The Diablo tree is junk, you will spend more time cutting the "suckers" from the rootstock then any other garden tending. Besides the trunk will not support the size of the topgrowth. If it has to be a "purple leaf tree, use Crabapple 'Purple Prince', you will still have some suckers, although not near as bad. You could also use Ninebark 'Summer Wine' in shrub form. It's already planted, so I cannot reconsider it. I have been cutting suckers from the Caragana that was in this spot, so I'm not afraid of suckers. Crabapples are too messy anyway and I cannot take a chance on my pre-schooler or the 2 babies do daycare for, eating the fruit. Mary, I do like Moonlight too. That pic is great! Reminds me of my Fire Opal, but a bit smaller.

I'd probably go with June. When your friends find out that there is no such animal as "just one hosta" they can divide June and put her in different light locations. Now they will have same hostas that differ a bit in color. Course we all know the next thing your friends will do is check out the hostas in their local supermarket. . then they will check out every nursery within 50 miles . . .expanding that to 100 miles. . then they will yank out all the other non hostas to make room for their mail order hostas. . .then. . . ONE hosta. . snort. . . hohohoho

Just so you all don't think I'm totally whacked out over hostas, I used to live in Ohio and have to transport children back and for summer visits. So Cory's was about 1-1/2 hours out of my way! Ken, thanks for keeping track of my hauls! For some reason, I haven't kept track of that! As a matter of fact, the amount paid for my hostas is the only column in all of my spreadsheets that I don't have a total on. I'm in total denial! I called Englerth's number today, their phone is disconnected and the property is up for sale. Thanks for the info on Allegan hostas. I walked away from Allegan Fog many times, I actuallly thought this one was one of the best I'd seen. Steve - yes, I paid $10 each for all of those hostas. Nancy Gill is a mix of Sum and Substance x pycnophylla x Montana. I'm hoping I might be able to give it a little bit of sun. Bernd, while at Cory's I thought the same thing about the newspapers! Mr. Cory wasn't too keen on that idea though!

You all make me smile about the stumps and elevated hosta. I catch myself imagining ways to raise them ALL up higher so I don't have to bend over so much. I am a happy camper today, sitting here at the bar with my laptop, looking out the back windows to the hosta garden through the lattice shade screen. I must get mosquito spray before spending much time out back when the wind is not blowing. They eat me alive. Donna, Dark Shadows is a pleasant surprise this spring. Yours will do the same....rock along mild mannered, until it reveals SUPERhosta one fine spring morning. Maybe I learned something with Squash Casserole about exposing the hosta to more sunlight, when I can provide adequate water. Now I do not seek shade as much (except for the blues, and those with white margins) and the hosta respond with quicker growth. Perhaps if I had followed this habit from the beginning, my 2012 hosta which languished during my "learning period" would be larger already. Too bad I lost all the photos of 2012 except for those uploaded to Flickr under my MoccasinLanding account. When most arrived here, they were living off the nourishment stored from the nurseries, and my ignorance set them back for some period of time. Now those 2012 hosta (over 200 of them that first year) have either flourished or faded away. Repotting last spring to improve drainage helped them leap this year I believe. I am particularly thankful for the advice given on this forum, and in the various hosta resources online. Here is a shot (sideways of course!) of a rotting pine stump section. Guess I'll learn to take LANDSCAPE FORMAT SHOTS.