You may disagree, but I believe that this hosta (next to the azalea) in Eve and Per Thyrum’s front yard in Wilmington, Delaware, is the most beautiful hosta I’ve ever seen. ‘Aureomarginata’ is the name of the plant, and it grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. What a beauty!
Welcome to the GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY blog from Fine Gardening! Every workday, we feature a fresh snapshot of a beautiful garden, a magnificent plant, a wonderful plant combination, or a variety of other subjects. Consider it a green jolt in the morning.
Which is the most popular hosta?
‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is one of the most unusual hostas, and the spokesmodel for all vertically challenged plants, having won Hosta of the Year in 2008. The leaf of ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is very thick, almost rubbery, and slug-resistant, and it grows in tight, compact clumps. The cupped form of each 2-inch-long by 2-inch-wide leaf mimics the ear of an adorable tiny rodent if you squint just so. Short scapes (8 to 12 inches tall) grow above the foliage in the summer, with buds that expand like balloons before opening to lavender flowers. In shady rock gardens, at the front of the border, along paths, or as a one-of-a-kind specimen in a trough or container, use ‘Blue Mouse Ears.’
What is the 2021 hosta of the Year?
The American Hosta Growers Association assists gardeners by awarding one exceptional variety Hosta of the Year. Winners must be acceptable for use as garden plants in all parts of the country, be widely available for purchase, and sell for less than $15.
Rainbow’s End will be the winner in 2021. The leaves of this hosta are lovely, variegated, and lustrous. The dark green borders of the bright yellow leaves protrude into the center. The yellow turns a creamy white as the summer continues.
In late summer, the hosta Rainbow’s End is 11 inches tall by 21 inches broad and crowned with lavender flowers. The flowers attract hummingbirds, and juncos feed on the seeds.
Dancing Queen, Lakeside Paisley Print, World Cup, and Brother Stefan are some of the most recent victors. For a complete list, go to the Hosta Growers website.
Is there a pink hosta?
Question: I’ve read about pink hostas in periodicals, but I’ve only seen seeds for them from a few online seed suppliers. Could you elaborate on the situation?
Yes, there are fly-by-night seed companies claiming to sell hosta seeds with brilliant pink leaf, but this is not the case. It’s just a ruse. Most likely, the provider, who claims to supply mixed hosta seed, finds that extensively doctoring a photo of an ordinary hosta, something that is surely easy enough to accomplish with Photoshop or comparable software, to make it look brilliant pink, helps their seeds sell much better. The resulting viral photo is unmistakably eye-catching. In fact, the plant in the photo is so vibrant that it would be difficult to resist the urge to purchase seeds. Of course, the new plants will almost certainly all be plain green, though there is a chance of various shades of green and even some variegation… just not pink variegation.
Sometimes these kind of vendors simply take your money and disappear, but more often than not, they will send you a packet of seeds, but what kind of seeds? Hostas, perhaps, but anything from weeds to salad greens have emerged from packs of seeds from such dishonest providers in other comparable instances. They can keep the fraud going longer if they send you seeds of something. After all, it takes a few years for a hosta to reach its full size and color, proving that it isn’t pink at all.
When there are too many complaints, these types of vendors can close up shop and reopen elsewhere under a new name, then repeat the trick.
What looks good with hostas?
Hostas are ideal for shade gardens, adding a hint of the tropics to otherwise barren areas of the yard. When selecting companion plants, aim for those that, like your hostas, prefer bright morning sun and cool afternoon shade. Hostas go well with astilbe, ferns, geraniums, and shady-friendly bulbs. Bleeding hearts and heuchera are two of our faves.
The delicate blossoms and elegant, arching branches of bleeding heart (dicentra) plants are the perfect contrast to bold, flashy, or variegated hosta plants. They also blossom early in the spring, enabling the flowers of your hostas to take center stage later in the summer.
Heuchera, often known as coral bells, is cultivated for its leaf, which may provide a splash of crimson, purple, or silver to your shade garden. Take a colorful bunch of flowers and turn it upside down: For a garden full of rich, vibrant leaves and light-colored flowers, combine red or purple heuchera with marbled or striped hosta species.
Learn how to plant, grow, and care for hostas from our experienced gardeners.
Are there purple hostas?
Purple Sensation has rich purple flowers that are bordered and striped in pristine white, unlike classic hosta cultivars that have pale lavender or soft white flowers. Hostas are excellent ground coverings and attract helpful pollinators with their bell-shaped blossoms, making them the ideal companion for your spring-blooming bulbs.
Are there hostas that like sun?
Did you know you can buy sun-loving hostas? Despite their name, full sun-hostas aren’t like coneflowers or daisies, which can withstand up to eight hours of direct sunlight. Sun-tolerant hostas, on the other hand, are those that can resist the sun. That means they can withstand some sun, perhaps a little more than most of their shade-loving hosta cousins, but they still require shelter from the strong afternoon heat. Hostas for the sun have a few qualities in common.
Where is the best place to plant hostas?
Choose a location that receives partial to full shade when planting hostas. Hostas can survive morning sun but prefer to be in the shade. It’s crucial to understand that these perennials thrive in lush, organically rich soil. Hostas should not be planted in heavy clay soil since the drainage will be inadequate. Place hostas where snow tends to pile up in places that get a lot of snow in the winter to preserve stems and leaves.
How do you grow hosta hands?
Hostas thrive on soils that are moist, well-drained, and high in organic matter, with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. Sandy loam is preferable to clay because it allows for more root aeration. For clean, healthy growth, high-filtered or dappled sunlight is required. Morning sun is bearable and helps to intensify the colors of the leaves, but scorching afternoon sun is frequently fatal to hostas. They thrive in shaded, forest situations and are frequently used as specimen or edging plants.
Hostas are extremely simple to propagate via division. This can be done at any point during the growing season with little or no impact on the parent plant’s growth. Plants should be allowed to mature for several years before being divided, as each division should contain at least three eyes.
Hostas should be mulched with a layer of finely shredded organic material throughout the winter, especially in northern zones, to prevent heaving. Mulch is important because it keeps moisture around the roots of the plant, but it is also a great hiding place for slugs. Keep an eye out for holes in the leaves’ centers. Slugs will be present if they are there. Early in the spring, when new shoots are beginning to appear, use a slug bait to help minimize the slug population. After a few years, when the plants have established themselves, the mulch can be removed completely, effectively eliminating the slug problem. Also, after the plants have gone dormant in early winter, remove all hosta leaf from the garden. You will be purging the region of slug and other leaf-eating bug eggs by doing so.