Why? I needed a fix and there was a hosta on the end cap. I am week. Lol
I have ordered Lakeside Shore Master twice as it is an awesome plant All the rest of the dups have been store bought. Impulse is my middle name. Paula

This post was edited by ilovetogrow on Wed, Nov 13, 13 at 17:11

NHL...it's sort of like ......how can I stop with just one kiss for the grand kids? I can't, so I maul them, rain kisses all over their face till they either squeal with laughter or squeal, gramma, gramma, stop!

It's like that with hosta, isn't it? When you really, really LOVE one, somehow the satisfaction reaches peak in having MORE of the same.

Striptease (2) ... It grows so vigorously and has a pleasing shape which makes division a snap! I'm thinking ahead......Two will become 4 or 5 in 2015 so I can pair it with....

Golden Scepter, of which I have (4) and divided myself. I don't believe I have purchased a dup. yet....but my first duplicate purchase will be a ....

Flemish Sky simply because it's not as vigorous a grower and I don't want to divide it...I just want to allow it to grow and experience first hand a mature, gorgeous Flemish Sky. When I saw McTavish's blue Lederhosen it automatically reminded me of FS and that powdery grey/blue colour.

June (4+sports) divided to cull blue sports...excited to see them all emerge in the spring...the more, the better and better and better!!!!!!! Was it Paul who had a huge curve of Blue Cadet in his front garden? That's what I have in mind with June.

Krossa Regal (2) this regal monochrome beauty just grows more vigorously when divided. I plan on using her as a backdrop for my Lakeside Shoremaster as front runner, leaving enough space between the tiers to allow the legs of KR to show a bit. I think that will be a great combo.

Plantagenea (3) in order to maximize the scent of the beautifully scented flowers...how can anyone just have one? When she is in flower, even just budding, this hosta just screams "LOOK AT ME"....Love it, love it love it.

U. AlboMarginata (5) This is one hosta that just keeps on going no matter what...the more you divide, the better she grows. This under-rated workhorse is simply beautiful and makes an impact when surrounded by either Honeybells or Ventricosa or any plain green hosta.

Blue MOuse Ears (3). It is so adorable (unbelievably stunning flower buds and flowers) my divisions will take another few years to attain maturity but I will enjoy the process threefold! :-)

Blue Cadet (4). Needed to make more after seeing Paul's use of his BC-an inspiration.

Cracker Crumbs (2). The original was such a tight bunch that I divided it this summer......double your pleasure! double your fun!

Golden Tiara (3). A lovely under planter

Ginkgo Craig (2). This lovely small hosta is a very vigorous grower and each year I'm tempted to divide again...and pot them up for use as edging here and there

I could go on and on, I just realized....I have more duplicates than I originally thought..I'll just list the rest..

Great Expectations (1+2 smallish ones)
Frances Williams (3-----1 giant+2)
FW sports (3 golden eyes potted individually)
Honeybells (3)
Hydon Sunset (3)
Katsuragawa Beni (2)
Whirlwind (1+1baby)
Undulata and U. Univitatta (4)
F. Albopicta (2)
Kifukurin Otome Ki (5 or 6) lots of anticipation for this one in coming spring!
Cherish and Cameo (3 of each)
Limey Lisa, Silver threads and Golden Needles (2 of each)
Holy Mouse Ears (2)
Sagae (2)

NHL, I think your sentiment concerning your sister (I can relate) is very touching. She will love her Guardian Angel and cherish it, I'm sure.
I received a division from my neighbour this summer. It will remind me of both our sisters. :-)

Regards,
Jo.

This post was edited by josephines67 on Wed, Nov 13, 13 at 13:34

Patriots - I kept dividing them because they grow so well here.
Great Expectations - I kept buying them because they are growing well here.
Earth Angel - I kept buying them because they do not grow well in my yard in different places, and I want to have a good one.
Blue Angel - one is growing wonderfully, the other not so much. You can never have enough large blues!
Thunderbolt, Dream Queen, Dream Weaver - they look so good, grow slowly, but probably will be real beauties in the future.
Common 'Green ones' (Elisabeth, Royal Standard) and 'White & Green ones' (Francee, Undulatas) - they grow every place and can't be destroyed.
Bernd

When I did my year-end census I was a bit surprised by how many duplicates I have. One reason is that I garden at two locations - at home and at the cottage.

Liberty - bought them before I knew there were so many choices!

fortunei albomarginata -- some of my very first hostas.

Sum and Substance (4) - a landscaper did a back yard sketch for us - and I didn't know any better.

Guacamole - (3) One in each location, plus a gift.

Wolverine - bought one, and then saw a better one!

Sun Power (2) - It seemed to be the perfect choice for that second sunny location

June (3) - Does one need a reason???

Wide Brim - bought a second one by accident!

Halcyon - one of the very few that I have split.

Great Expectations - one for each location.

lancifolia - three in a row make a statement.

Jan

I have 2 'Paul's Glory', because I love this variety, and also wanted to see color/shade variations with my own eyes, so I planted them in contrasting sun/lighting conditions.

As for my 23 'Guacamole'? Simply put...I adore them, and I want a FOREST of mature plants on the north side of my house! AND in the front yard. I have 15 on the north side, 7 in the front yard (in a very sunny spot) and one in the fragrant bed.

3 'Great Expectations'...Just trying to hedge my bets there...So far so good...

2 'Luna Moth'...Bought one, then got another as a gift plant from Hallson Gardens...

2 'Great Arrival'...Bought one, got another, also as a gift plant from H.G...Now planted together as one clump...

2 'Royal Standard'...Planted together as one clump (I've gotten on board with Bernd on the 'instant gratification)', as I'd rather get as big a clump as possible, even if I 'cheat' with a few plantings...

And 3 'Blue Mouse Ears'...Because there were 3 left on clearance at a local retailer in summer 2012, and they wanted 5 bucks for all three...My innocent days, before I got burned by HVX at some local places...Fingers still crossed : )

...Hey, maybe I should have planted all 23 'Guacamole' as one clump! Hindsight is 20/20 (Just kidding, that'd be a little bit nuts)...I think that's it for the duplicates...

To be honest, if I had a whole bunch of room, I could easily see myself getting more varieties in multiples.

Cheers!
Don B.

EDIT: Also have a pair of 'June'.

This post was edited by Don_in_Colorado on Wed, Nov 13, 13 at 21:48

easy, in the case of full white notorious ones, when we need that 4 bed looks balance, 'Night b4 Christmas' has never failed us, unless slugz r outa control...

because I can ...

hh: thot 4 was an unlucky number

dave

I have a few that are duplicates just because I like them so much (Great Expectations, June). Some were NOIDs or mismarked (Lakeside Shoremaster). And I wanted repetition in the front bed, which is the most visible from the house. That one has three enormous Sum and Substance, two Red October, three each Clifford's Comet and Clifford's Stingray, two Striptease, two Paul's Glory, four Toy Soldier, and a big grouping of Sagae.

I have a number of duplicates in my gardens.

I am not a true collector in the sense of trying to acquire one speciman of all the named cultivars. Essentially I divide hostas into categories based on the foliage colour and then choose each new plant to fit the location where it is to be planted. Yes I know that size and other factors may also enter the equation. But if that yields a duplicate then so be it.

I am not a fan of plain greenies nor am I really into the fragrant hostas ... but I admit that green has its place just as blue and yellow foliage does. The plain foliage is beautiful as a backdrop for the variegated foliage of other hostas. This has given me many duplicates of Sun Power, F. Aureomarginata (my choice for plain green even though it has a gold margin), Honeybells, Elegans and Blue Angel.

Like many I have a soft spot for blues and am especially taken with blue and cream coloured leaves ... and I do have duplicates of hostas like Autumn Frost and Remember Me which really show off against the plainer more solid colours.

My gardens are not solely hostas but contain many shade loving plants. Creating a relaxing and absorbing scene from the palette of colours and textures available is the goal - something far removed from collecting. In that context, duplicates are not only very possible but likely quite desirable.

Paula, I do believe that one of the characteristics of many a hostaholic is "weakness"---that is, for hosta anyways!

Jo, that is a gorgeous Blue Mouse Ears. If mine looked like that, then the two that I have would not be enough!

Looks like Jo, Jan and I didn't realize just how many hosta we had duplicates of. For a moment I thought "what I am doing?" But then, even though I would like to have one of just about every hosta there is, having duplicates+ of thriving hosta, is a real joy to me also. Perhaps this thread has given us a clearer picture of what it is we have, and hence we can decide what it is that we want to achieve.

Bernd, would you consider putting one of your Earth Angel in a pot temporarily? The two I purchased in 2011 are doing well. In 2011 they were both in the ground. Sometime in 2012 I put one in a pot. The potted one is the one I enjoyed the most this year. One of my top five favorites.

Dougald, you make some very good points. "Duplicates are not only very possible but likely quite desirable." I have often wondered why one garden landscape looked so good, while another (with some interesting plants) just didn't seem special. I think that many a time it is the groupings of similar plants that really have made a statement. You have given us something to think about.

I believe in "MO BETTER." Like Jo, if one is good, the MO is BETTER.

With plantaginea, I have 8.
Sagae has 2 in one pot, I want to see a big plant quicker.
Royal Standard, about 3, because I love it and it is fertile
So Sweet 2
Frozen Margarita 2
Grape Fizz 2
Honeybells 2
Whirlwind 2
August Moon 2
Midas Touch 2
Invincible Spirit 2
Victory 2 planted in one pot
Paradise Island 2 in one pot, looking gorgeous still

Goodness, I could go on, but it is my policy to get the 2nd of its kind from a different source for several reasons....one being it is beautiful hosta....another being it is a way to check the growth habit which might be different if from a different tissue culture. I especially like to try for OS (originator stock) if available, and compare it to TC (tissue cultures).

I have 2 Fortunei Hyacinthinas because they look so different. One is the light version, the other is apparently the darker version.

As I discover the duplicate is the same as my original and it is healthy, I am sometimes planting them in the same pot--but that goes against my cautious nature, since if they are mixed I have no way of knowing with which plant a virus originates. Heck, I am only now beginning to merge hosta from various nurseries in the same row. Before, I had them isolated in "classrooms" which helped me identify each cultivar (because I knew what I purchased from them).

As I discover some hosta (especially a fragrant one) produce large amounts of seedpods, I tend to get a duplicate of it.

This year I had the pleasure to experimenting with growing from seed,
I have 5 plantaginea and 10 Clear Fork River Valley, ...many gifts to do !
The other hostas are young, some have made a tiny pods and the others nothing at all.

Orignally,I bought a bagged hosta that was named Albo Picta,on the label,before I knew anything about hostas. I thought there was one hosta in that bag,but soon discovered it had 12 bare-root plants in there! Eventually,I discovered they were actually Gold Standards. All twelve are still alive,and even divided a couple. Then,I found a beautiful one in Wal Mart one day that I couldn't resist,and it is one of my best ones. I divided off a couple of sports off two of those plants,so I now have seventeen Gold Standards,(you just can't kill'em!) I have about 10 Frances Williams;10 Wide Brims;4 Stripteases;a whole bunch of Undulatas; Three Sum and Substances; 2 Sagaes;3 Minuteman; a bunch of Fortunei aureomarginatas;and numerous seedlings from various plants.(I have a lot of hostas!) Phil

In regards to Dream Queen, Bernd said: "Thunderbolt, Dream Queen, Dream Weaver - they look so good, grow slowly, but probably will be real beauties in the future." Exactly my thoughts and another reason why I bought two. Here is a leaf closeup of one of my Dream Queens. The other leaves on it were less mature, but this one leaf was lovely. And the coloration in the fall, well look (June versus November)---

Actually, that Dream Queen fall leaf didn't turn out as expected (too small). So here it is on its own.