Hallson Gardens

With all of the heat and persistent drought last summer, I simply didn't have the desire to take any pics--- there wasn't much photogenic, if you know what I mean. However, my Cathedral Windows really sparkled, despite it all. And my Venetian Blue (also from Chris) really grew a lot from the previou...

My fastest grower has always been Blue Cadet. I divide it every 2-3 years. Maybe that's why it grows so fast....

Kevin in KC

As it turns out, I see that Al resides in Michigan, zone 5b-6a. Do you know this guy, Chris? His nickname on GardenWeb is "tapla". Given the fact that his potting mix is very porous with a high air content, I have to wonder how hostas would fare in such a mix. I'm very tempted to give it a try with ...

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone here in the Midwest has used Al's Gritty Mix in their containers? What have you planted in the medium? Have you amended his original 'recipe' to accommodate our heat and humidity? I've read numerous posts on the GardenWeb forums, but have no idea if anyone posting t...

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone here in the Midwest has used Al's Gritty Mix in their containers? What have you planted in the medium? Have you amended his original 'recipe' to accommodate our heat and humidity? I've read numerous posts on the GardenWeb forums, but have no idea if anyone posting t...

Hello folks, I'm excited to report that I just bought 3 new maples: Seiryu (4' tall in a tiny gallon container, yet nicely branched), Shishigashira (3' tall with a trunk ca. 2" in diameter) and a Fern Leaf maple, Acer japonicum acontifolium (3-4' tall, nice wide spread--- I couldn't fit her into my ...

Chris, I do believe that they lighten up during the summer, but since they're not in full sun, they don't get that bleached out look. I"d be so glad if they were Great Expectations!! Ann, thus far they've only gotten ca. 12" tall, at most. I'd say the largest leaf has the size of a softball. I think...

Hey folks,

These plants were labeled Dream Queen, but after a couple years they don't seem to resemble the Dream Queens pictured in the Hosta Library. Does anyone recognize these two hostas?
Kevin in KC

Thanks for the link, Don. I've enjoyed looking at your online gardening blog tonight.

Kevin in KC

Our spring thaw has begun, thank God, and I'm beginning to see nubs on a couple of my hostas. Venetian Blue comes to mind. Which ones should I be seeing earlier than others?

Kevin in KC

I'm gonna have to add this one to my wish-list. I'm drooling over the pic in the Hosta Library! And I've lately become a big fan of Olga Petryszyn's introductions ( Brother Stefan, Blue Hawaii, Key West, Hoosier Dome, to name a few), I must say. Does anyone know if it suffers from the drawstring eff...

Ed... That's a beauty, whatever it is! I love the veins in the leaves. Where are you getting such pretty hostas like this in the middle of the winter?
Flower scapes in February? Amazing!

Kevin in Snowy KC

I like the look of that one, Ed. I have a couple Amber Tiaras and by mid-summer, they simply disappear. What am I doing wrong with them? I'd be really surprised if they returned this spring, but I am hopeful. It doesn't appear that rabbits are getting to them, they just die back. <shrug> And this ha...

I think the Rose of Sharon idea would work well, given the vase shape. You'll have plenty of room below for hostas to hide the base, while the sprawling top will shade the hostas. But I'm not sure how deep (or shallow) roots are on Rose of Sharons. Around here, the Rose of Sharon is probably the las...

So no water until the leaves start to unfurl? When should I start with fertilizer?

Kevin in KC

So could I bring them into my cool and dark basement for a week or so, then bring them upstairs into the light when I start seeing the nubs? With all of the snow we got yesterday, it might be a week or longer before I can even lift the pots out of the ground. Hell, my tulips and daffodils are alread...

Very nice! I love the irregular margins on this one. Does it become more "stable" with age?

Kevin in KC

Thanks for chiming in, Chris. There's nothing spongy about the soil around here, so I'm going to give it a try. I guess I always thought that I'd be damaging the roots, but evidently not. She also uses a water-soluble fertilizer called Jack's Classic. Are you familiar with that?

Kevin in KC

My sister has always had big, nice hostas and today she tells me that she goes out every spring and uses a garden claw to aerate the soil around her hostas, ca. 6 in. out from the crown before the leaves unfurl. Does anyone else do this? If so, which tool do you recommend? Thanks in advance! Kevin i...

Japanese is a language primarily made up of syllables: Ka tsu ra ga wa
I have no idea which syllable should be stressed, but I'm guessing the "Ka" and "ga". Anyone here speak Japanese at all?

Kevin in KC