A Host of Hostas

I've been busy, busy, busy in the garden for a couple of days. My main focus is getting my hostas split. They grew to enormous sizes last year. It seems so barbaric, feeling the woody resistance under your shovel and forcing it down into the root ball, hearing a sickening crunch when it splits. I know they are one of the hardiest plants out there, but it's hard to imagine that being good for them. A couple of them had so many eyes, I even split those into thirds. I need to get them all back in the ground today. Here's what they looked like last year (a darker, "blue" hosta):

and in 2006 (two lighter, variegated hostas):

Each year I've bought two or three new cultivars. The new ones tend to sit in their pot for the rest of the growing season on the doorstep and then get put in the ground the next spring. I am a master procrastinator, you know. The newest ones, that were bought last summer but are just going in the ground this spring, are Big Daddy (a BIG blue variety, with puckered leaves), Fire and Ice (a lovely cream and green variegated), and Hosta Sagae (a medium to large green edged with cream/yellow). They are already poking their heads out... I can't wait to see them in all their glory!

Comments

[RedMolly]

They look so beautiful! Love, love, love the hostas.

[Lori V.]

Thanks, Molly. They're kind of like kids; I love them, and I'm quite proud of them!

[karrie]

Very nice! I'm garden obsessed at the moment. I'm going with impatiens in my shady spots for the color, but your hostas are gorgeous.

[Lori V.]

Ooooh, impatiens... do you know if they like wet feet or not?

I'm planning to add ferns and coleus this year to add some texture and a little color to the hostas. :-)

[Blue Like the Sky]

Blue Hostas rock the world. I miss my Oregon hostas so very much. Next year, I want an eye off that smooth blue, okay? They love my one shady spot.

BTW, I'm caving and going with the 17" MacBook Pro, I'm almost certain.

[Lori V.]

No prob. You got it, sistah.

You will NOT regret the "big" decision! :-)

[Stacy]

They are beautiful....I wish I had your talent of growing things...

[Lori V.]

Welcome, Stacy! Thank you for the compliment; it's really hard to kill hostas, thankfully. :-)