Dear MOCC: Those purple blooms are gorgeous! However, the hosta plant itself doesn't do anything for me. And the spot behind the Obligatory Bushes is not that wide. At one end of the bed behind the Obligatory bushes is a lovely dicentra I planted last year. Then there is about 18-22" of available space, something like that. I can put a teeny something in front of the clematis. Then the next bit of space is taken up by the transplanted Maui Buttercups from the plowed-under hosta garden. Ha-ha, the grass seed the "landscape workers" sowed has barely taken, there's just a large nekkid soil oval where once stood my lovely hosta garden under the tree. Uglee!! Then there's about 15" of space, then there's the 18" diameter pot with the mini hostas in it. That's the undeveloped space behind the Obligatory Bushes. I hope to put the Blue Jay right next to the 18" mini hosta pot so that at least a little of it might be seen from the front, and my handicapped neighbor can enjoy it from her wheelchair access ramp.

sorry. Since some of the Bonnie babies hanging off the mother have leaves that are more compact and curled then other babies. Some babies look almost like a regular spider plant while others show the bonnie traits nicely. Will the babies with straighter leaves curl as they get older or is it better to pick a baby who is already showing signs of nice curling to grow a nice curly spider plant?

If you want almost as good as fresh, let cool completely before putting in the frig, put in a cast iron skillet,cold, put in an unheated oven and turn on at 350*. Heat for 20 to 30 minutes (maybe 45 if very thick pieces), turning once. A toaster oven is good, but not quite large enough for the steam.

"it Hi and welcome! Your post made me chuckle, " it was like wrestling with a greased pig, it is happily growing and thriving in its new home." I applaud your efforts to help your hostas thrive. I second the watering advice (deep drinks) and from my limited experience have found that on the extremely hot days misting moisture on leaves (when they are not directly under the sun rays) helps. Based on your observations you might be right that some hostas may need a bit of dividing, but when to do the hosta crown dividing is key. Some folks say dividing the hosta late summer/early fall divisons are Ok- as long as the plant divisions have a few weeks to get some new roots in before the cold of winter sets... and yet others say wait until spring when they are not yet leafed out (in the pip sprouting stage) to divide the hostas. Just my opinion, but for the sake of wanting to know if the division turned out OK, I would divide in the Spring and water well during the growing season rather than wondering if my fall divided hosta was rooted or Ok with whatever to survive a winter. Good luck and yes, it is OK to remove ugly leaves- as long as you are not scalping your hosta. Your hostas are big and lovely. :)