How about "toughest' hosta for deep shade.....
jamie81
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (15)
jamie81
8 years agoRelated Discussions
How about posting some hosta garden photos?
Comments (19)HH, with a lot of water you can even combine hostas and Sedums! I had saved some nice threads from 09, from hosta_freak Phil and hey_j, but they are beyond the max of 67 pages GW saves and their search function does not work for me. But this time of year it is good to bump up interesting older threads, I think. We will have 4 days in the 40s next week, wow!...See MoreDeep shade-loving Hostas
Comments (11)Thanks for all the good input. squirejohn and ken_adrian, your posts are completely on-target. I have already learned more from a few weeks reading this forum than the last few years of trial and error. I realize that there are other factors in this environment than deep shade. I also have to consider root competition, soil, water, and pests/critters. This year also we had an exceptionally cold, long winter, with a very late, short, and cold spring. Yes, it's my hillside, and yes, I plan to be here for decades. I just read the Seven Levels of Hosta Gardeners thread, and Level 3 describes my situation pretty much exactly. :o) In a nutshell, my plans for Hosta Hill should get me through Level 4 without loss of lawn. My plan was to get a few very large/giant Hostas to start growing while I figure out how to do the rest... The idea is this: I establish a walkable, meandering foot path that snakes up the hill. Maybe put some stepping stones between loops (think chutes and ladders). I also want to stack up some low rock walls to make terraces, fill with soil, and plant lots more Hostas, probably about 50-100 per year. I estimate this will take 10+ years (I'm not retired and this is only a part of my garden). I'm not in a hurry, but I do want those giant Hostas to get growing, not fade away! :o) The trees are mostly beech, with a mix of birch/aspen, oak, and maple. I will take Ken's advice and remove all small-diameter trees before planting more Hostas. I hadn't heard of spinout bags until I found this forum. I like the idea, but I wonder how big the spinout bags would need to be to accommodate the rootball of a mature giant Hosta... I'd probably have to make my own. I'm no expert, but I believe the hillside holds moisture fairly well. The soil is mostly clay, with a good layer of decomposing leaves. There is always some ground vegetation, mushrooms pop up regularly, and a few weeks ago I even found some amazing Monotropa uniflora (Indian Pipe) growing there. Watering the hill by hand would be a pain, but thankfully my region gets a lot of rainfall, as well as spring run-off of melting snow (we are at the foot of a hilly provincial park - this comes with some wildlife challenges too). I had put mulch around the first Hostas, but I stopped that because I read it encourages voles, and I found holes around the roots of several Hostas, here and elsewhere. I have not done anything other than soak those roots with a water, castor oil, and soap mixture. The Gold Standard actually looks great, but it's still about the same size as when I planted it 2 years ago. I planted another one in a different part of the garden last year, and the newer one is almost double the size of the older one. Maybe I just need to be patient. I've heard of Hostas that seem to stall for a few seasons and then take off. I relocated Snow Cap to another spot. Both of its scrawny petioles were broken, but the leaves were still attached (possibly a deer stepped on it). I figured it for a goner, but the root ball seemed good, and Snow Cap is putting out some new leaves and looks like it's going to recover. I relocated Big Daddy to another spot too, but the recovery isn't as dramatic as with Snow Cap. Maybe I need to get him a Big Mama to get him to perk up. :o) Here is another photo of my fledgling Hosta Hill. The only Hosta that you can make out (to the right of the bench) is Wide Brim. I guess a bit of brush clearing is in order....See MoreIdeas for narrow strip garden, deep shade under tree?
Comments (6)How much work do you want to do? If you water, your hosta will be touching each other in a few years.(three growing seasons at the most at my house) Anything large like ferns, ginger, will soon be in the way and you will want to remove them. Right now my ajuga is in bloom so I would vote for that. I have three inch flower spikes this year. Beautiful in my hosta garden. If you plant a few against the wall very soon they will move forward and fill in all around your hosta. Mine took two seasons to fill in a space your size. I had a few plants given to me by a neighbor. If it were me I would stick with a ground cover and feature your hosta. Creeping jenny, vinca are also nice and would fill in, giving you a living mulch....See MoreWhat's your "toughest" hosta for sun?
Comments (46)Windymess and peren.all - thank you for the compliment. I was gardening that day and am actually in the picture in my pjs.....talk about a surprise when I first heard the sound! I took a photo of it. Never having seen a drone before I didn't know what to make of it. The photo I posted above, among others was available through MLS so I pooched one since my property (and I) was in it, lol. I took this iPad photo once I realized this was a "camera in the sky", lol. When I first moved in, it was apparent that I was the only gardener around. We had dandelions galore, weedy lawns, and no gardens...just the odd non-descript shrub here and there. I am pleased to say that over the years the neighbourhood has improved - 80% less dandelions, greener lawns.....and - more gardens! A few of the houses are rentals so when someone new expresses an interest in my garden, I immediately offer them some of my perennials. (ulterior motive on my part - encourage tenants/residents to enjoy and look after their properties and get into gardening/beautifying their surroundings. It's a win/win.) ;-) Perhaps one of these days I'll move so I can have more space in which to garden....it is a goal of mine. I'd say that I have close to two to three times more the number of plants than this property can hold....See Morejamie81
8 years ago
Jon 6a SE MA
8 years ago
Elegans in a mostly shady spot right under a maple tree alongside Pachysandra; you don't get any tougher than that.
......and as mentioned, Abiqua Drinking Gourd seems to do well no matter where it is put.Jon
jamie81 thanked Jon 6a SE MAjamie81
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agojamie81
8 years ago
josephines167 z5 ON Canada
8 years agoJon 6a SE MA
8 years agoJamie and Jo, you are both so right. I shouldn't do these things when I am tired and impatient (and I resolve to archive my photos in a retrievable fashion starting in Spring). It is Rainforest Sunrise. Let me try again.
Here is one of ADGs.
....and another shot of the granddaddy Elegans from last summer. Both pics are from the middle of June.Thanks for keeping me honest guys.
Jon
jamie81
8 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESNew Ways to Think About All That Mulch in the Garden
Before you go making a mountain out of a mulch hill, learn the facts about what your plants and soil really want
Full Story
PLANTING IDEASFerns: A Shade Gardener’s Best Friend
Bring rich texture and contrast to a dark woodland landscape with wonderfully diverse ferns
Full Story
PLANTING IDEAS8 Sumptuous Shade Garden Plant Combinations
Enjoy these plant combinations made for spots with varying levels of shade and different garden zones
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNHow to Create a Beautiful Shade Garden
Turn the cool, shady spot in your garden into your own quiet oasis
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNFind Yourself in an Epic Garden in the Shade
Feeling hot and tired gardening in the sun? The world of shade gardening beckons you to its cool mystery
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNGreat Design Plant: Retreat to the Shade of Hardy Catalpa
Big foliage and a towering height provide a shady respite in summer, but that's not all hardy catalpa offers dedicated gardeners
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDES7 Fabulous Shade-Loving Ferns for Containers
Shade-loving ferns can add color and texture to your container designs
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Northern Maidenhair Fern Softens Shade Gardens
Stir up some romance in dark corners with the billowy fronds of native Adiantum pedatum
Full Story
LIME FOLIAGE5 Gold Plants to Illuminate Shady Garden Spots
Dark garden corners don't have to mean deep, monochromatic color. Gold plants brighten the landscape with shots of luminosity
Full Story
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGHow to Give Your Garden More Soul
Feel more at home in your garden by giving it deep, personal meaning
Full Story
sherrygirl zone5 N il