Hosta Gardening Peeves

Roxanne · Post by **Roxanne** » Mar 12, 2007 12:22 am

I thought I might start a post about what bugs us......what are your pet peeves??

I have many.....

The first is people wanting a "piece of that one"
I just wanna say "sure, give me a shovel, I'lll totally destroy this grouping that has been here 7 years to give you a piece of that plant" lol

Another is people that come here and proclaim "We have that one!!"

Well, maybe they do, but in most cases, they aren't comparing apples to oranges....they are comparing undulata to Thunderbolt!

Who wants to elaborate or share peeves??

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 12, 2007 8:14 am

Hands down; no contest! The commercial gardening industry/governmental agencies total disregard for our Hosta nematode problem.

The regulatory agencies banned all the effective products, and the industry cares far more about one blade of grass that turns brown in a lawn than about foliar nematodes.

George

Wanda · Post by **Wanda** » Mar 12, 2007 8:31 am

The only thing that makes me really peevish is having to put up hundreds of hoops and acres of plastic to keep these “hardy” plants from being damaged by frosts/freezes. A couple hours of covering them most nights then a couple hours uncovering them early each morn...from late April often into the second week of June...gets tedious pretty quickly. I really hate how ratty they can look once frost-blasted and hate for them to be set back by losing their first (or second, or third) flush of eyes, so I do cover/uncover when temps near 30 degrees...but I truly don’t enjoy it (hehe). Would much rather spend the time weeding, dividing, rearranging or building new beds!

wanda

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 12, 2007 8:32 am

What about the so-called experts at garden centers that say, "Well, it is a virus that causes all variegation in hostas. Without that they would all be a solid color." I have had two different managers at reputable garden centers tell me that....

Not buying any hostas there!

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Mar 12, 2007 9:42 am

eastwood2007 wrote:What about the so-called experts at garden centers that say, "Well, it is a virus that causes all variegation in hostas. Without that they would all be a solid color."

Charla!

That is really scary! I wonder where they got their expert degree?
George, I had never looked at it that way, but you're right. You can dump about any kind of junk on your grass in order to make sure that you could mistake the lawn for a large velvet carpet, or on some little bug that's causing brown spots.
My pet hosta gardening peeve? Other than the "I'd like a piece of that the next time you thin (that word and the action it implies are probably my biggest one) your hostas" and "Oh, I have that one" it's that there are so many hostas and so little $$$$.
Linda P

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 12, 2007 9:51 am

Yeah! I agree, Linda.

So many hostas, so little $$$$, and time....and then I discovered Heuchera. Oh, my!

And, yes, I had two different managers, that had been at these two separate, unrelated, garden centers for years, tell me the same thing about the virus. Another place, very reputable, that I just love, was selling "Striptease" with HVX. When I returned the one I bought, they made a big fuss, like they were really concerned and pulled a few of the shelf, and did the same thing on future visits, when I brought it to their attention, then when I left, put them back on the shelves.

What to do?

JoshS · Post by **JoshS** » Mar 12, 2007 11:21 am

Roxanne wrote:"We have that one!!"

Yup, I hear that a lot!

viktoria · Post by **viktoria** » Mar 12, 2007 11:52 am

I frequently speak to garden clubs, at garden shows etc., and I wish I had a dollar for every person who asks me what to do about slugs and deer. To whatever I suggest they say: "Oh, I cannot/don't want to do that!" Not allowed by zoning (fence), too costly (fence again), unsightly, too much work...

So why ask me?

HostaDesigner · Post by **HostaDesigner** » Mar 12, 2007 1:01 pm

The impression that hostas are only shade plants...

People plant them in the deepest, darkest most neglected part of the yard and expect specimen plants. Needless to say, it results in..."I don't like hostas. They don't grow for me."

Patrushka · Post by **Patrushka** » Mar 12, 2007 1:18 pm

Neighbors who let their dog run loose and through my hosta beds.
I have my own dogs. If I wanted my hostas trampled on I would let them do it.

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Mar 12, 2007 1:47 pm

You guys could elimanate a lot of your pet peeves by only associating with other hosta gardeners.

Works for me!!

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 12, 2007 2:03 pm

Reldon, you didn't read my peeve. No one else will associate with me because of my constant carping about nematodes. (Except bridge players, of course.)

George

barbara · Post by **barbara** » Mar 12, 2007 2:10 pm

My pet peeve is George always going on about nematodes!

KIDDING!

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Mar 12, 2007 2:20 pm

I did read it, George - but I was trying not to associate with you because of your nematode infestation.

LOL

Sorry - I couldn't resist...

Thankfully I don't have the problem & I hope I never do.

Pieter · Post by **Pieter** » Mar 12, 2007 3:35 pm

Just a minor one: "Don't you have enough Hostas, dear?"

putnamgardens · Post by **putnamgardens** » Mar 12, 2007 9:42 pm

I hear "don't buy more hosta's" allot. I say.....Honey, I'm just spending my cigarette money. Besides....when you're pushing up daisy's, my hostas will still be here.

Can't think of a NEW pet peeve. Let me think on that one. Later, Love, Lisa

Becky in TN · Post by **Becky in TN** » Mar 12, 2007 11:50 pm

Besides "I would like a start of that hosta" my pet peeve is battling tree roots. I now have two beds that have root invasion. Really must dig most of the hostas in those beds this year. Am thinking of having 9 pine trees cut down in one area so at least after I dig and amend the soil perhaps I can go for years without redoing that large bed!!!

Then ... there was the winter a couple of year ago I had voles and lots of damage. Still haven't treplaced some of the lost hostas from that costly experience.

Becky in TN

doublemom2 · Post by **doublemom2** » Mar 13, 2007 2:14 am

My pet peeve is that I don't have enough room for all of my babies (not to mention my current epimedium and arisaema and heuchera and trillium addiction!). Any time I conveniently manage to kill or remove some of the lawn, my DH doesn't like it.

Oh, well, my babies have to live somewhere, right, and lawn is a baaaaaaad monoculture, right?

Another HUGE pet peeve is the nurseries who are totally illiterate about HVX and don't care when you mention to them that they are selling virused plants. A very large, reputable garden center told me a few years ago that the hostas were SUPPOSED to look like that, and that I didn't know what I was talking about and maybe I should leave? Yeah, right, never been back and I've made sure everyone I know of doesn't go back there either. Word of mouth is a very powerful thing

Andi

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 13, 2007 7:38 am

Andi, isn't there a local TV or radio garden show to whom you could tell your story about the ignorent garden center. That might just fix their wagon.

George

John · Post by **John** » Mar 13, 2007 10:36 am

Pretty hard to come up with a "peeve"... if I had to, though... 'round about August there are always a few hostas that start to show some yellowing leaves that must be removed, more and more frequently, while others stay presentable months later.

Peeve-lessness is probably one reason hosta gardening is so popular.

Hallson Gardens

Hosta Gardening Peeves

Hosta Gardening Peeves

Pet peeves

Re: Hosta Gardening Peeves

Whom we associate with?

Bad garden centers