Which yellow hosta should I plant here?
I've been slowly working on my new yard, and have lucked into some nice free or nearly-free plants from friends and off craigslist, including 40+ ostrich ferns and around 40 matching small dark green hosta that needed to come out when someone lost a tree (actually they were around 10 overgrown ones that I divided). Please be kind with comments on the weeds and the conditions of the plants - - they have been stressed by being moved, it's only half mulched, and there are still so many weeds! and after the 4 ft tall transplanted ferns we flopping I cut them back (but they are putting up nice new fronds now! :-) .
(Also Ken would be "happy" to hear that unfortunately some of the hosta did get a week of driveway treatment since it took me quite a while to divide and plant them all).
I realize the slope may be hard to have things thrive on, but with
most of the plants being free I wanted to try. My other expensive
thought was a retaining wall and hydrangeas which would be MUCH more
expensive! :-)
I'm trying to go for a look that has more repetition rather than a collection of different types. It may be hard to see but in the middle centered under the window and below the ferns, there is slightly curved "smiley face" area roughly a 12ft wide x 4.5 ft that I've left open. I'd like to fill this area with some yellow or chartreuse (or multi-colored) hosta to bring in some bright contrast to the area, and I was thinking something larger than the dark green ones that are already there. I realize I probably won't find these for free/cheap so I'm planning to buy them.
I'm looking for suggestions on what hosta to put there. My thoughts so far have included:
- June - because everyone seems to love them. Maybe 5 of them in a "smiley face" and then bring a few ferns down to fill in the curve?
- Sum and Substance - because the large size would be funky and fun, but would it be too big of texture? 3 of them in a slight "V" shape?
- Sun Power - looks like a hardy yellow/chartreuse with a little bit more of an upright form that could be neat in this area, 5 in a smiley face curve
- Captain Kirk - looks like it could play nicely with the dark green edges, 5 in a smiley face curve
Does anyone have feedback on any of these ideas or other ones I should be considering? In the solstice of summer this area has sun from 12-4pm, but as the sun moves further south that will decrease.
Thank you for any suggestions and opinions you may have to offer! :-)
Comments (27)
bkay2000
8 years agoirawon zone 5a Ottawa.ca
8 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (14)GESILA : Your pic's are interesting. The Wu in full sun is in a similar setting to my east foundation at the north end. Not only does it get direct sun but it also gets reflected sun off of the siding. Your Z5 climate, where Wu is, is more like a Z6b micro-climate. I imagine you water there a lot. Do you spot water it, or does it get the same amount of water that your other hostas you've mentioned have scorched? JON: your speculation is interesting, considering both of Gesila's examples are on the same hosta variety. Gesila, did you buy both Wu's from the same stock? Jon, you frequently post about chlorophyll and increased growth. Why do you think taller scapes aren't a similar reaction to more energy from the sun? At this point, from what I have read here I am inclined to be more wiling to move Stained Glass to the sunnier spot and replace it's present position in dappled shade with the Blaze of Glory. But as of yet I have made no decisions, so keep the cards and letters coming please. MOC:Since Theresa reads EVERYTHING in GWHF, and SHE is the pot-head I am sure she will be pressuring me to let her pot-up my hostas so that they can be moved and tested in the new beds. She already had done that with my Wu last summer when I bought it. I actually have three with a lot of space. (Eat your hearts out, brothers and sisters who have saturated hosta beds). The black walnut has grown and this year I have to move my tomato and pepper garden because of the juglone from the walnut. I have a 15x30 plot of well nourished garden now being encroached upon that can be the home of hostas. Theresa is already threatening to visit our numerous antique and resale shops in town looking for things to pot hostas in. It seems that more than just sun may be in play here. One of my daughters has a strip between her garage and entry sidewalk (north side of garage) where she has had only minor success growing hosta in. I have often wondered if part of the problem is lime that leaches out of the concrete sidewalk and foundation changing the pH of the soil, and the effect of sun on the leached lime or the leaching of lime from concrete. I know the rocks I use as markers that I failed to recognize as limestone barely last one season, while the igneous rocks remain unchanged. That may also infuluence the scape length in Gesila's Wu planted along a concrete footing. I am thinking too much right now and have to C&C (close and contemplate. LOLAMS) Les...See MoreWhich ones should I plant in the front yard??
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beverlymnz4
8 years agoengrgirl
8 years agobkay2000
8 years ago
don_in_colorado
8 years agoladyblue62_gw
8 years agohostas_for_barb
8 years agoSun Power would be lovely but it does get quite big and then wants supplemental waterings. But it will take a lot of sun.
ruth_mi
8 years ago
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
8 years agoengrgirl
8 years agobkay2000
8 years agodon_in_colorado
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodon_in_colorado
8 years agobeverlymnz4
8 years agobkay2000
8 years agoUser
8 years agoLove what you are planning. I think a slope will be ideal to display the smiley face design.
While I too love June, it won't be a gold. Some of the others you mentioned that are variegated will also tend toward a green leaf unless they get enough sunlight. I have a thing for the golds myself. If you need quite a few to fill out your smiley as a solid yellow with eyes and a mouth, what plants do you intend to use in those locations? Perhaps something NOT hosta for the eyes which will remain even during winter with no leaves....or two small shrubs that endure your harsh winters? I have no idea what that might be. And the smile would have to be tall enough to show when the hosta are tall if you get big ones.
So, for my thoughts on this, I'd say stick to the medium sized hosta in the smiley face. Unless you want it like a big fat half a dome, where you might have the large hosta at the bottom of the smiley and the mediums at the top. I suggest that thought because you envision the water flowing downhill, and the big ones will catch the water, the mediums will have first chance at it before they do.
Some of my favorite golds are Squash Casserole, Johnny Angel, Sea Gulf Stream, Tijuana Brass (lots of heavy texture), Blaze of Glory, Corn Muffins, Banana Muffins, Gold Drop (on the smaller side), Sum And Substance (which is a big one), Fragrant Gold, Mayflower Moon, August Moon, Midas Touch, King Tut, Sweet Sunshine, nakaiana Golden (a smaller medium), English Sunrise (an all gold sport of June which is a bit green gold in shade), Fried Bananas (fragrant), Key West (it will get big), and so on.
When BK tells you Squash Casserole, you can believe it will do a good job. If given adequate water, it can endure (and flourish) in the heat, sun, and humidity of our south Alabama location. I now have all her sports and every one of them is doing well with a minimum of care. I worried about the hosta this year because of my involvement with a home remodel from hell that is still going on, but the SC progeny are all looking fantastic. Some of her sports have a small green margin, some a small white margin. SC herself is all gold. Plus, plantaginea the fragrant species, when placed in a lot of sun, becomes a green-gold, but not my recommendation for the smiley face spot. All the Squash Casserole sports become a nice layered mound about 36" wide and about 24" tall. Here are two of mine to illustrate....
Squash Casserole herself
Yesterday's Memories is the one on the right upper spot. Nakaiana Golden is the lower left. June Fever is in there somewhere too, down front. Here you see shades of gold and green. YM is raised on a stump, it is not that tall. :)
Here we have Rosedale Golden Goose top left, Johnny Angel top right, and Sea Gulf Stream with the wavy edge.
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engrgirlOriginal Author