Not hills per se but ridges is the way I was taught. We laid out everything with a hoe, furrows and ridges. Some stuff like beans and corn went into furrows. Our squash, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes all were ridged. Not big ridges mind you like you would for potatoes but basically up one side of the row and down the other pulling dirt with the hoe then leveling it all out. Pop in a hole every 18 or so inches with the hoe drop two seeds and cover. As I get older the more I seem to be reflecting on "that's how it was always done" and I'm appreciating my own father all the more for it. My younguns have never mastered the use of the hoe and it frustrates me that they haven't. I bought a wheel hoe this year and have really enjoyed it but I find it strange to have to swap out implements to do different tasks when in the past just the hoe was needed for everything. BTW, it's rare that I'm never more than a few steps from my hoe as it rides in the back of the truck when I'm not in the garden. It was never explained to me why we did it but I assume it has the do with which plants do better with dry feet and which can tolerate water in the row.

With the information provided there are several possibilities. Last years decreased vigor might be due to a change in the soil ph. Pine needles are great for the acid loving plants but over time will likely lower the soil ph that would result in poor growing conditions for cannas. Have you thinned to canna bed over the past couple of years? If not, the cannas likely became too thick for the available resources. Did your rhizomes freeze or was the winter ground saturated with water? Any of a number of things could contribute to the total loss of the rhizomes. Kent

I grow mine in pots as a temporary means until I am both satisfied with where I want them to live in the garden and also the soil where they will be planted is decent enough to not stall any progress they might be making. It sort of gives me a flexible buffer so I donâÂÂt feel pressured or rushed to get them in the ground. I also pot them up to allow me the opportunity to âÂÂbabyâ them, if need be. There is a down side to that though. Sometimes I fuss too much and I know if I just left them alone they would be fine. But, I am still so new to hostas that I feel like I would be a bad parent, throwing them straight out into the wild unknown that I call my front yard. I want to tame the jungle before I let the kids out to play. That sounds corny, but you get the point. :p I think the biggest perk though is when they are in pots I can take the whole plant and plunk it in the garden where I think I might like to place it permanently. Once I have a plant anchored I will then plan around it, and slowly the garden grows. I have tried to sit down and map out an entire bed, but I always end up more frustrated than satisfied. I need to SEE them and the other plants around it to know if itâÂÂs a good fit. Plus, I can leave them in the spot in the garden while still in the pot to test out sunlight and wind. If they end up blanching or breaking I know it might not be the best place for permanency. Ludi

Jane, Last year, I had the same problem, but not on every single flowering set or every seed pod. I think you may be growing C. Yellow Futurity. This hybrid cultivar does produce viable seed at times during the average growing season. Depending on environmental factors often pollen transfer is unsuccessful or the fertilization process is interrupted. Pollinators may be absent or hot dry weather may affect viability during pollen transfer. Much of this is out of the grower’s control. Your other observations (drying pods etc.) are normal and expected. You will likely see more seed production a little later in the year. Keep in mind that any seeds obtained will not produce seedlings identical to your parent cultivar but a genetically distinct unnamed new hybrid cultivar. Kent