Very nice, Dave. I see you favor the big hosta. I especially like the the subtle combination of blue with gold edge in Rain Dancer.

That's a lot of pots! Do you plant them in the ground later or are you a pothead? Fuchsia mites kinda took all the fun out of growing those for me, as I got tired of spraying.

On this side of the pond, Naylor Creek Nursery often sells Fransen intros.

-Babka

That's a good-sized order. I had to google Coast to Coast. Hosta Library needs a picture of that one. It looks like you have a good place to hold them over.

Up until I moved to Wales 4 years ago my tiny garden in east London meant it was impractical to grow the bigger varieties. Now with 5 acres to play in I can indulge myself.

Babka, I am a complete pothead, along with hostas and fuchsia I also have hellebores, heucheras and daylilies in pots. I can control the growing conditions more easily this way and get better results than if I just plant them in the soil. Here in the UK it's not uncommon to grow plants this way.

Having said that I'm in the process of creating beds and deciding on areas in which to plant lots of these. I only plant duplicates though, I wouldn't want to risk losing the original !

The Fuchsias have been a passion of mine long before I became addicted to Hostas. We have Fuchsia mite here in the UK but fortunately it has not reached this part of Wales. Just whitefly, greenfly and vine weevil to cope with.

Dave

Looks like a good order Dave.

I have been so impressed with my order from Fransens. They arrived bareroot in peat moss in polythene bags back in Feb and even with them just coming out of dormancy when I got them they are absolutely flying now and as you say a long way ahead of my others.

A lot more pips coming from them than I expected too. Only 2 on something big like liberty but 11 on pelham blue tump. and my fire island is a thing of beauty at this stage. Will research your purchases as am unfamiliar with the majority but as i say Fransens, very impressed, will have to keep ordering from there until I am eligible for a free one!!!

Good stuff nice order Dave, you have two on that order that I want soon, Alligator Shoes and Silk Kimono.

I am a bit envious of your nice roomy storage shed, I need to build something like that soon.

Please show us some pics of them when they have leafed out more.

I don't do any non hardy fuschias but I have a hedge of magellanica riccortonii which is quite common here and a single shrub of molinae i think the pale pink/white one.

Denis

Denis, will do.

I want to try a riccortonii hedge here. To that end I have taken cuttings and now have 6 one year old plants ready to go in the ground. It's a gamble here but I reckon planted deep enough they should survive their first winter and then should be ok from there on.

Dave

Its a fantastic windbreak and the bees adore it, I have had parts of the hedge die back to the roots in that mad winter of 2010 and by july the next year you would never know anything happened to it, so once the roots are in the ground and established they will be able to put up with anything.

I have just stuck pruned branches into the ground and they grow, even had a pile of trimmings that grew where I threw them.

Denis

Nice looking order, although you're going to need some gigantic pots in a few years. Wish I could order from Franzen. Would like to add Android to the Star Trek garden, but haven't found anyone selling it in the US.

I envy you your climate. We lived in London for a couple years and

everything grew like mad, had lovely sweet peas and fuchsia. Then we moved to the Midwest, where they barely survive. Hostas do just fine, though.

Yes, moving here was a bit of a reality check as far as climate was concerned.

In London we were virtually at sea level, here I'm 800 feet up, a lot cooler till later in the year, frosts till June and a lot more rain.

We moved in May with 150 leafed out hostas from temperatures in the mid 70's to here which then had a cold wet spell and they fairly soon showed there dislike with lots of brown spots all over them. Fortunately they all recovered the following year but trying to keep the frost off them is a game I play every year with fleece and anything else I can find to cover them.

I already have some in big pots, 16" across and 17" deep. A few more went into them this year and I am thinking of ordering up a couple of dozen more for future use.

Here is Paul's Glory in one today.

Sagae

Wide Brim

Seems I can't post another picture. Will continue in a new comment.

first ... nice to see someone pot up .. and protect ... leafed out deliveries from out of zone ... kudos ...

why do you have to wait to spray .... whats wind have to do with it ...

take you sprayer to pavement.. fill with water ... and find out how LITTLE pressure you need to create DROPS .. as compared to mist ... also use the adjuster at the tip ...

get this.. drops have mass.. and gravity dictates ... i am pretty sure.. even where you are... that they fall to the ground.. rather than blown around the yard ...

of course i am not talking gale force winds .... but if i waited for ONLY windless days... i would never get anything sprayed ...

ken

ps: if i recall... when i fill my sprayer.. to a certain level ... 25 pumps ... gets me where i want to be... and if the tip is properly adjusted.. the handle sorta vibrates .. in other words.. i can tell by feel when i have the right droplets ...

Ken, thanks for the sprayer tutorial ! However as 200 or so potted hostas are down wind of that area I'll wait a while.

Dave