tomatoes...
I can send it to you next Spring if you don't get one by then.
michelle
goldedger
16 years ago
Sheila I am sorry you lost so many of your treasured babies but on the bright side you did save 3 dozen of them. I read your story about Scooty...what a beautiful and touching story it was, you enriched each others lives.

I just got Scooter this summer and would gladly send you a start but being in Canada I know I can't. :( I will think of you and Scooty Maguire each time I see my Scooter though!

June
arleneb
16 years ago
Sheila, I'm so sorry to hear of your losses. I'm moving from northern Indiana to Tennessee next spring and will be moving 200 or so -- probably take most of them bare-root and heel them in until the landscaping plan is ready. Anyway, I have a gorgeous Paradigm, and would be happy to share with you when I dig it up in the spring. It's probably my favorite hosta -- the picture below was taken this morning! It has looked absolutely perfect all summmer, through drought, wind, and floods. Anyway, pm me and we can exchange addresses . . . I'd love to know that my Paradigm can fill a hole in your garden and your heart!

Arlene

Here is a link that might be useful:
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
they are in the mail .... 2 to 3 days ..... ken

Update on Hosta Moved from NE to MO Last Winter

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Update on Hosta Moved from NE to MO Last Winter

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