Hey patty cakes... Texas is a big state and you don't say where you are so I'm not sure you can grow them or not. I'm in DFW and I have a few, if it gets too hot, they can go dormant early, but it always gets cold enough here for them to get their fix in the winter. HTH

I live south of Houston in the suburbs...I have an edging row of hostas in shade at the front (faces north) of the house. They tend to come up really late...two are up now, but I probably won't see the others until spring, and if you don't keep them evenly watered during the summer they will get ratty faster, but they will grow. Expect some snail/slug problems. I have a few holes here and there, but nothing severe...but I understand other places the snail/slugs are so bad as to make growing hostas difficult.

Greenthumbfish, sorry, i'm in Austin. I guess it doesn't get as hot as other areas of TX, but it sure gets windy!

Srburk, I can live with the snail/slugs. LOL Coming from CA, we had more than out fair share.

If it helps, i'm wanting to put in more plants that are heirlooms, and not just Roses. I read somewhere that Hollihocks do well here. How about Peonies, or would a lack of the large black ants be a problem? Maybe they just 'find their way' to the Peonies??

TIA

I tried hosta once. They hated the heat and humidity, the snails ate them to stumps and they were dormant about 80% of the time. My sister has a friend with beautiful ones, some very expensive ones. She offered me any I wanted. I left them in Delaware with the peonies.

They are disappointing in the south. And they suffer. I dug mine up and mailed them north.
Tally HO!

I have beautiful hostas in North Texas. They die back each winter and emerge each spring.

Hostas need 30 days of temps 30 degrees or less to really do well. If you can't give them that and most of us can't here in Texas, don't expect them to flourish. Grow them as annuals or find another plant.

Hi, Patticakes - Ix-nay on the Peonies...they won't do well for you here in Austin. I do grow Hostas, but I have them in pots around the shady garden areas where I can keep them hand-watered frequently. They thrive for me that way, but wither if planted in the ground during the summer. If you have a small, religiously-watered garden, they would work for you here. I have a very large gardening area and have to depend primarily on whatever rain we get, and can't do much supplemental watering.

I probably should have added in my other post that I DO keep my hostas very moist. I have brugmansias planted nearby, so the whole area gets a lot of water. I also have them in a bed with columbine, and they go quite nicely together.

Back in the 80's, we were in Queens, NY. The hostas were to die for. I had no clue what they were. On my walk, I finally found a lady out side and was able to ask her what they were.

Patty, when did you move to TX? I am accustomed to "seeing" you on the Cottage forum. Gardening in TX is like gardening in a different country.

Maybe you can come down when we have the Fall swap. There are a couple that drive down to San Antonio for the swaps.

Kathy

Oh, yes, the size and varieties of the hostas north of us are really something. I went to a park in Michigan once where there were over a hundred varieties of hosta and I was so impressed. We will never be able to grow many of them nor get them to that size, but I am comfortable with what I have.

patti cakes,i live in S W Louisiana.i grow hosta in beds with morning sun.when we get severe cold snaps i cover mine,and they don't die back and do bloom.just a thought and good luck.
patricia

I am about an hour north of you. I have my hostas in containers, and they are doing fine. They are not as big as they will grow up north, but they will grow. Pine mulch holds the moisture, and the wetter the better as long as the crown is a little above the water. They are one of the best shade plants I have found.

Very pretty, Mary. What a nice contrast of colors! I'm sure this is lovely to look at during the hot days of Texas summers!! Debby

Thanks, Debby. There is something very tranquil about a hosta garden even in the heat of summer.
Mary