I'm on the northern edge of zone 5 in Iowa, and my MAs are just barely poking out of the ground in the shadiest spot, and are only up about 3 inches in the sunniest spot. Give it a bit more time, and if your area has been as dry as mine, you could also water it--my soil is way too dry, or was until it poured rain and then snowed last night. Lack of sufficient moisture will greatly slow the emergence of hostas, especially the early ones.

one key.. is that .. being from differing families.. they most likely will NOT bloom at the same moment ... they are edged versions of species.. or what was once thought of as species... schmid keeps changing them .... if they are the same.. no matter where they are in your garden.. they will flower at precisely the same moment... if they flower at significantly differing times.. then they are different... we can NOT go simply on how they look ... also.. since you have a thirst for knowledge ... the montana heritage.. will give you a leaf that is maybe twice as long as wide .... a very long tear drop lets say ... fortunei is much wider than long [comparatively speaking] ... more of your hand extended [close your fingers together.. and look at your hand ...its almost as wide as long ...] .... if that makes sense .... its just not the same ratio of wide to length ... if you peruse the library .... under both types.. perhaps you can see the difference ... i also seems to think... the leaf on montana is at a severe angle to the petiole .. meaning it cascades from the clump.. the tip hanging down... where the fortunei if straighter to the petiole.. or more upright ... ken

Manyhosta, the textures in that bed are amazing (I'm nuts about texture!). I have a penchant for the dwarf version of the goatbear's plant (and keep splitting them to make more) but have one that is standard size. Your MA simply glows! What's not to love? :D

utog..another silhouette pic!..this one's great too!.. your garden's looking good!..we had 2 inches of rain Wed night..I had standing water (common in our high water table neighborhood) in my usual spots..so I didn't walk around in back today.. my still unclipped ratty winter foliage on an Autumn fern..they're slow for me.. the Japanese Painted ferns look fresher than the Autumns beside them..maybe because the Japanese Painted ferns die back?.. n2hostas..my green ginger is a good spreader..plant it with some space..but my craziest groundcover is this Lamium galeobdolon..can you see the variegated plant behind this bleeding heart?..that's it.. miles..there was a post a long time ago where someone used a wide shallow container for mini's and had success.. when I clean, weed and top with compost these plants will look prettier..