I thought I might have a problem when I broke 100 (That was over 700 less than I have now.) One good thing though, it takes a lot less time to mow the lawn.

I got over 100 my first year and truly wish I could do it over again.

For me receiving too many in one order means I get overwhelmed siting and planting and make rash decisions in the vein of "somewhere/anywhere." And that means I have to move them the next year.

Which has kind of worked out OK as I am having to dig them all up anyway to put hardware cloth/gopher bags around them due to the goldarned chipmunks who are decimating them.

But now I try not to get any more than ten or so at a time and to have a spot in mind for each as well as enough gopher bags on hand.

when i bought my first house ... i mail ordered the common collection from some random perennial/tree catalog ... it included the typical 5 hosta... the blue one.. the yellow one.. the white edged one.. the white centered one.. and the green one .... but for the yellow one.. you mavens could probably name those 5 ...

a few years later.. i started dating my ex wife.. and my bro and his wife came up with this idea to travel cross state to visit a grand rapids B&B ... and they had seen an article on englerth gardens in hopkins MI .... we drive out of town ... out into the country.. down a dirt road.. and we find this place ... and i was simply stunned.. to visit a professional hosta garden ... who the heck knew there were more than 5 hosta.. lol ... and what they looked like as mature clumps ... lol ..

i knew i was hooked.. and a week later.. sent in my mail order for 20 more ...

1650 hosta later.. i quit .... it is possible ...

ken

Took 24 hours for me, after I found out there where more than 8 hostas. The internet enabled me and then I found this forum which helped me feel better about the addiction. Added 64 the first season, over 100 the next. I’m somewhere around 300 now.

Not including the 4 or 5 from my recent wal mart trip, here is my list that I just compiled. This is probably 75% of my hosta as Im sure I forgot to write some down and Ive also had 5 or so volunteers from yard waste bags that I tend to collect for compost.

Sagae

Winter Snow

Christmas Tree

Electrocution

Blue Umbrellas

Red October

Patriot

Blue Mouse Ears

Halcyon

Wide Brim

Elegans

Albo Marginata

Blue Umbrellas

St. Elmos Fire

Royal Standard

Plantaginea

Francee

Splendid Sara

Luna Moth

Im pretty sure I had a small one called Breadcrumbs or Cookie Crumbs but it died after 2-3 years. And although I have the names, I only know the names of two of them as I never labeled them when I planted (except for one). I need to try to figure this out next year when they have leaves. Most dont right now. They all did for 4-6 weeks, then in about 2-3 days something ate most of the leaves.

If I had to guess, id say Im around 33 or so. Thanks!

Deer, rabbits or cut worms?

I prefer hostaphile, collector, connoisseur of green - and it happened at the 2010 convention tours. The word addict, btw, sounds unhealthy. Growing hostas/ gardening is a very healthy hobby.

Two.

When I figured $20 or more was a perfectly reasonable price to pay for a hosta that I really wanted.

less than 10..about 30? years ago I bought a few "Martha Stewart" hostas at KMart..anyone remember the cute green pots?..when they came up the next spring looking better than when I bought them I thought "I need more of these"..now I have over 500..

I call myself a hosta collector and probably realized I had a "problem" when I started looking for new hostas all the time, after maybe 2 dozen?

Everything was ok until I found this forum and read an alphabet (thanks to Paula). I only wanted to learn something about the plants at that time. Had around 20 then from a garden nearby and loved how easy they were growing in pots. So I could cover the ugly paved stones in the front garden...Now my whole garden is covered with around 350 different hosta and companions.

when I started attending weekly CHAD meetings ...

It rather crept up on me. I was thinking of it as merely an insane passion. But this year, I don't know the names of some of my hosta (bought too many) and I need to check the label. Wow, that's a new one for me! So I can now say with certainty---I must be a hostaholic!

it went from bringing one or two home on nursery trips to hitting double digits. Now when the next years catalogs come out in the winter, I remember what it felt like when I was a kid and the Sears and Penneys Christmas catalogs would show up. Does anyone else have trouble remembering birthdays and other important dates but can remember where and when you bought which hosta?

Not many. Pretty much after I got my first mail-order batch in 2012.

When I realized I had more than 20 varieties, and I knew all their names, and could tell them all apart.

When I watched for pip emergence in spring with more eagerness than I did my spring bulbs.

When I found myself defending their beauty and variety to detractors, including my family, who call them “those boring green things that Mom / Lin likes.”

When I realized that they would spring back from almost any abuse. When I could hack them up into pieces and they would explode in growth like a kid being given their own room for the first time.

When a local nursery started having a big 75% off sale in the late fall, and I was buying them dormant, with only a name to go by. I would write down the names, go home and look them up, then go back and buy a trunkload. What normal person would buy a plant that looks totally dead in the pot?! I knew this was serious then. That was maybe 2013.

I must have at least 75 varieties now, with duplicates of my favorites, like June. I must have 15 June.

When I gave a few garden tours, and people would just stand staring at them, open-mouthed, while ignoring flowers that were blooming. Saying things like, “I never knew there was such variety. I need to buy more!”

I like hostaphile. I’ve been calling myself a hosta enthusiast.

Have little concern when did I got affected. More important question I keep asking myself where do I go from here and what are rules to my addiction?

I garden on suburban plot so my addiction has severe limits

As for when did I realize? Mm, this summer when I started removing plants that are not exciting for me to put more hostas that do?

I've only got 3 or 4 hundred Hostas - certainly nothing rising to the level of addiction.

whitewatervol..did you include your 200 seedlings? Lol..

I did include those with my total number.

I'm not counting the plants I have planted at my mom's house - those are hers :)

It mostly started last year haha. I really had only bought random ones from nurseries every now then. Then I discovered the Hosta Library online...then Hosta Buyers Guide on FB, then found out about hybridizing. Theres no hope now. And I too almost get defensive when people say they dont like hostas or that they're boring haha! As of now I have about 50ish named ones...but will be getting orders from 6 or 7 places this spring. And planning a few good day trips this summer which will absolutely add to my total. So I'll be pretty darn close to 200.

Welcome to the team, M MW! : )

Nice to revisit this post.

I'm still deep into my love affaire with no sign of it lessening.

654 at the last count.

Over 200 on my " would like list " - notice it's not a " want list " - could I be cooling off?

Didn't include the 150 or so seedlings.

Thanks and welcome to our world M MW.

Dave

When I tried growing them in southern California back in 2003, but they kept getting smaller. I had to go cold turkey after 3 years until I moved to Ohio 3 years ago and then it was full on. Although, I only bought 5 that 1st season (It was August) I'm now over 200.

steve..and not finished right? lol..

Of course I'm finished. Who in their right mind needs more than 200 Hostas! (Unless you count the 22 I have on order for next year and . . . ).

I knew it!!!..some of us suffer from "just a few more" hosta disease..I recognize it when I see it because I have it..I think you have it too haha..

It all started about 18 years ago when my son brought me one from a greenhouse where he was working Here in Colorado..That was increased to 6 the next year . Then I made the mistake of taking some to my place in upstate New York about ten years ago. That has now grown to 450 varieties and over 1600 plants,not including 60 to70 seedlings. I also have about 200 seedlings growing in my basement here in Colorado. I’m not addicted am I?

uh yes!!..you have a severe case of addiction in my opinion lol..

Addiction??? What me? No way.

-In Denial (Babka)

Even though I said "2" I think the really honest answer would be that I was addicted before I bought even one because I found this forum and was blown away by all your gardens and those of a couple we have lost since then. I don't share much because my gardens don't hold a candle to others here-for example, almost every hosta I planted on our hill has been washed away with the rains this year, along with the mulch and much of the soil. I always seem to be trying to repair and replace all the failures. At least I am doing my part to keep all our nursery friends (the Boyz at Naylor Creek, Hallsons, NH Hosta, etc.) in the black.