Hi SS--I like your idea of putting hostas in containers so you can move them about. I have one hosta that I love & have been reproducing it so as to spread it about the garden. I just tried to post a photo of it here, but alas the file size is too large. I have posted a photo of it in the Stew's plant directory. It is Hosta Montana Aureomarginata. Next spring, I think I will follow your lead & put one in a big pot!
Hi again. Most interesting this - thank you. I do have the names for all my Hostas but for a couple - this one you refer to is one of them. This plant is another plant amongst quite a few other types I have rescued from being thrown out (including a lovely Eucomis) - I find its foliage very variable depending on where it is grown - the more shade the darker - more lighter the lighter - in one place it is actually both light and dark. Have you found as I have that Hostas do quite often throw "sports" and that these can sometimes be marked with say a piece of coloured wool whilst growing - detached in autumn or Spring and grown on at that colour?. I had a lovely plain all yellow at my last address I got in this way. Hi. Ref the Hostas in containers I have always had great success with them - I make it a decent sized pot and always surface them with a good sharpish grit or shingle to help with slugs and snails though have had no real trouble other than with those in the open garden, which is most of them. Thing to watch out for is under the rims of containers and for interest during the growing season go out into the garden now and then in the early hours with a torch and have a look round - any about can easily be spotted and removed - its surprising just what is around at that hour also in the way of other insects etc. Ref the foliage contrast that is my main aim with my plants both in variety and form, height etc - love flowers but treat them as a bonus. moderator's note: removed double posting see point 3.6 of usage rules
SS--no I have not noticed a sport as yet. I will keep my eyes out though. My hostas are not so bothered by the slugs here. I find the slugs are more attracted by other eats (mainly annual flowers). I used to garden with perennials almost exclusively, but lately have been appreciating the contribution of foliage plants.
Hi CM. May I please ask you a question?. I totally endorse our/the general great love of Hosta's but do you grow any similar plants grown regularly in UK to go with them?. Enjoying our little confab.
So glad we found another Hosta lover here! I do know of 'Francis Williams' and it is indeed a lovely cultivar. I don't have it in this garden, but I'll be looking for it as soon as I split my large Hosta's and make more room.
Netty--I thought I had 'Frances Williams'in my garden, and just realized it is 'Francee' (?maybe a cultivar?). I checked out the photos of 'Frances Williams' & I have put it on my wishlist for the spring. SS--I love hakone grasss (Hakonechloa macra aureola) with hostas. It is a variegated grass, grows in shade, good contrast of foliage with green hostas. I have one hakone that began to revert to a solid green, so I separated it and have placed it with a variegated hosta. I also love Japanese painted fern (athyrium niponicum 'pictum'),& the purple oxalis. Oxalis is not hardy in my New England garden (zone 6A), so I bring it in in the fall. I also pair Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata' with Stella d'oro daylilies because the yellow of the daylily picks up the yellow variation in the hosta leaf. I would post pictures but my photo program (Picassa) no longer allows me to shrink them to a postable size! Sigh.... Wait! I just realized I can post them from what I already have on GardenStew. In the foreground of the 4th photo is iris cristata. It is a great ground cover, grows 3-4" tall and contrasts well with hosta. In the last photo, the yellow of that Stella goes well with Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata' (2nd photo) You have to climb in the garden to see this Hakone grass...squash is taking over ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) [size=11Hosta montana 'Aureomarginata' ]( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden )[/size] ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) Fern, Athyrium niponicum, pictum July 2011 ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) Good old Stella D'Oro July 2011 ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden )
Hi Netty - CM. As stated I love Hostas and have grown them for many many years - starting off with the "regulars" such as fortuneii, ventricosa, crispula, undulata medio variegata, fortuneii albo picta, elata, sieboldii & sieboldii elegans. Like yourselves cannot resist them and have added more regularly of the named cultivars - think the last I bought this year is called Patriot - dark green with a white edge. Frances Williams is a real beauty and I love to watch its progress each year with that blueish foliage slowly developing the irregular yellow edges as it grows. I have the Hakenochloa macra aureola and also find it a good contrast plant - even at this time with all the other herbaceous stuff cut back for winter it is looking really good, I leave the foliage on until Spring. I must see if that yellow Day Lily is available here, good sized yellow flowers there in your pics for all of which thank you - much like your plantings - everything packed in really tight together as in my own. I grow no annuals at all other than a few which self sow - most of my perennials are herbaceous with a sprinkling of evergreens in variety. Nuff for now. Syd. Forgot to say ref growing the Hostas in containers. Have over the years grown other herbaceous perennials this way. With a selection some good groupings can be made on paved areas etc and they can be changed around to alter the scene as and when. Do you grow any Ligularias, Lysimachias, Rodgersias, Astilbes or similar?. Hi. Just a little snippet. Ref Hostas heres another I have - an 8 inch mound of leaves but with these really dark flowers - darkest I have seen in any I have grown/grow. Bought it a couple of years ago with name Ginko Craig. ( photo / image / picture from Sydney Smith's Garden ) moderator's note: removed double posting see point 3.6 of usage rules
That Ginko Craig is a real beauty. Usually hosta flowers are not a big feature. I have recently bought a couple of Patriots. The foliage attracted me but I have found them very slow growing. Not sure why. I do grow Lingularias & astilbes. I used to grow one of the lysimachias (goose neck loosestrife) until it threated to take over my yard. Another Stew member (Jerry Sullivan) posted a comical piece about his gooseneck loosestrife bent on world domination & his efforts to curb it. Perhaps you grow a different kind or it is not so invasive in Suffolk? Have you grown the woodland peonies(Paeonia japonica & Paeonia Obovata)? I am trying them for the first time.
Hi CM. Ref Patriot I only planted mine this year and that in a container to make up a group of Hostas next to the small pond - likewise I find it did not progress a lot but always looked very healthy and happy - it caught sun in that position and during the really hot spells its edges scorched a little - easily sorted of course. Ref the Peonys I like them but apart from the "cottage" one I only grew a lovely scented (like roses) pink flushed with red one called I think Sarah Bernhardt. The weather always spoiled it with its huge blooms so I left it at that. I did grow at my first property the lovely single yellow one known as "Molly the Witch" which you are no doubt familiar with. Ref Lysimachias I am guessing the one you refer to (gooseneck) is the 2ft punctata with its small yellow flowers up the stem and as you said wants to take over the world though you may mean ephemerum with the white flowers on the arching (gooseneck?) stems which all point the same way if planted against a wall - please tell me. I grow it and it does travel but I find it easily controlled here. Also grew the Creeping Jennies both green and gold. Enjoying this natter - thank you.
Hi AR82 - just a little puzzled here - nice to hear from you but please say more - love to here it - are you another Hosta and hardy perennial fan. Regards and best wishes. Hi AR 82 again. Forgot to say welcome - we are both new on site. moderator's note: removed double posting see point 3.6 of usage rules
Hi Avarose, Welcome to GardenStew. It's a great website. Hope you enjoy it. What do you grow? SS-The problem lysimachia I've had is the white one. A friend just this summer gave me a cutting of creeping jenny. I realize that is a lysimachia too, isn't it? It is yellow-green and very attractive although still quite small. We shall see how invasive it proves itself to be.
Hi CM. Ref the Lysimachias and my comments yesterday - a little correction if I may pse. I spoke of the yellow punctata and also the white ephemerum - it was the white clethroides I meant not ephemerum though they are similar. This clethroides has the arching stems and white flowers and does travel a bit but I like the plant and its easily controlled with me. I believe I read somewhere that ephemerum is quite well behaved. Ref the nummularias (Creeping Jennies) both the green and yellow leaved plants are low spreaders and certainly can cover a large'ish area in a mat if allowed, the yellow aurea a little less so than the green. Any pieces that break off will root but again they are only shallow rooting so easily pulled out - both I found prefer a moistish rather than a dry soil - both are pretty little plants with small rounded leaves and yellow flowers. I grew both and kept an eye on them but enjoyed them. Those are my experiences with them - hope that helps.
SS--Yes it is Lysimachia Clethroides that has been problematic. I would grow it again under the right conditions: in a bed circumscribed by a terrace, say. On a garden tour, I once saw a huge bed of it at the base of a tree, in full bloom. It was striking. Re plants in pots, I like the idea & the flexibility it affords, but have only grown annuals that way. My garden is in zone 6a and I think perennials would not survive the winter above ground. I have grown an azalea in a large pot, and it has done well & is very attractive. Pink azalea ( photo / image / picture from Cayuga Morning's Garden ) I will keep an eye on my creeping jenny. Unfortunately it is planted in a dry area up by our pool. I can easily move it.
Hi CM. As you said L.clethroides is very striking in flower. I have it growing backed up between a north facing fence and a strip of grass where it cannot get up to much mischief. Its companions are Ligularia clivorum Desdemona, a new herbaceous Lobelia with a really dark Burgundy flower, two Hostas one being Frances Williams, Hakenochloa, a Fern and all surrounding a nice tall Bamboo in a large container, I have twelve of these spread around the plot. Tell me please am I in order talking of other plants on this topic re Hostas? - what is the topic for talking of general plants. I did start one ref what we have grown/grow but it has not taken off so presume individual plant topics are preferred. Still finding my way around the Site and certainly plenty of interest to choose from. I am so so much better with a small handfork etc in my hands than at working with PC's. Will let you know the name of that Lobelia.
