Post your pics of hosta beds

I love the look of whole beds dedicated to different cultivars of hostas, but I have no concept of design at all. Please post pics so I can get a clue! Thanks, Tamara

I'm zone 4 here in the Pocono's. My beds are fully leafed out yet.Here's a photo of Northern Exposure first couple of leaves.

WOW! Which one is that? It's a big boy! Tamara

Hi Zone5girl,
well I don't "know" much but I love to play ... and am happy with what I have........ in this pic the hostas are not to their full size yet.
I'm a rookie to this camera/finding a pic/ and posting so it looks like for now this is the only pic I am able to locate.

This message was edited May 20, 2006 10:10 PM

I like to put the taller/bigger ones to the back or center of the focal point then put the next size shorter/smaller ones then the next and ect. At the same time I "try" to use contrasting/accenting colors next to one another.
I am now adding the minis to the front edges of my bed.

Just have fun love it !

Here is my Hosta bed in Zone 5a..just getting going..they are under apple trees.

Here is a pic from last year

I dont have beds but I do have a Haven:) ... most of these plants are less than three months old.

just redone my mini shelving today and most of these are less than three months old.

Most of these are older plants, except for the Diamond Tiara, Praying Hands and Striptease.

Up until this year, I only had three different hostas, and I have no idea what those are (see my other thread here, asking for help with IDing these). Then I bought several more, including a couple minis. At the moment, I really have no more room for more, but I DO want a Mouse Ears one, if I can find it at a decent price.

This isn't the greatest picture of my hosta garden, but you get the idea. There is another small part on the right side of the bench, that has two more hostas in it.

My main hosta bed is sooo under construction, I wouldn't post a pic of it yet. I have bushes that need to be pulled out (hopefully a friend is doing it today), mulch to put down, etc.

Out in front, I have a small section bricked up around a tree. That is all new as of last year and 2 hostas didn't come back. I replaced them yesterday. Not looking like much yet...

This is only my 3rd summer in this house and it was a MESS! It had been rented prior to my buying it and the flower beds had been neglected for years. The weeds were so bad, I just killed everything the first year. Last year I pulled out 3 large bushes myself, payed landscapers to pull out several more. 2 more to go and I'm ready to put it into some kind of order.

So far, I've just stuck hostas in the ground where ever there was room, with no thought about how big they got or what goes together. After these last bushes are pulled, I'll be able to organize and make it look like something.

Kathy

Hi Zone5girl - I'm zone 5a - here are a couple of my hosta beds - dax080

#1 - This is about two weeks ago - an east bed

And this one is a memorial garden - as you can see, it's interesting because about one half gets about 1/2 full sun, while the east section is in full shade -

Happy hostaing!! Dax

Dax, I just posted a new thread about mulch.

How did you do the brick outline? Was it hard to get them all even like that?

Your gardens are beautiful and so neat.

Kathy

Hi - I just saw your thread - I just laid them on top of the ground in a line. That way they are high enough to keep the mulch in the beds!! Since they are just regular bricks, they are very cheap, and you could even check with your streets department. Sometimes they are tearing out old brick from the streets and just give them away - Oh, and I do spray round-up on the ground before I set them, which keeps grass and weeds from growing between them. - Dax

Thanks Dax!

I'm not sure if it was your garden I've seen posted before, but it had the bricks and I really liked it. I was afraid they were dug in and I was thinking it would be a big job.

My only concern is that my yard is very uneven. I suppose if there's some really bad spots, I could just add some dirt or sand...

That looks like the cheapest, cleanest way to go.

Your gardens look so peaceful. I love the paths going thru the beds.

Kathy

dax080

Your gardens are stunningly beautiful!

You know when you get that intake of breath...ohhhhhhhhh

Thanks for the inspiration,

Cheers,
Carol

I do not really have beds thought we call them that they are spread in spots all the way around the house. some are comprised with other things.

Thanks everyone for the gorgeous pics! You've given me some great ideas. So, can you skip the rule about planting in 3's or 5's? If they are similar in size, can you plant them next to each other? Guess I don't really have a choice when my order comes in from Direct Source Hostas. They were (are?) having a grab bag type of sale...only $3.95 per plant, but they choose. Okay, so here is what I have to work with:
10 assorted once they get here, 3 Gold Standard, 1 Patriot (oops...still in box--sold as bareroot), 2 unknown variegated, and about 6 large pure green hostas. The space available now is just a strip, but I I must expand because there is no more room. The new shape is going to be roughly triangular--one side gets deep shade and is up against the back of the garage, one side will be getting some sun and will be up against a chain link fence, and the third edge will be sometimes in sun (including afternoon), and sometimes in shade. The area currently has poor drainage and heavy clay soil....not even the sweet woodruff will spread! Obviously, I will have to amend the soil. I also have 2 Japanese painted ferns that I would like to go in that area, as well as the sweet woodruff (which I will have to dig out and replant) and lily of the valley (also barely hanging on in the waterlogged bed....I swear I could have a bog garden back there!). SOOO....any design ideas? TIA, Tamara

here's my hosta bed under a dogwood tree.

Gorgeous! All neatly marked too...

Well Done!

Cheers,
Carol

How very beautiful! That dogwood tree is a treasure. And it's perfect with the hostas under it. What a nice way to extend the season.

I just love your pics!!
I`m very new with, trying to grow hostas, I`m not even sure if they`ll grow in my area zone 8, but I have planted some seeds, and nothing peeking through yet.

Great pictures everyone!!!, love seeing everyones gardens. I already posted a couple pictures of one of my beds on another thread. I'll have to get outside and take some more pictures of the other beds.

Thanks for the ideas everyone - I'm just going to try to add some different types of ferns into my beds, too - we'll all see how it works - just got some of the japanese painted ferns. They should be beautiful with their maroon edgings in with the hosta - if they don't die - also, that dogwood is absolutely stunning!! Is it hardy in zone 5? If so, I'm going to have to think about it since I have some open space and was thinking about adding a small tree to the area. And the lily of the valley should love it with the hosta in a dry area - it is growing beautifully under a linden with phlox and hosta right now. Below is a recent pic - Dax

Everyone has such gorgeous MASSIVE properties. I'm sooooo jealous.

How about a photo of a brand new bed, Just planted today, I went to a Hosta auction this weekend and had not gotten the "real" bed ready yet, because "I wasn't going to buy", I was just going to hob-nob with the Hosta pros and learn a little. So I learked around in all my other gardens today, found a few "extra" companion plants and poof.... new garden.
Please excuse the droopi-ness, hopefully all will be well in the morning.

Love of life, Rainforest, Golden Scepter, Paradise Sunset, Lakeside Cupcake, Sieboldiana Elgans, Stileto, and my favorite... the baby.... Cracker Crumbs

And KD,
You may come down and pitch a tent and play in my gardens if you would like... that is if you weed for eyes?

Love everyone's hosta beds. That dogwood is outstanding. Good thing it's not in bloom all year or no one would even look at the hostas!

Gwen

Don't have time to post them all tonight, but here's one of the front of my house. The hostas are just beginning to appear through the crocus foliage.

If you can find the numbers -

#1 is Jewel of the Nile but is just beginning to develop the yellow edge to the leaves
#2 is Summer Breeze - was divided last August to trade with a friend
#3 is fortunei Aureomarginata - it's like Francee, but has a yellow edge rather than white.
#4 is just the edge of a clump of Clausa
#5 is a whole row of Ginko Craig
#6 is a row of Allan P. McConnell in front of the Ginko Craig
#7 is a several clumps of Kifukurin Ko Mame. I may divide these this year and spread them out. I had some other mini's here, but moved them
#8 is one remaining clump of Masquerade. I moved or traded the others.

Well isn't that a great idea ...to put crocus bulbs in with the Hostas..
I may just try to remember to do that in the fall.

frans..nice colour contrasts in your new bed..

Starzz - it gets a bit untidy at this time of year, but in a couple of weeks I'll be able to pull out the foliage as it starts to turn brown and compost it. Meanwhile, the hostas are doing well underneath it.

Ann

Thank you Starzz - I hope its not too over done, I can see eyeballs flickering to and fro from so much to see. It is meant to be a temporary stashing place, until the fence gets moved (yes I need to expand) and I get the permenent hosta bed ready.

But I have to say, I am very pleased with the color and the different textures. And you will all be happy to know... everyone woke up feeling pretty perky this morning. And I could breath again.

Tamarra - I had quite a few pics; so I put them in a separate thread. You'll find them at:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/606190/

Ann

All your hosta beds are sooooo beautiful......I'm so unworthy!! LOL
All your pics are just feeding my new bad habit....oh so many ideas!
NEED MORE HOSTAS!! hee hee

I'm still really new at this....I have less than 20 different hostas varieties....and I'm still trying to learn all of their names!! I'll be getting those tags I ordered in the ground soon! LOL

I have 10 more on their way from the direct source grab bag too! Yippee!!! I'll catch up with the rest of you all in about 5 more years!
Lisa

I took a few more pictures today while working in the beds.
This was a new bed last year. Still needs to fill in a bit

Sagae and friends

Montana Aureomarginata, and Thunderbolt in the container