With age comes selective memory.

I can't remember when I joined, so don't know how many hostas I had.

As for how many I have now, so many I can't be bothered to count

One thing I know for sure, this forum is responsible for an awful lot of them.

Dave

I joined this cult lol in autumn of 2013,I think I had about 11 hostas,

June, Frances Williams, Touch of Class, Fortunei Aureomarginata, Devon Green, BME, First Frost, Krossa Regal, Apple Green, Great Expectations and Elegans

I was researching those hostas when I kept coming across this forum in the goggle results and the best info and photos were here, so joined up and had a very warm welcome and am here since. I am now at 136 hosta, I keep a book with all my orders and dates and more recently a yearly pip count, I am becoming a real hosta nerd lol.

I'm not far behind ya Jo!

You lot are very able enablers!

Denis

Hmmm, I believe I first started posting in the hosta forum in 2012 and I had a handful of hostas at that time. Some of them I have had for over 20 years. I used to think they were just fillers for the shade where nothing else would grow. Then one day I was bored and decided to look at the hosta forum (I used to frequent other forums more often back then) and saw some photos of gorgeous gardens filled with hosta. I was hooked...2012 is the year I bought a bunch of new ones and have continued to do so every year since then. I believe I am up to 90 different ones at this point. Mind you, I don't have that much shade, but I still keep buying them LOL. I did plant another tree so in a few years I will have more shade.

This group has turned me into a crazy hosta person who is always looking for new ones to add and I love every minute of it!

I am really excited to see my plants this year because all those new ones I bought back in 2012 appear to have really jumped this year (with the exception of Niagara Falls which is pitiful and hasn't grown at all). I can already see that Spartacus and Goodness Gracious are going to have much bigger leaves this year and I can't wait until they are all fully leafed out!

Linda ;)

I joined just last year. At that time, I had four or five NOIDs and one Great Expectations. I now have 9 new named and labeled varieties and one new NOID that I got at an estate sale last summer. I made a name tag for it anyway, "Hosta 'Estate Sale'". :-)

This forum has contributed greatly to my "interest" (we'll call it that for now. it's the pre-obsession period)

My love of hostas originated with a hosta that came from my great-grandmother's yard. If it grows well this year, I'll post a picture of it and see if anyone can identify it. It's still my most precious hosta.

I didn't even know how to pronounce hosta correctly when I joined, let alone how to grow them well. I learned everything from all of you hosta wizards on this forum, some researching, and a few knowledgeable professionals who have been very kind in their advice and support. I have a somewhat additive personality to begin with which is a dangerous combination with hostas. I owe this forum a huge debt for "enabling" me to find something that brings real joy to my life. Sounds corny but true!

I'm up to 200 plus with more on the way!

I joined about a year ago, but lurking for longer. I don't know the exact number I had when I first joined but counting in my head it's something like 10 different varieties with many of them multiples. Now, I'm up to 60ish? Not bad for a year! :D

About 4 years ago I only had some Rainforest Sunrise - bought them just because I thought they were pretty. Then I had questions about them and started reading here.... Next thing I had Blue Mouse Ears and Wheee! in pots. Then last year I added 2 more varieties in the ground and 2 more in pots. This year I've bought 12 new ones to go in the ground (they're still on the porch).

Yep - this IS a cult!

I joined the forum about a year ago. I just happen to be researching about how to take better care of Hosta. At the time I had about seven veirities already planted. They were NOIDs because I did not know there were so many different kinds and they all had names. Well since I have been on the forum I have learned so much about Hostas. I have also found out most of the names of my NOIDs. I must say you all are good at your job as being an enabler because within a years time I added nearly 20 more Hostas to my collection. I too may have an additive personality to Hostas.

This could be a cult.

Dedez, I am glad you were able to identify your Noids here! You know you are hooked when the names of your hostas matter. 20 last year.... .++ this year... and so it goes. :D

Windymess, it all starts with one, doesn't it? It just paves the way... potted and planted in the ground - double the fun I say!

MK, and here I thought the 40+ I bought in one year was a lot - you meant business! Way to go!

Mbug, that is impressive! Looks like we are all spreading the joy when we enable another. That is a good thing.

popmama, anyone that has a GE in their collection has a good eye for hosta! ;-) can't wait to see that special hosta from your great-grandmother!

Linda, like you I don't have much shade in my yard either...and like you, that doesn't stop me from gathering more! :D Having many plants achieve mature status is exciting indeed! The differences can be subtle, or jaw-dropping - either way, it feeds the addiction.

Denis, catch up, lol ... then we'll get some more, OK? Haha, we even have you pip-counting! Welcome to nerdsville, Irish! ;-)

Dave, we know you've got hundreds of hostas - likely in the 300+ range. A first early season photo from you of all those pots pipping is such a wonderful sight to see... a true harbinger of spring. To have so many potted hostas is truly a dedication and you excel at it!

Not sure when I joined the forum. I lurked around for awhile first. In 2008 I bought my first non big box store hosta. At the time I probably had about 7 or 8 different ones.

Now I have about 350 and can't stop!

Many of my purchases were because of a picture I saw on this forum. I really appreciate the conversations, pictures, and all of the help dealing with hosta problems!

Hostahosta, that is a whole lot of hosta to have accumulated in 8 short years! Wow!

It's interesting to read about how hosta peeps have amassed their collection! I have no idea what I am going to do when I REALLY run out of room...I threw caution to the wind and bought some pretty big ones lately. Gulp! Ah, what the heck, right?! :D

Josephine, I do the same thing...keep buying big ones that really need to be planted in the ground, but I really don't have room for them. Oh well, my Parhelion is in a pot and it is HUGE, so I'm sure they will be fine for awhile until my new tree gets bigger.

Which big ones did you buy?

Saija, I will just close my jaw...lol....and say.... Congratulations! I can't recall if anyone has ordered that many in one season....maybe Don in Colorado! Or Mocc in Alabama. I can't wait to see what you ordered - sure hope you will be posting pictures here for a long time to come! How exciting!

I wonder which hosta I may have enabled you with? If I haven't yet, I promise to try harder. ;-)

Well, after I started reading the Hosta forum, I went from this in 2013

to this today (and this isn't even close to all of them).

Really lovely, Littlebug! Love the texture in your garden.

I became a cult member after my mother died and I inherited her hosta collection, and it was only encouraged when my brother-in-law decided he hated the Giant hosta in my sister's yard. :) I was forced to put in two more beds for the giants. I was then forced to fill in the small spots with new small varieties. I may be forced to dig another bed this summer to keep up with the overflow from the other beds that are now overcrowded. Darn.

I've been on the hosta forum 2 years. I probably had about 20? varieties. I thought, " no room for any more!" HA! It's amazing the space you can find with a shovel in your hand and a dream. You are ALL great enablers and a wealth of information, thanks so much! I have about a dozen new ones this spring, that takes me to about 60. My four potted hosta survived the winter in great form so guess what, 5 more pots with hosta. I'm REALLY running out of room, My dogs will probably go on strike with signs that say " HEY, we live here too"

Sherry

Liz, it's work but all this "forced fun" to move things around is so gratifying, isn't it? ;-) I wish I had more space to add more beds...

Sherry, I'm glad your potted hosta survived the winter and into spring! Congrats! You did better than I my first year - when I lost 15!

This is my third year overwintering some 64 potted hostas out of 167. Even though not all have pipped yet, there are only a handful or less left to go. All roots look good so at this point I'll say Losses this year = 0! Should that change, I will certainly update.

I have a road trip planned and purchases that must be made! 3 Top Gun winners plus a few others, of course, lol.

Josephine, I will post pictures :)

Nice to hear that all your hostas are fine. I don't yet know how my hostas survived the winter. Most of them are still deep under ground and I just have to wait. I think they will pip soon, we have warm weather at least 10 days, looking good.

Saija

I am a fully fledged enabler after this weekend! I finally split or gave away extra hostas from three beds in my yard to newbies I found through a neighborhood plant exchange. I do believe I have created at least three or four new addicts. When I end up dividing more next weekend, I expect to create a few more new addicts. :) I'm only giving away the more boring and prolific of my babies so far. hehe

Way to go, Liz! congratulations on spreading the "friendship" plant!

Well, I had almost none when I joined here in 2012. I have quite a few now, and this forum is responsible for many of my purchases. I just found some rotted (dead) ones today, though: Blue Angel, Blue Dolphin, Gone With the Wind (no pun intended), Chesapeake Bay, Queen of the Seas, Liberty and Deluxe Edition...I need to do a hosta recount...

Aw, Don - so sorry! They were all beautiful last year. :(. Are they all completely goners or are there any viable pieces that can be salvaged?

It must be that kind of a day today... I feel for you - you must be so disappointed yet you found humour with your pun!

Coincidentally, as I was counting pips, I happened to pull on a few on my potted Fire and Ice just to test their sturdiness. Much to my dismay, I pulled five out of ten perfect looking pips off! Rotted underneath. Pips came up on last year's stored energy, but that was about it! Bummer. There are only a couple sturdy pips remaining. I have to clean the plant (large) tomorrow and see if I can salvage remaining pips. It was a beauty! Must have been water logged and froze that way.? If it's a goner, I am lucky it's the only one! Maybe. Key West hasn't poked up yet.

While you are recounting, add in the replacements/new ones right away! No time for sadness - time for retail therapy! ;-).

Sorry about your Fire and Ice, Jo. Retail therapy, indeed! I have a piece of Blue Dolphin with three little eyes on it, cleaned off the rot, soaked in bleach solution, potted up. Looks clean, enough good roots, I think it'll recover just fine, keep in pot and replant in the fall. Everything else was mush. Ah, well. I was bound to lose a few more, eventually. I'm just happy about all the ones that are leaping this year. Seems like there are quite a few. Pics will be posted soon. Onward and upward! : )