Help me choose....please...

[eastwood2007]

A very dear friend gave me a gift certificate to Hallson's for my birthday! Now I need help choosing my new additions...these are what I am considering, but I don't know anything about them other than what the pictures look like. I need help determining good growers, good looking, seed bearing, etc. Need no more slug magnets or slow growers!!! Thanks in advance for your help!

I have one place in dry shade up against the house (I do water alot there, but it can get a little drier than other beds) where I need a large or very large one...I am moving Choo Choo Train as I don't think it is getting enough light. I don't think this spot gets any direct sun or only maybe an hour late in the day, but has high shade/bright light. I currently have Blue Umbrellas, Big Daddy, Elegans, Guardian Angel and Inniswood there along the house are that are growing well. For this spot I am considering Blazing Saddles, Earth Angel, Garden Party, Moonlight Sonata and Tidewater. Please tell me your thoughts...

Others I am considering for a variety of other places are:
Medusa
Rascal
Tokudama Flavorcincinalis
Hidden Cove
Plantagineau
Allegan Fog
Alligator Shoes
Beckoning
Blonde elf
Christmas Pageant
Lakeside Dragonfly
" Ripples
' Kaleidoscope
" Surfrider
Niagara Falls
Teeny Weeny Bikini
Winter Lightning (how well does this grow and is it fertile?)
Wolverine

Any other suggestions are welcome, as well. Thanks in advance! I want to get them ordered as two that I wanted are already sold out!

[John]

You NEED the Tokudama! It is distinctive and elegant, with great coloring and substance.

[eastwood2007]

I have seen the pics you posted the last few days, John, so it was already at the top of my list! Glad you have confirmed it! I don't know how to pronounce the second word, so I just call it the "Flavor Hosta". I think that is going to stick even when I learn how to pronounce it!

[sugar]

Skip the Moonlight Sonata for that 'full shade" spot. Fragrant hostas need sun

[nanny_56]

No expert here but I would get either Garden Party or Earth Angel for the shady spot and second the vote for getting Tokudama!!

I need to put that one on MY wish list right now!

Claudia

[MikeWI]

i think they are all great choices... im partial to Christmas Pageant....

Tokodama... interesting... I've enjoyed this hosta but it's a slow grower, so I wish you luck with that choice.. it's great but slow.

Winterlightening is a 'reluctant' breeder. Can be tough to set seed on.

[Pieter]

I don't know how to pronounce the second word, so I just call it the "Flavor Hosta".

Toku dama Flavo cir cin alis..... see, it's not THAT hard

And yes, I deliberately separated cin alis 'cause it's just a little close to cialis and we wouldn't want you to convey the wrong impression about what this Hosta is all about now, do we?

[ademink]

I'll comment on those I have and skip those that I don't!

Earth Angel - lovely, moving up my list as a really good hosta!

Garden Party - LOVE it, can take pretty light shade, fast grower

Medusa - Slug-bait for me

Rascal - Fabulous hosta, can take a lot of sun, underused in my opinion by many!

Tokudama Flavorcincinalis - I agree, a must-have!

Plantaginea - Everyone should have this. Can take a lot of sun and smells like heaven! Attracts hummingbirds.

Allegan Fog - Mine died.

Alligator Shoes - GREAT upright form, excellent leaf substance and color! Many comment on this one in the garden.

Beckoning - new for me but I'm looking forward to it maturing!

Blonde elf - cute, cute, cute! Bright and multiplies quickly.

" Ripples - New to me.

Niagara Falls - Olga Petryzyn. Need I say more? Drop-dead gorgeous at maturity. Give it room!

Wolverine - excellent shape to this plant, great color and leaf substance! A real workhorse in my yard.

Hope this was helpful! Just throw 'em ALL in your cart!

Andrea

[newtohosta-no more]

@ Pieter! I love saying the name. Makes me sound like I know what I'm talking about because I can pronounce it..

I'll second Rascal. I love this hosta. The texture is good. Slugs don't seem to like it and the the coloring is very subtle.
I have a dry area by the corner of my front porch that I had tried several different plants in , but they all failed. I finally gave up on hostas and some others and put in a Solomon Seal last year. I see that it has returned this year, so maybe I finally found something that will grow there! Several people on here suggested I try it and it seems to have worked, so thanks to all who helped me out last year.

[LucyGoose]

What a nice friend to give you that pressie!!

Wolverine......I love mine and it's a must have for me!
Rascal ...I don't have but I hear it's just like the others say....GOOD!
Lakeside Dragonfly ..Another MUST to me...I love mine!
Tidewater...That one when I hear the name I think of WANDA! ... ....I guess you best get it.....
Moonlight Sonata...I have it here in sun....(not by choice) and it is BIG this year.....but please give it shade...
Tokudama Flavorcincinalis ....Yep, get it...
L. Kaleidoscope ...Mine is good!
Hidden Cove ....I have it and I have to constantly dig it to get the solid green eye OUT!...I would pass...
Medusa ...It's a pretty small hosta.... I THINK it was okay with the slugs.....can't remember it being ate.

Good Luck with your picks!! Just have fun!!

[Lessadragon]

Here's my two cents worth:

Medusa - nice plant, but needs slug protection

Rascal - great plant...mine is still young, but I like it

Tokudama Flavorcincinalis - beautiful and not as slow growing as T. Aureonebulosa

Hidden Cove - don't have

Plantaginea - fast growing, beautiful flowers, needs sun

Allegan Fog - small plant for me, reminds me of undulata

Alligator Shoes - love this one, great bumply texture

Beckoning - really like this one too, but don't know growth rate as it's still fairly new to me

Blonde elf - nice mound, not very big

Christmas Pageant - don't grow t his one but would like to

Lakeside Dragonfly - must have plant, gorgeous!

" Ripples - don't grow this one either

' Kaleidoscope - really attractive plant for the first half of the year. Fast growth rate

" Surfrider - stunning shape, really like this one

Niagara Falls - beautiful plant, would replace this one in a heartbeat

Teeny Weeny Bikini - don't grow this one

Winter Lightning - really like this one, but it's high maintenance to keep it true; not sure on fertility

Wolverine - a must have!

I would definitely get Tidewater. This is one of my favourite plants!

What a great friend you have! Enjoy spending your gift certificate.

Lynn

[caliloo]

Medusa - I love this little one! Slugs didn't touch it in my garden, but I use slug bait regularly.


Tokudama Flavorcincinalis - moving very high on my wish list. I have heard it is glacierally slow, but worth the wait!

Plantaginea - Everyone should have this. It seems everyone except me can grow this. Mine is one puny suffering little eye that is barely hanging on

Beckoning - mine is second year for me and would have been quite the looker at this point, but the deer ate the only eye clean off to the ground level (it was 6 inches tall). It is trying to send up a second flush and looks a little feeble, but it is coming back.

Niagara Falls - New for me but if the photos I've seen don't lie - what a stunning hosta!

That is a very nice friend! I hope you enjoy the decision making - you really can't go wron with any of them IMHO.

[buff24]

I have to put my vote in for Rascal... Rascal was an impulse purchase in 2005, and now it is one of my FAVORITES!! Here's a pic taken a few days ago...

[poppi]

Here's a picture of Niagra Falls from late last year (October)...this year it's larger than last year. It's a winner in my opinion.

[thy]

I have

Tokudama Flavorcincinalis ... get it, plant it and look at it in 1012 or so.. it is so slow but worht the waiting tiime

Plantaginea, need sun.. hard to get to flower here, leaves look like the orher green fragrant hostas.. nice, but that's it

Alligator Shoes new from last year, good grower and going to be a beauty

Christmas Pageant .. Mike is right- get it.. it do take some years for the bumples to fill the entire leaf and the margings to get the mature with.. but like T F it is worth it

L. Kaleidoscope .. it have surprised me in the good way.. mature and lovely the 3. spring

L. Surfrider .. may be a new favorite of mine, unique colour and vase shaped.. You will not be disapointed

Niagara Falls .. beautiful

Winter Lightning, one of those hostas who look like the pic the first uýear, next year every leaves are different, half this, half that.. wonted it badly, but can´t recomend it

wolverine... beautiful- do not like to be moved around

Earth angel is a fast grower with the same mound as Blue Angel.. L. Surfrider will be an oher one for the spot ..I think

Pia

[Patrushka]

I asked Jasmine to help me illustrate the size of Niagara Falls. I love NF! I planted NF and Komodo Dragon too close together.

[eastwood2007]

Thanks everyone for all your input!!!! I didn't know anything about most of these hostas and your advice helped tremendously! The only problem is that now I want all of them...well almost all of them! For the time being though, I decided on Tidewater, plantaginea, Rascal, Niagara Falls, and....seems like there was one more? I was going to order Tokudama Flavocincinalis but Chris thought my area might get a little too warm in the summers. I'll try it after I get my new bed built where it can have lots more shade, John.

Again, thanks a million!