My X-house when we sold it:

and 2 years later:

I can't seem to find a place to plant more hostas........

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Hosta season is almost here...

Can you see the little humming bird at the feeder? and the hosta garden in the background?

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Xanadu would be it for me, but I don't have a pic handy. It should be cute, but it doesn't grow well (like most of its white-centered brethren).

It would be fun to post pics of our X-house, where we first had a real hosta garden. We left there almost 20 years ago and brought almost everything with us. Teeeeeny city lot that held nearly 100 hostas!

Steve - you had everything in tip-top shape... and the new people apparently don't care about plants and landscape. Such a bummer! About 7 years ago we moved (built a new house) only a few blocks from where we lived before. We are still good friends with some of those former neighbors and when I go over there I have to avert my eyes from my 'old' house. The family that bought it are lovely people, but they have absolutely ruined so many of the trees, shrubs and garden plants that I lovingly planted and tended.

Donna - gorgeous. And like Jell-O, there's always room for more!

That is a lot of time in the microwave Paula. Today will be one down in the last leg of your journey. I seem to recall you had H. X-Ray.

I X'ed out Deschampsia cespitosa - tufted hair grass. I had researched this beautiful native grass very well for seeding tendency prior to planting. My experience was a far cry from others. I dug and scratched out literally thousands of seedlings. Good riddance from my garden, I will enjoy it from afar.

X-tremely small hosta garden with seedlings I got from my belgian hosta friend...

peren, I see Rodgersia which I bought last year and Ligularia I finally ordered this year because I like the dark leaves together with the hostas...that's a really nice part of your garden!

Thanks Karin! I absolutely adore both and you will too! I have 3 species of Rodgersia and I want them all. They go so well with Hosta and they bloom all summer which is a real bonus. Which one did you get?

Big fan of all Ligularia but that burgundy foliage is sooo good. I am very happy you got them!

Very nice friend to share seedlings, love the box!

my personal alphabet ends with W..no X,Y or Z..a Jack in the Pulpit and some elephant ears that don't eXist at the moment..

My x-tra bedroom

coming soon!

X is over-rated anyway.

Mine are already coming up in Colorado!?

peren, I also got three different kinds of Rodgerisa, Chocolate Wings, Henrici and podophylla. I loved the interesting leaves and nice flowers when I saw them in a shop where I normally buy hostas...

I'm dreaming of Elephant Ears, can they spend summer in a pot?

Karin..my neighbor grows Elephant Ears in pots and they look great..I want some in the ground AND in pots..because you know I just want everything lol..

Not easy to get EE here but I joined a group on fb with special plants and the members share and sell. Maybe I'm lucky and find one and a few nice caladium...and I also want everything...crazy,crazy,crazy...still looking for an extra garden, but no luck so far...

"All my X's live in Texas and that's why I hang my hat in Tennessee". No X's here, have been with the same DW for fifty years in two weeks.

Karin..hope you can find some garden space..I would share my "wilderness" with you but you're so far away..sounds like you'll be able to find an elephant ear..even just one bulb is fun..

old dirt..Happy Anniversary!..I'm not far behind you..will be 44 years in July..no X's for me either.

No X pics for me.

Xcited about these seedlings.

First one is from seed that Karin sent me from her plants last year. I kept the best looking greens and yellows. Several hundred others now composting.

Second pic mainly streakers from my own plants. 360 under lights presently.

Dave..I hope you get an Xtra special seedling..

Thanks nicholsworth, Xactly what I'm hoping for.

Dave

Karin, I got my first Elephant Ear late last summer from a plant freak and he grows his in pots. I kept mine in the same nursery pot for a month before it was time to put away for winter. I fully intend to put it back in a pot this summer. Moral of this story: EE in pots, yes! I also love your little box planter.

Tidds, what on earth will you do with all those seedlings??

Nicholsworth, you make me laugh. Quoteable quotes from plant freaks, "because you know I just want everything". I hear that. I don't have the space or the proper environment for everything, but it doesn't seem to stop me trying!

popmama..I have more than I need but I'm STILL always looking..thinking..planning..I hate it when my husband is with me at a garden center.."don't you have one like that?"(no 20).."where will you put that?"(somewhere)..hard to believe but I'm actually holding back a little!..he's really great about my gardening..I love being able to say someone on Gardenweb blah blah blah..my favorite GW story - a woman had 800 roses in pots around a mobile home!..she was a little concerned about keeping up with them..lol

Nicholsworth, my teenage son groans, "Do you have to buy a plant everywhere we go?"

popmama..that's funny!..and yes we do..

Great looking seedlings Dave!

I don't have any X hostas. I do have photos of one of our X-budgies. Here is a shot of her on my daughter's shoulder while she was playing piano. It was the first time she ever flew to her while she played. It was only days after that she died at the vet's office.

Here is the same budgie (named ) Robbie. She must have loved those cheddar bunnies! Birds don't usually like to put their heads into spaces, let alone most of their body! I am glad she felt safe enough with us to be able to do that.

Karin, you can grown elephant ears in pots for sure! I have been doing it for a few years now. I have a few photos to show you.

This is one of my favorite elephant ears. It is called Illustris.

And here is another. I love the dragon wing begonias planted along with the EE.

Here is Coffee Cups or sometimes called Tea Cups EE. Unfortunately, something (rabbits?) were eating my potato vine. That's why you see it growing up rather than down! Eventually the postman just had to ask me "what is that plant?!"

I like the potato vine growing up the EE and you are right, that Illustris is really a looker. I'm pretty excited to see if mine will grow again this year. If not, I know where to get more.

newhostalady, any tips for growing EE's in pots so well? Mine grow sooo much better in the ground. How often do you fertilize?

newhostalady..I enjoyed the pics of Robbie..so cute and funny..your pots are beautiful..do you overwinter your dragon wing begonias?..I read that people do AFTER I didn't save mine..I did save a tuberous begonia..anxious to see if it comes back..

Illustris is a looker! I really have to try it! Do they like a sunny place and can I take them out of the pot in winter and keep them in a cold, dry room? Potato vine is also nice. I found it last year for the very first time here and planted it with one of the hostas.

Begonia are also an interesting plant for my shelves

Lately bought a few Hellebores, fascinating flowers and so many different ones...another collection to start? They grow and flower early in the year, so I could put them in the ground between the hostas and have some nice things to look at when I'm desperately waiting for the next hosta season :-)

Today's going to be a very hard day for me and my wallet. The list with the new Valley's hostas will be out and we all know where this is leading...

Karin

Yes, the EEs like a sunny place and the tuber can come out of the pot and be stored wrapped and dry for the winter.

That combination of the chartreuse hosta with the purple potato vine is divine! And I see you have a succulent addiction as well. Haha. So do I! I've been thinking of getting hellebores too after watching some youtube videos.

Did somebody say Elephant Ears?

steve..what a gigantic elephant ear!.. was that in Ohio?..the orchid is gorgeous..I wish pics could share the fragrance..

Popmama, I haven't tried to overwinter Illustris. I do love it though. Good luck with yours! I hope it will grow again for you!

Steve, I do use some kind of moisture retaining media for the EE. They do love their water! So the drawback to pots is the watering. For me one of the challenges is to not get rot or soft spots on the bulb at the end of the season. I think I have learned that when the days and nights become cooler, and the wet days begin, it is important to move the pots to where they will no longer get any rain on them. Sometimes I just dismantled the pot altogether at the end of summer. I have to do it a bit earlier than I would like in order to save the bulb from rotting. This year I think I will put bark mixed with perlite around the bulb in order to allow the bulb to remain dryer than the media. This might help to discourage rot.

To prepare for winter, I cut the tops and the roots off. I store the bulbs individually in paper bags in shredded paper. I keep them in a large paper bag or box in a room that is approximately 10 degrees cooler than the rest of our house.

Nicholsworth55, I don't overwinter my dragon wing begonias. No room! I don't know what was going on this last year, but I couldn't find any 4 to 5 inch pots in the spring. All of them were large pots. So disappointing! I hope this spring they will be available.

Karin, I like the dark potato vine with your yellow hosta too! I thought the dark EE would look nice with the yellow potato vine. The coffee cups/tea cups is rather fun in that water collects in its cupped leaves. When it is full, the leaf just tips over and pours out the water!

I find the EE like some sun and shade. But there are different varieties and some can tolerate much more sun. Definately take it out of its pot and store in that dry, cool room of yours.

Love the begonia you have Karin. I haven't started any collection of Hellebores. I've always thought they would bloom much too early for me to enjoy in my garden, but I could be wrong!

Steve, that EE is huge! Too bad my gardening season is so short. Congratulations on growing the Stanhopea X orchid. Great job!

The EE was in Hawaii - everything grows bigger there. I grew the Stanhopea outdoors in California. Very easy to grow there. The blooms just hang out the bottom of the hanging pot. Wish I could find my other pics. I just love the blooms that mimic insect bodies for the purpose of some fun pollination.

steve..ah Hawaii..that makes sense..not saying you can't grow ees in Ohio but the size of that leaf made me wonder..

Thank you NHL, I think you just clued me in on what I was doing wrong, with my EE's at the end of the year...letting them out in the cold too long, too moist.

Steve, I used to leave them out too long too. The cold and the rain will rot the bulb in no time. EE's love the heat. Even if I start them indoors, then will grow quite slowly until outdoors in the warmth.

I forgot to answer your question about fertilizing. I fertilize about every three weeks with 20:20:20.

Thank you for the EE winter storing tips, newhostalady! I have definitely not enough garden for all the plants I want to have. But hellebores are so nice. My old hostafriend has some really big ones and they are in full bloom now, unbelievable in this cold! But this is exactly what makes them interesting. Flowers in the snow...They get as big as hostas with the years just in another time of the year, so that's perfect. I have already been promised some seedlings in summer :-)

What are you doing with all those beats kathy? Are they distributed through Mardi Gras? When it is carnival here in Germany you can collect tons of sweets...

We have a big Summer Solstice festival here and I give the beads away to children. Some of the really fancy ones I keep. How do they distribute the sweets?

On carnival monday for example in Cologne there are lots of people parading through town who show political themes (made funny) on all kinds of vehicles and people on those throw sweets into the crowd. This is nothing for me, too many people and noise...

Anyone remember Myrle? My outside buddy for 2 1/2 years, I found her in the street in November. She got hit by a car. Add one more furry buddy to the graveyard

I do, so sorry Don. It is really hard losing our buddies.

Ohhhh, so sorry! She was adorable!

I'm sorry too..I've lost squirrel buddies and it's sad..

She was a cute Don. So unfortunate to have lost her.