Well Ken I'm not even anywhere close to the MD line. No worries about humidity where I live. I wish there were so I could grow the 'jungle effect' I love. LOL! My 'homemade stuff' is a mix of bot plant soil & soilless mix so it's nice and fluffy with bone meal & charcoal mixed in in small amounts. It is not just 'any ol garden dirt out of whereever in the garden'. It's in all my planters including two others with Hostas - one with Tatoo & one with Striptease - and they are doing just fine. I also have a Bressingham Blue which is planted in 'just plain old dirt' and it is doing fine. While I'm not saying it's impossible, I don't think the soil is the problem. I really can't recall whether there is a drainage hole in either pot and they are way too big to pick up and examine now. That said, I'm pretty sure they all have drainage. As I said, the begonias are doing fine though perhaps I do need to be attentive to less water (though that is not usually a problem *I* have -- sometimes DH gets loose on the premises). I take the comments about the light situation quite seriously though. Maybe I'll replace the Twilight with Aspidastra! I believe the Guac gets enough sun as its at the front of the porch area and the porch is south facing. I also have a Fatsia in there in the opposite corner from the Twilight & it does fine (in that same old soil). I'll move the surviving Guac to the garden itself where my other hostas are all doing just fine (in their garden dirt with a little added bone meal). One question that doesn't seem to have been addressed, or at least in a direct sense, is why are the edges of the leaves on Guac rolling under? Is this a common indicator of something?? Many thanks for all your help folks. Holly

No matter what, Tanya, in the hosta market, today--it's a risk when you buy one. Don't worry about it--if it's HVX you will know in a few years, for pretty sure. Just make sure not to cut scapes with the same knife or scissors you just cut another with. And, if you dig and divide, make sure you also clean the shovel and or knife (after and between digs) with a fury, with Dawn dish detergent and a bleach solution. With the nematodes--in my opinion, it's a worse problem. But--what are we going to do--give up our passion? Nope, we'll just have to 'deal with it'!!! Enjoy what you've done!!! I've gone through the hysteria of nematodes and the frustration of HVX--and I think I'm beginning to mellow. The nematodes I found the other day--didn't get 'nuked' this time, like the leaf I showed above (my first discovery on a newly purchased 'Sugar and Cream'). In fact, I'm so cool about it--it's still in that card-board box up on the deck! I feel sorry for it!! But--not for the 'nems'!!! I hate that they are such a problem--and my graphic is from the previous experiences, but I just posted it for fun this time!! I'm not nearly as 'freaked' as before--but still miffed at the seller for selling it--because it was a problem she saw--and felt she had to conceal, whether she understood what it was or not! That, to me, shows a lack of integrity--which I value very much in anyone, whether they are selling me something or just being a friend--be honest, sincere, kindly forthright and patient with me--cause we all are 'a work in progress' on some level! :o/ Did I mention I just can't abide someone who 'flatters' which translates to be someone being very ingenuous--hoping to impress me and with an ulterior motive--that I always wonder about!!! And, I just don't understand the desire to hurt another person, to put them down or make them feel idiotic--what is with that in a person to feed off that kind of hurtful mindset?? Oh well--now you know more about me than you ever wanted to know--right? LOL

in my z5 MI ... rocks pop themselves out of the soil during the freeze thaw cycles in spring .... they are heaved ... see link if your late planted plants.. are not rooted in soon enough.. the soil not settled enough .... they can heave out of the ground ... and its really bad.. in non snow cover winters.. if this happens in feb or march.. because you dont usually find them until late april ... and by then.. they are freeze dried and dead... like that two year old raw chicken in the freezer ... many peeps of many regions read every post.. so i provide the link ... i realize many of you warm zone peeps have your own devils.. and not heave.. but i dont know the line of demarcation ... in warm zones.. again.. get them dormant.. and keep them dormant.. and that is the key ... a good mulching.. helps keep them dormant later into spring .... whenever that may be for you.. wherever you may be .... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

Good eye, Sandy! They were inadvertently mixed up when I posted the pics...I didn't notice until you mentioned it just now. Thank you! Here they are as of a few days ago... Stained Glass - very late bloomer Paradigm Julie Morss Touch of Class. Blue Angel is planted... all the bareroot hostas are doing well - this year's and previous purchases. Rainforest Sunrise and Liberty were the only ones that didn't make it the following spring but I had replaced them last year (although not bareroot).