We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/676687/#new
.......and are not afraid of straying from the topic.
Which hostas are you planning to add next season - Part 2?
i don't think i added to the last thread --
but this is my first year with hostas, and my very first 2 will be Paul's Glory and Ginko Craig from BlueStone Perennials.
Terese
**edited to change the hostas
This message was edited Mar 6, 2007 12:37 PM
Do you have them ordered, Terese? Both are very good plants, you should enjoy them and be collecting more very soon.
Teresa in KY
Terese, I was given my first Hosta, by a dear friend, but the way I got them is unusual. I played poker for about 20 years starting at home and then migrating into playing at a local Eagles club that I joined when I heard they had a game. and later on in card rooms and casinos. well after playing there a few years, I was talking to a fellow player about starting to take an interest in my garden and mentioned that I had a lot of trees and hardly any sun. she asked me if I would like some Hosta? and I said what's that? well she gave me 70 clumps. then we started going to nurseries and would find the occasional different Hosta. and I started adding to my collection. this year I'll be up to 150 cultivars, plus hybrids, and growing. I'm sorry to say that She died last fall and her husband of 54 years shortly after. but I can always remember her when I'm working on my Hostas. you never know where this hobby can take you. good luck with your new Hostas. Jim
Hi Terese. How nice to find someone else just starting on the road to Hosta-holicism. You've chosen a couple of good Hostas there. Just watch the Patriot and clean your tools well with bleach solution or alcohol if you go from one plant to another. Getting them from a reputable source rather than a box store is a really good first move.
The affliction starts with two plants. Let us know how many you buy next year and the year after. LOL
Ann
Jim,
That's a great story! Reading it I was ready to hear that you won your hosta playing poker, LOL! I got my love of hosta from my mom. They were her favorite garden plants in our shady Massachusets yard. Not like there were many for her to choose from in the 70's but they were the "green and white" ones and the "green" ones. We moved around a lot but she always split them and took some with her. Now when she visits she is just amazed at all of the varieties. When I finally got my own property, hosta were the first plants I bought.
Sue
Jim, that is a very, sweet story. I have been given many perennials from elderly gardeners too and in turn, I enjoy giving away plants to young couples, or new gardeners.
Last year was my firstyear, Terese. I stumbled across DG while trying to research hosta and shade plants and these folks turned me into a bonafide holic!!! RUN AWAY RIUN AWAY!!! LOL
Actually I have learned more from these guys than I think I would have from any book. Also ended up with about 100 or so hostas in about 65 varieties.
I also just this AM ordered
ChopSticks
Lakeside Cranberry Relish
Lakeside Shore Master
My Child Insook
Remember me
Lakeside Beach Captain
Only 2 of which are on my actual wish list that I as supposed to stick to religiously this year!
yes - i do have them ordered. Took me weeks to pick out the ones i wanted -- for me, being a cheap-skate, I didnt wanna spend too much
(i'm probably spending over $200 for this season, total)
We purchases a lil seasonal getaway in wisconsin that has A LOT of shade -- but since we purchased in Sept, i really didnt get a good look around at the foliage... but i'm sure a lot of hostas. I know i'm gonna have some fun up there gardening this year.... here is a post where i have some images.... but you can make out some hostas in the pics... though they are not the best images.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3240910
- Jim, very nice story... it's nice when you have those memories to pass down.
terese
oh i added another one the other day- WHITE FEATHER
just waiting for marie to start her co-op!!!!!!!!!!
i have ordered more hostas so far this yr than daylilies-whats happening!?!
Terese,
I started out 5 years ago with $100.00 cash in my pocket to spend on Hostas at Hornbaker's. Not knowing at the time that there were so-o-o many different hostas, I had a hard time deciding which ones to buy. Each year since, my hosta allowance has grown by leaps and bounds! This year is going to be brutal on my checking account because of these people and their pictures that they've posted! Don't click to enlarge their pictures! You'll find yourself saying...Ooooh! I gotta have that one!!
Good luck and enjoy! This is a really nice, and knowledgeable group to hang out with! I'm learning a lot from them!
Rose
Lakeside Cranberry Relish. Yum. Gotta love those hosta names!
terese, we'll have some fun identifying all your new hostas this spring!
Wish I had a great story like Jim and Sue on how I got my start in hostas. I guess my story is more meat and potatoes. I simply got sick, caught the hosta bug and can't seem to shake it. I was very reasonable and only bought a few each year for quite a few years. Then I found Dave's and that dormant hosta bug in me exploded. Last year I bought 100! Never had so much fun being sick, though!
(I see notmartha is coming down with a bad case of it too!)
Sandy
Sandy - 100 in one year!!!! Good thing you have a nice large country lot.
I got into Hostas around 2000. Came to the realization that my once sunny front yard had become very shady as the trees had grown and that I needed to rethink my plant choices.
My first hosta has to be Clausa and I have no idea when I got it. I've discovered it in the yard of my back fence neighbour; so think that is where it originated. I also have no idea when I got it - certainly before 2000. And it's also possible that it came with something else because it spreads by rhyzomes.
The first ones I bought for myself - Francee, 'fortunei Aureomarginata', Halcyon (at least we think it is), Great Expectations. The next year I added Allan P. McConnell, Masquerade and Kifukurin Ko Mame. From then on it escalated and I started spending hours glued to Internet Hosta sites looking at the wide variety and compiling wish lists. I thought I had a lot two years ago when I reached 35 varieties. But then I found this forum and made the acquaintance of Sandy who lives about an hour away. Trading helps build the collection quickly. Last year I was up to 75 varieties and I plan to add about 25 new ones this year. But I'm running out of space rather quickly and have decided to specialize mostly in smaller varieties. And my wish list still has about 100 varieties listed.
Ann
Forgot a couple of my early ones. I bought one labelled as Joyce Trott, but last year we decided it was really 'Undulata Unvittata'. And I also bought a Whirlwind sometime in those early years.
This message was edited Mar 4, 2007 10:46 AM
Lakeside Cranberry Relish.....with a name like that it's got to be good. I can help but think that there must be some red on the petiols. I can't find a pic of it. Don't prolong the torture......who are you buying it from, and where can we see a pic.
Ah, it's so heartwarming to read about how everyone got addicted,,,,,warms my heart it does,,,lol
Marie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
marie, come and defend yourself and tell us how you happened to addict Kelly!
Kelly, I can see your point though, on another thread I listed 3 chartreuse hosta I was trying to choose between. She thought I should buy all three! And you know what a wuss I am ... they all went on my wish list.
Sandy
Kelly.........(can you see my stern gaze and wagging finger?)
For those of you who do not know it already, Kelly is the one who dragged me down, down, down into this desperate hostaholic state that I now find myself in. And don't let her tell you anthing else. She probably has twice as many hosta as I do, and the most I've ever spent on a single hosta was $60. (Although I prepared to spend $100 on one that I couldn't get.) We all know that Kelly has forked over MUCH more than that.
I'm quite sure that this addiction thing can be managed.......I just haven't figured out how yet. Hmmmm. (What a way to go!)
Well i blame ruby42!!
Sue sent me some hostas when i started my first lil shade bed
Now i am needing to add a 3rd one!
so SUE its all your fault!!!! but thanks!
Are you adding a 3rd hosta.....or a 3rd lil hosta bed? We need to know the full extent of your affliction.
Here is Cranberry Relish. I am getting it via a co-op through a different site from hostaplants.com.
Decription:: An outstanding Lakeside that offers three bright colors in one plant. It's cherry red petioles are topped with leaves that are shimy green bordered in bright yellows.
Seems to have a bit or an arching habot to me, too
She's lovely.....I'm such a sucker for red petiols. How big does she get?
notmartha - where did you order White Feather??
She is described as medium - getting 12-24" :)
Thank you.......I think....
You're most welcome! LOL - I think I owe you anyway
So, what are the signs of complete addiction? Does having a list that grew from none to 12 after reading this forum count? (I haven't ordered yet, in case I find more...heh heh). Or do you actually have to own many hostas and have many on order first. At this point, I think I could just become addicted, I'm not actually there yet. My current "lust list": Moonstruck, Fire & Ice, Niagra Falls, Abiqua Drinking Gourd, Jewel of the Nile, Morning Light, Orange Marmalade, Blue Mouse Ears, Calypso, Cracker Crumb, Jimmy Crack Corn & Lakeside Looking Glass. I'm already planning how I'm going to move stuff around and amend the soil for my new babies.
Current owner of exactly 6 hostas, 3 each of Frances Williams & Wide Brim.
Joanne
Ah, Grow_Jo, welcome to the addiction! :) You're well on your way... We all started small, and innocently bought our first hosta, then another, then another.. It will snowball from there! But, alas, don't fret, this is one of the more rewarding addictions you could ever have. :)
Diann
Grow_Jo....you are so welcome to join in our happy addiction. We'll try not to corrupt you too quickly. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; "So many hostas, so little space and money."
marie its bad-its a 3rd bed that im needing!!!
Tough call there. On one hand, someone needs a bedroom....yet on the other hand some lovely homeless hostas need a bed. There must be a compromise there somewhere.
Peg, great looking Cranberry Relish!!! it looks like it's time to divide!!! Hint!!! Hint!!! also thanks everyone for your comments on my post. Jim
Hey,, Jim
It's called the friendship plant- that's how I got mine from Val back in 1993.
It was a Blue Cadet and it was love at first sight! And Val and I did become, and are still, friends- I give her hostas now! !lol! I still have that original plant, many times divided, spread arounf and shared.
Then for years, I would look for new hostas locally and at the box stores (til HVX), but had no idea what I was missing, when in early Jan. 2005, I idley googled 'hosta' and proceeded to be glued to the Hosta Library and online catalogs for three days. I forgot to eat!!! lol!
That year, I bought over 100 hosta, up from my original 35. Then last year, added another 100++, thru purchases and trades. And there are all my seedlings, this will be my second year of planting my seedlings out!
Don't go hosta shopping with a holic- ---- actually, never have I had more fun than when I can- we, as in two or more, just egg each other on to greater heights, and spending. And there is that sharing thing going for it, too!!
There are some truly remarkable hostas coming out now. Attention is focusing on the flowers, also! So, I am no doubt NOT done shopping this year!!!
Brenda
Joanne,
Once upon a time, I too had only six hosta. After frying one in just a bit too much sun I decided to look online for tips on hosta care. I discovered Bridgewood Gardens pages on hosta care first. Then the Hosta Library. It was all downhill from there.
Can't wait for spring!
Sue
brenda -- you mentioned the flowers.... aside from lavendar and white, what other colors are there?
and for my home - I dont have too much of a shade garden (Its about 55' x 2')
I will have to see how thick my ferns are this year to see if i'll have room for more hostas.
My ferns usually come in around late May to mid-June.
but there are so many others i'd love to have.... but as has been said.. everyone starts out small -- or at least some folks.
terese
You know, when Oz gets back on here, we are in deep-doo-doo for egging each other on. He tries so hard to keep us in line, poor fella!
Sandy
Jim I will DREAM of mine ever getting that nice and if it does I will spread the wealth :) That was a pirated picture though - not my actual plant - I have only ordered it as of now. Someday though...
Grow Jo - it is hard to define an official holic. I know for me as recently as 2 years ago I was transplanting hosta to parts of the yard where I knew they would be eaten to the ground because I thought they were nasty. Then we moved a year ago and the only thing in the big berm along the side of our yard were some non-descript lilies, gooseneck loosestrife (YUCK) and 2 huge hostas. My Master Gardener neighbor walked me through her beautiful woodland garden and I decided to split those huge unnamed hostas and make a border for a path. This was late last May. Then I tried to find out what kind they were, found this place, the hosta library site and the co-ops that had just been reintroduced and it was history for me.
My thought is there is no offical way to tell a holic - but a clear sign is if you do have that distinct wish kist but that doesn;t stop you from HAVING to have many off the list :)
Your stories are all wonderful - especially Jim's. You have built quite a legacy from your kind friend.
I bought some hostas to go in a shady bed. Of course here there are about three types available in nurseries. When I did a remodel, the plants spread everywhere and I was able to use them all over. I had bought some special plants that I put in pots under my Walnut tree too. But then I found Dave's Garden. OOps. I'm pretty restrained as I think that I only have about 30 varieties which I've just bought over the past couple of years. Now to see if they will be happy in zone 9!
Nah Sandy---- It is your money and time. It is also your satifaction and enjoyment. But I will admit that sometimes it looks like keeping up with the jones. Myself I am too tired right now to post much. I just got back from Joplin and a a 2 day bowling tournament. The lanes were heavily oiled and that is something I am not used to. Things were not like this close to 30 years ago when I stopped bowling. Since I have only been back since October I was at a loss for a good part of the tournament on how to get my ball where I wanted it to go. We bowled 9 games over 2 days and It took me most of the first day to figure it out. You can see how I messed up the best of it.. Here are the scores 118, 132,121,171,140 something, then I got the line a next one was 187, Second day only 3 games 166, 214, 207. Far tooo late to help myself out. Bowling balls cost as much as hosta believe me,and I know allready I am going to need one that addresses these oily type lanes. That should runs between 150 and 200 bucks. Oz will be in plenty of doo doo himself when Mrs Oz hears of it.
And this does not include the fishing stuff Oz hoards.
This message was edited Mar 4, 2007 7:31 PM
Ooooo. And here I thought Oz would be all over you bad influences (enablers?)...
LOL
Joanne
Is that Cranberry Relish size the width of the plant? It looks as though it would get larger than that. A 24" Hostas will DEFINITELY fit in my garden. I think I've just added another must have to my list.
Ann