Paula sweetie, your link really busted my allowance wide open. Only a few pennies left of it. That link has some serious miniature garden toys. Among other things I ordered the bistro table and chair set in white....now I must paint OUR REAL set white or offwhite. And I got the chicken coop with chickens...don't you know my DH mentioned building such a coop and getting about 3 little egglayers tonight? It was meant to be! Then the garden bench and chair and the arbor and the wagon like the one I have really, and the martin house and the bee skep (for Quilting Bee Hosta) The watering can and the garden tools and the galvanized tub ..... it is hard to stop once you get started. I can see these adding a lot of eye level appeal to otherwise plain plantings of multiple hosta or fern etc in bowls or tubs. This kicks it up a notch from simple pot feet! Is there a contest for Miniature Gardens? I am enchanted by the bistro table with the gazebo or arbor. Jo, you can make one as beautiful as that 200+ $$dollar one. Very exciting to think of a couple of the tubs set up. However, I know this is not my main passion. It is a great diversion adding variety to the garden experience.

So, without further ado, I am pleased and surprised to say ... IT'S A TIE!!!! H. 'Winter Snow' submitted by Peren.all ________________________________ 'Winter Snow' is so appropriate as I live in a snowbelt! I don't have anything else like it amongst my hostas. But wait! I actually do have a relative of WS living in my garden - Sum & Substance! No wonder I was drawn to WS!!! It drew me in instantly when Peren.all posted it.... Ripples, beautiful leaf shape, lovely colour with a light margin and presence! ... all a big plus for this hosta, and the fact that it can take so much sun exposure!. I need such a hosta for the front garden. AND H. 'Goodness Gracious' submitted by Berndny _____________________ For two years now I've been fawning over this hosta whenever it was posted! Each picture, regardless of age of hosta, always stopped me and gave me pause. The wide margin and clean look overall got me. The sharpness of leaf colour is gorgeous. The rounder leaf shape and rather obtuse tip is also pleasing to me. It satisfies my yen for Satisfaction, Spartacus (although it's ripples really get to me) and a couple of other similar hostas. The fact that it is a sport of Satisfaction is a big plus! THANK YOU, one and all for your contributions once again. The hostas you chose as your Top Gun are all worthy of that honour! I've learned about some new hostas, received some great information and first-hand experience growing these and that is invaluable to me. I can't wait for spring! The next decision will be where will I go to purchase these? Hand-picking the hostas is the ultimate joy!!!! Here is another look at the winners. I have taken liberty and used your photos. Hope this thread was as enjoyable to you as it was to me. Thanks again, folks! Jo

squirejohn, I also appreciate that distinction. It helps me get it more clear in my mind. Yes, my original question was about having to learn new common names for our hostas. I have a couple cimicifugas, which I have to start thinking of as actea, but I mix that up with alcea, which is hollyhocks. I know the more I read something, the better it will stick in my mind. But a while back I thought they renamed what most of us recognize as chrysanthemums to dendranthema, so I was trying to learn that, but it went back to being chrysanthemum because..... florists lobbied for it or something.... I don't know. ....confusing! So I like to know if something is going to stick before I commit it to memory. Like a lot of people, I have information overload. I'm still trying to figure out all the functions on my cell phone, lol. ken, I can imagine with 1500 you do see a lot that look the same. I only have about 225 and I see that in some of mine. I have Yellow Splash Rim and am saving it for the "Y"s of the alphabet. You made a good point in your earlier post when you wrote..... "its not really for us.. to go changing names.. on suppositions and guesses ... " That stood out for me. But if some hosta loving billionaire comes along and wants to DNA test all the hostas, ... I can only imagine how things could change.

Karin, I ordered it from a nursery in Belgium called Coolplants, http://en.coolplants.com/ at the very good price of €6.00, They have a good selection and I have ordered twice from them and have received good sized plants, they don't bare root them, they just slip the pot off and bag the rootball. The only bad thing is that they don't pack the plants very well and there was a little damage to some of the hostas but they grew out of that in no time. This was the Jade Cascade when I got it in July 2015. Not bad eh? This was the rest of the order. http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3267943/got-some-new-hostas-yeah?n=11 This thread is about an order from them I got this spring so you can see the size of their plants. http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3855548/first-order-of-2016?n=31 I am making a list for another order at the moment. I have ordered from VDT once and got great plants and your photo shows how good they are, I will be interested to see your plants from Dammergrun, He does not show a price for shipping to Ireland, I must Email him. Are you going to get any of his Oberland hostas? Anyway hope this helps. Denis