I'm going to start a series of threads, 3 or 4 daily if you folks can wait that long. I hope you will add your pictures of hostas in the correct categories. BTW, the pictures I have here were taken June 26 in Ottawa unless otherwise noted.
To start it off,
#1. 'Allegan Fog'.
#2. 'Alligator Shoes'
#3. 'Amy's Choice' - my own seedling of 'Korean Snow - now a mature plant.
#4. 'Ani Machi' (aka 'Geisha')
#5. 'Allan P. McConnell'
This message was edited Jun 28, 2012 10:16 AM
#1. 'Allan P. McConnell' used as a border
#2. 'Aristocrat' looking a little crispy around the edges
#3. 'Avalanche'
Aliyah's Grace- nice shape and substance, very good grower. Would probably be even nicer with more sun
Lovely. Is it always a light green like that or is it more yellow earlier in the season?
It's a light green, I think. In the description on Naylor Creek, where I got it, it is described as taking a lot of sun, so I imagine it would be more gold with more light- it really doesn't get much where I have it.
First 3:
‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’
4th:
‘Allegan Fog’
5th:
‘Alligator Shoes’
Wow! The ABG would be so full of crap that has dropped off the trees around here that it sure wouldn't look like yours. (The downside of cupped leaves).
Nice hostas, thanks for sharing them.
My pictures were all taken earlier in the season when they still looked good! Too hot and dry here now for good pictures. Feels like late July, early August here.
Alex Summers...Is think it was taller last year, but still is a pretty one.
All That Jazz
American Sweetheart
#1. 'Alex Summers' - new this spring 2012 to replace my first one that emerged badly last year (think it sank too deep in the bed and never recovered). Pic 6/15/2012
#2.' Allegan Fog' - added late spring 2009. Probably the first hosta I ever really coveted. Not a huge fan of the misted ones these days, but I still like this one. Not a super fast grower for me but also doesn't need to be coddled. Pic 6/24/2012
#3. 'Americana' - added spring 2009. Love the form and leaf markings of this one, but it's still recovering from being moved during last year's drought and heat wave. And a bit of ground heave in the winter. Oops. =( Pic 6/24/2012
#4. 'Antioch' - added spring 2009. Not a striking color combination for me, but this one grows really well and looks good all year long. Pic 6/19/2012
#5. 'Atlantis' - new this spring 2012. Just made room for this one next to 'Journey's End'. Should grow large and fast. Pic 6/19/2012
This message was edited Jul 11, 2012 7:33 AM
#1. 'Autumn Frost' - my last for letter A is also new this spring 2012. A wider margined sport of First Frost, which was itself a sport of Halcyon. The yellow should turn white as summer progresses. Pic 6/19/2012
I'm new to Hostas this year, so all I've got are 2 Alba Marginata... nothing really creative or original like some of you guys have, but I like them. =)
First pic is on 4/4/12, the day before this one got transplanted into a new container.
Second pic is how she looks as of 6/23/12. She grew up a little bit, huh? =)
The other one looks pretty much the same, as you can see in Pic #2, but she's not bloomed yet.
What kind of Albomarginata? There are a couple and they don't belong in "A". Most common is Undulata Albomarginata, but I think there is a Fortunei Albomarginata as well. Albomarginata literally means white margin.
Viola, ya know, I was thinking about that, but the funny thing is (this coming from someone who is REALLY not knowledgeable about Hostas at all), the tag only said "Alba Marginata", 2 words, not the 1-word "Albomarginata". Let me pop downstairs real quick to see if I still have the tag... brb. .... nope, don't have a tag, and I'm thinking, after looking at that pic, that I may have brought it home without a tag. Or I put it in the container it's growing in now, and I'm in my nightgown, so I am NOT going outside at the moment. ;) I'll look around more closely when I can and pop back in here, but I would swear (if I were that kinda girl) that it simply said "Alba Marginata", "Alba" with an "A" at the end... very strange. **shrug**. I'll let you know. =)
Based on speedie's pic, I would guess she has Undulata Albomarginata. The really dark green leaves in the second pic look odd to me, but I bet it's due to the early and prolonged heat we're all experiencing this year. I know that my U. Univitatta in one location all have a lot of green misting that is filling in and still getting darker. The plants in a cooler location with more shade protection haven't morphed yet.
Speedie - there's a LOT of misinformation on nursery tags, unfortunately. Biggest issue is likely with Undulata. "The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) currently breaks down Hosta undulata into four separate varieties (var. albomarginata, var. erromena, var. undulata and var. univittata)." http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/a408/hosta-undulata-variegata.aspx
However, 'Undulata' itself is sold under 'Undulata Variegata', 'Undulata Mediovariegata', 'Undulata mediopicta' and others.
Another issue is with 'Ani Machi' which is usually called 'Geisha' in nurseries. However, there has been a registered plant called 'Geisha', which is no longer thought to exist. Two different plants. So, good to research what you have - good sources are the AHS Hosta Registry and MyHostas.be.
Thank you thank you, both of you! < =) After 'researching' at work (to see what we've still got), and paying closer attention to pics online, Eleven is absolutely correct, it is an Undulata Albo-Marginata. I'm sorry I put the pics in the wrong place here, my apologies. Should I re-post in the "U" thread?
What's pesky is, Viola, you are soooo right, nurseries ... or, more like, growers, mis-label the pots. We've got one 1-gallon Hosta at work whose label AND tag both say "Hosta Albo-Marginata". That's it. Tsk Tsk Tsk. As it turns out, that one is a Fortunei. I want a Fortunei. ;) ... but, I digress. Thank you Viola for the wonderful suggestions of the websites, I will find and save them. =)
Edit: An additional THANK YOU, Viola; after perusing the home page of MyHostas.be, I finally learned what "Sporting" means!! < =D
This message was edited Jul 3, 2012 5:47 PM
Speedie - if you wish to repost on the U thread, go ahead, but don't feel any need to remove it from here. It's worked into an interesting (I hope) discussion that might benefit other newbies. And we've only touched on the plants that the trade mislabels. There are the others that come with wrong labels, intentional or not - or customers who move the signs around or ....
Ann
PS If you haven't found your way to the hosta library, http://www.hostalibrary.org/ get yourself over there too and keep the links.
My goodness, I let out a big "GASP!" when I first clicked on that link and saw the home page. OH BOY, thank you!! =) I see now (after spending too much time there, I need to get outside!), that I am going to have to have a H. Giggles. That name just suits me to a "T". =)
I will re-post in the "U" thread, thank you Ma'am. You're right, I (not being a total newbie) have also learned to pay closer attention to tags, and to look stuff up before deciding that I "know" something.
