Lots of "fan favorites" around here! Do a thread search for tons of detailed answers, and photos of orders. In my experience, you will be very happy with:

Hallson Gardens (perennialnursery.com)
Naylor Creek (naylor creek.com)
Green Mountain (greenmountainhosta.com)

Watch out though...this way madness lies. A few clicks and you'll be hooked! Enjoy!

Hallson without a doubt is one of the finest. Chris is very passionate about his work and it shows.

Gary at Naylor is a lovely gentleman and you'll find yourself reminiscing with him on the phone if not careful. :)

I also recently put Jeff Miller from Land of the Giants on my approved list. I will be placing a small order with him for some Golden Tiara that my friend is looking for next spring.

The only unpleasant experience I have had to date was with HostasDirect. I'm not saying they aren't a legit vendor, just be careful what size you buy. Tom will sell you first year liners.

fwiw,

Ludi

Look at the top of the Hosta Library main page, those are very good hosta nurseries. I bought from Hallsons, Naylor Creek, Land of the Giants and Glenbrook Farm with success.

This post was edited by berndnyz5 on Wed, Nov 27, 13 at 7:28

i dont know if it matters.. but op said: harder to find hosta.

i wonder what he is looking for ...

ken

ps: mike.. we can talk about sellers all we want.. what is against the rules.. is them talking about themselves.. aka advertising ...

Wade and Gatton have a HUGE catalog on their website. I've never ordered from them, but heard great things about their business. Ditto on the companies mentioned above as well. I don't think you'll find better plants than what they offer at Hallson Gardens.

Don B.

Steve did an extenisve thread on where to buy hosta last year. I have searched and can't find it, although I found it last time I looked. Maybe someone else can find it.

Naylor probably has the best of the latest. Hallson is probably the most popular and most often praised and has a lot of the latest. One word of caution, though. The latest are often just liners or advanced liners. I've bought new hosta from usually good vendors that turned out to be really small and I was very unhappy to pay that price for a hosta that small. (I've never hear anyone say that about Naylor or Hallson.) Some you almost have to get from the original grower, as they haven't gone to tissue culture or did not do well in tissue culture.

Tell us what you are looking for and maybe we can suggest a place to find it.

bk

I obtained some very nice hostas this past summer from Made in the Shade. Rob Mortko, proprietor, is also VERY prompt to answer queries and give growing advice.

I have also obtained some decent hostas in the past from NH Hostas. Jim's Hostas is a place you go to obtain hard-to-find hostas, but be warned: their online catalog is real Amateurville and hard to navigate, and the plants they send are on the small side. However, they eventually grew. I remember they sent me a bonus hosta that I'd never heard of, "Yellow Eyes".

I have not purchased hostas from HostasDirect, but I have purchased plenty of heuchies, which were absolutely beautiful and healthy. I also ordered some mini heuchies from In the Country and found them to be excellent specimens. The proprietor, Josh Spece, is also very responsive to queries and growing advice.

once I get home I might put a few of my want list up or just look on some of those sites for them. I am really picky about what I buy and only buy what I really like..usually that means a higher price since its less common but I don't end up with 1000 plain green and white margin hosta. thanks so much for the help I will make sure and check out all those places..guess now is the time to jump on it since most places say there sold out very quickly

I order or have ordered from these, and always look for new hostas in this order:

1 - Naylor Creek (just awesome!)
2 - Plant Delights (these guys are local for me, so I don't have experience with mail order with them, but have purchased huge hostas and other plants from their greenhouses for years with great success. They are also know for having the "uncommon" and always the largest, but again, local so I can pick the biggest).
3 - Made In The Shade
4 - Hallson's
5 - Land of the Giants

Side note: ordered from New Hampshire Hostas this past season and only got small hostas that I was unhappy with. I know this isn't everyone's experience but some reported the same results from them. Word of caution with them, although they had a great response/customer service when I complained, they won't be on my list in the future.

Hope that helps!

do you have a email I can contact you at funnthesun? I had a few questions regarding plant delights. I've heard mixed things so I wanted some answers from a local. when I get home I will check on all these places

Since Don mentioned not having ordered from Wade And Gatton, (or American in the HostaFinder publication), I can say that I rely on Mr. Van Wade as if he had a museum of the hosta old timers, lots of the new hybrids and sports, and he is a treasure trove of good hosta.

Then I've used Savory's nursery too. You call them, you speak with Mrs. Savory, widow of the founding father, whose son continues the family tradition of hosta hybridizing and introducing new sports registered with the AHS.

Third, I'd mention placing an order for Steve Green's Hosta Finder, which covers many nursery catalogs, it comes out I think in February, costs about $20, will save a lot of time looking for specific hosta.

Don't forget that Bob Solberg's nursery is in Franklin NC I think it is, and also there is Tony Avent at Plant Delights Nursery in NC. Always healthy plants, and there are some sales at all places this time of year, for spring delivery after dormancy ends.

Not to forget Made In The Shade, Avalon Acres, or Mason Hollow (New Hampshire). I've been treated well by those places, with vigorous plants that thrive. Some of my favorite additions came from these three places.

And, Jim Hartmann is a winner as well as a poster on our forum, and for a long time I had no idea who Idiothe really was. He keeps a low profile, you see.

Through the First Look Auctions, and AHS Auctions on the HostaLibrary.org website, I've been privileged to acquire some which might be new and some would say "rare" so consider that as well.

And, if you want to grow from seed, a big auction is coming up very soon, like Dec 7 I think. A cheaper way of getting a start of something like Dorothy Benedict selfed or crossed. Depends on what you mean by "rare."

I know there are multiple threads about individual experiences with various nurseries. We haven't done a big one like that in some time though. Maybe in 2012?

I spent heavily on hosta the past two years, though I avoid assessing the cost. But in 2010 I bought about 10 original hosta from PDN, and now have about 400 mostly in containers (except for a dozen I think). That means pots, potting mix components, fertilizer, water, and so on, added to the purchase price of the 400 hosta.

And about personal experience with Plant Delights. My first order for hosta was to them, because I'd ordered many times for other plants and got what I wanted. Tony Avent is a hosta hybridizer of some note, with many creations to his credit. However, out of about 10 hosta ordered that one time, I did not get what I ordered, with some missing entirely and three of them were NOIDS. That pretty much turned me off on ordering hosta from them again. I still order other plants there, but my major bucks go elsewhere and go into HOSTA. You can only buy so many shrubs. Hosta is another matter...sky's the limit.

Earlier in the thread Ken asked what I was looking for..Well everyone knows even where were not looking for somthing it ends up in the cart.. These are the ones I have been searching for..found a few and passed them up and now there MIA again.. If anyone has them or a lead on them let me know.

Hosta Wallys bullfrog
Hosta Quiet Waters
Hosta Nougat
Hosta clowns collar
Hosta oil on canvas

I have been looking over the sites given and all seem very good. I'm sure I will be placing an order soon, got to see what comes of these streaker seeds I just planted first though..need to find them good mates.

Where did you come up with that list? Most if not all of those are plants are not in the trade. In other words they likely exist only in private gardens. If you want something like this then contact individuals who have them and ask to buy a piece. Be prepared to spend a lot of money.

If you look at pics on the Library you will see who has these plants. Hosta Nougat for example, likely exists in Europe only, since those who have posted pics of it are from the Netherlands or from Ireland (Ian Scroggy). You could contact Ian at Bali Hai Nursery and ask if he will sell you a piece. That is, if he has one large enough to divide.

Jeff Miller likely has Clown's Collar as he carries some exclusive Don Dean plants. Contact him at LOTG Hosta Farm.

Oil On Canvas is likely in Europe only. Probably Danny has the only piece. Hostas with that much white/cream won't grow well or be suitable for TC.

Jeff White has the pics of Wally's Bullfrog on the Library. He posts here very occasionally as AllNitro or Blackhawk Giboshi.

Good luck on this somewhat, Quixotic search. Save your pennies.

Steve

i dont know any of those names... well OOC sounds familiar ....

you havent been shopping in the hosta library have you ...???

if so... a good percent are simply NEVER going to be available

or i am really out of the loop on the newest things ....

if library shopping.. you use the myhosta link.. find the originator ... track them down.. and ... IF IN FACT IT STILL EXISTS ... you pay a couple hundred dollars for one division ...

you will not find them.. on any of the websites listed.. ever ....

please tell me i am not so out of the loop.. these are all new hosta???

ken

ps: oil on canvas ... looks like a TERMINAL WHITE TO ME ... and since there is only one pic of an extreme babe.. let me suggest.. it died.. before it made it thru the propagation system ... and the fact that the myhosta link is not helpful.. means to me.. you will never get it ... its a dream.. an enigma wrapped in a burrito covered in red sauce.. or whatever Churchill actually said ... and i could be wrong.. but i think Danny E is europe based .... belgium.. if google didnt fail me ... good luck with importing them from across the pond ... legally anyway ....

lol thanks for the kind words everyone but I am no stranger to the rare and strange..or smuggling plants in from europe. I am mostly a tropical gardener and I have many many connections in europe. nougat was on ebay for sale a few months back so it has to be out there..ill keep looking and let everyone know..if anyone comes across them let me know. Really Oil on Canvas, wallys bullfrog and quiet waters are the ones eluding me. the rest are just expensive lol

This post was edited by miketropic on Thu, Nov 28, 13 at 15:39

quiet waters isnt even in the library ....

do you have that name right????

WB.. properly named bullgfrog thru myhosta... pix by jeff white ...

jeff white is part of the seedgrowers group.. and probably contactable thru that group ...

do i have to do all the sleuthing for you.. lol ...

ken

well if your going to get me Mr. white contact info LOL..no really I'm sure I can find it.

One other things while your replying to this thread and so I don't have to make another..I have never tried breeding and don't know if I ever will but I do like the rare/strange/ odd and it seems to me most come from " dorothy benedict" sooner or later..what is it about this hosta that is so magical and makes it such a good parent? I have seen 1 in person, which wasn't for sale and was told it cost the owner around 200 for a plug..what is the deal with this one? It was very nice but there seems to be somthing more to it

I have only tried growing seeds once. There are many modern streaked breader plants out there but their seedlings are mostly in private gardens. It takes about 5 years to properly grow a hosta to see if it is a garden worthy plant. So Dorothy, being one of the older breaders, has more progeny on the market. Dorothy Benedict is streaked, has beautiful coloring, good substance and good habit. All traits that people want to pass along. The fact that a decent number of her seedlings are streaked an potentially settle into variegated plants is key. Any way, if you want to try growing seeds, its probably easier to buy seeds from some of these streaked plants than it is to grow streaked plant, pollinate and collect seeds, at least to start with. Its a great winter hobby. I will start might around the first of the year. Someone with more experience might chime in here.

Skip Nougat, it is not worth it, even if it was only a $5.00 hosta. It will either not grow, die, or will sport or revert to something else.

I agree with Chris on 'Nougat'...it is pretty much impossible to grow. The same probably applies to Oil on Canvas.

Back in the day, 'Dorothy Benedict' was the first streaked sieboldiana. It brought size, substance, and strong corrugation to a streaked plant that could pass these traits on to its variegated seedlings. The down side is slow growth rate. DB has been the breeder that all serious hybridizers 15-20 years ago had to have to be on the cutting edge. In my opinion, DB has been used to the point that it is not real likely you'll get anything truly new and unique without multiple generations of crosses. Lots of pretty plants, but cutting edge? Doubtful. Mike, only one of those plants you're after is sort of related to DB (Quiet Waters is out of sieboldiana).

Quiet Waters is on my list, too. Let me know if you have any luck finding it! I sent you my email re: plant delights

For what it's worth,to moccasin landing; Bob Solberg is in Franklinton,not Franklin,NC. I am in Franklin,so I oughta know! Sorry,I wish he was here. He used to be in Chapel Hill,but moved his operation to Franklinton. Phil in Franklin NC.