Hallson Gardens

This is the year it finally occurred to me that virtually all of this year's hosta work will be digging up volunteers and throwing them away. There's a Blue Mammoth I'd like to see...and a montana Aureomarginata...and a Dick Ward...and an Olive Bailey Langdon....and a Goodness Gracious. But there ar...

You can tell I've let these volunteers grow for quite a while. And there are more little ones directly under the center of the plant. Some of these are yellow and some have a cool leaf shape, but they are beginning to detract from Dick Ward.

The closest hosta, just a couple of feet away, to these seedlings is Halcyon, a bonus plant from Hallson's. The next closest is Sally and Bob, but I don't leave any pods on that one. So Halcyon seems to be the most likely culprit. And Don, I don't know anything about Christmas Tree Gala's propensity...

These four weedlings are popping up through the pavers of the patio.

OK, Don....you've goaded me into going out and taking a couple of pictures.

A closeup of Journey's End.

And a shot of montana Aureomarginata.

I don't take enough pictures as this is three years' old. But montana Aureomarginata is the most spectacular hosta in my yard. If I could name a second, it would be Sunpower.

Yellow River began my love affair with hostas. I was thinking about buying some because we have a lot of shady areas, but I didn't know much about them. So I took a visit to Savory's and toured their display area. I was astounded by a Yellow River I saw there. It was so large, so elegant. And I want...

I've realized I now have more volunteers than store-bought hostas. Except for the Alex Summers at the top, all the hostas in this photo are volunteers. I like the contrast of the blue leaves and green. I would never have planted hostas this close together (normally give them at least four feet), but...

I tried to get real close, managing to get my own shadow in the picture, so I could focus on only Journey's End. It's hard to focus on it in real life because the eye goes to the larger scene-stealer Sun Power to the right.

I was walking through the yard today, looking at all the hostas on their way up, and I made this mind-boggling observation... I have more volunteers than I do store-bought hostas. Some of them are better, too.

Almost all of the Gold Regal volunteers are better, either brighter gold or blue.

Journey's End is definitely one of the great ones and very large and fast growing....

OK, cut me off when I get to 20... First, you have to have montana Aureomarginata. That's the first law of hostas. You probably want the best gold...Sun Power.. Then.... Liberty June Paradigm Journey's End Blue Angel Lakeside Shoremaster Olive Bailey Langdon Krossa Regal Northern Exposure Thunderbol...

I've got three I like, two gold and one an interesting shade of blue, that came up next to Gold Regal. I consider them Gold Regal volunteers since the hostas on each side are Regal Splendor and Gold Standard. I've already replanted the gold ones (both brighter than Gold Regal) and am still trying to...

Sun Power. I can't look out the window without admiring it....

Jim, I would be delighted if I had to worry about Paradise Power eating nearby hostas. The closest ones are Regal Splendor, already maxed out at about 60 inches, and Solar Flare, still young but growing fast. I moved this Paradise Power to a spot nearby and similar to the spot where the man-eating S...

My Thunderbolt and Dream Queen are both good-sized and looking great this year. I have three Great Expectations --the good, the half good and the not so good. The good is the newest and the not so good is the oldest (still one eye). Some of the tough ones -- Fire and Ice (still tiny), Paradise Power...

I like the no muss, no fuss style too. I leave all the hostas the way they are along with all the other leaves around them. I don't remove or rake them in the spring either. It all disappears. The one thing I sometimes do and have done a little of this year is pile bigger hostas leaves up on the cro...

Abba Dabba Do was the most vigorous and largest hosta in my yard, quickly going to 70 inches across and three feet tall. Lately though it is in decline, and I'm going to divide it, take the best eyes and plant it somewhere else. The next most vigorous is Sun Power, also pushing 70 inches and still t...

Get rid of that trampoline, too...You just can't grow hostas under a trampoline.

Guess who's the star of the show......Others include Journey's End to the left, Blue Angel to the right, Stained Glass shining in front.