Pic of the Day--Bright Lights

Hank Zumach · Post by **Hank Zumach** » Jun 03, 2007 11:33 am

Hi All--I really enjoy the Tokudamas. While they are slow growing, each year they seem more attractive than the year before. I purchased Bright Lights in 1995 and have enjoyed it more each year. It is described as a faster growing selection of Tokudama Aureonebulosa, which I also bought in 1995, but the two varieties grew at the same rate in our garden. Like all the Tokudamas, the slugs can't seem to deal with the great substance and so there is no damage. My Bright Lights' size averaged about 40x18, somewhat smaller than Zilis' listing of 52x19. That size difference may be due to the fact that my plant has been growing in a spot that gets very little direct sun.

Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... t%20Lights

MyHostas - http://myhostas.be/db/hostas/Bright+Lights

Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/b/brightlights.html

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Jun 03, 2007 12:04 pm

Very nice, Hank! I don't have a new pic of mine, but here's one from a couple years ago when it was still a youngster.

LisaO · Post by **LisaO** » Jun 03, 2007 2:00 pm

Oh you guys are making me jealous....mine has had a hard life and right now is 1 small leaf emerging from the ground

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Jun 03, 2007 2:19 pm

Yours is doin better than mine, Lisa.

I've lost 3 of them now.

2 in the same year... I'd accidentally ended up with 2 to replace the 1st one in 2004. The larger one was planted in the crab apple bed. I'm sure its disappearance was due to root competition - although everything around it appeared & was fine. But the smaller one in another bed was nowhere to be found the next spring either. Just like my 1st one.

I love the Tokudamas, but Flavocircinalis is the only one that has ever grown for me. Aureonebulosa is my favorite, but mine is still just a tiny tiny thing this year & I've had it since 2003.

Your Bright Lights is a beauty, Hank.

I admire anyone who can grow the Tokudamas.

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Jun 03, 2007 6:26 pm

This Hosta always reminds me of that Jimmy Reed song. Also, I can't resist a "I'll show mine, show me yours" challenge.

George

: Leaf1999-03-29.JPG (50.29 KiB) Viewed 4000 times

Patrushka · Post by **Patrushka** » Jun 03, 2007 8:56 pm

I love Bright Lights! Yours are all beauties.

I thought I lost mine. It shrunk down to nothing over the past few years. I was very surprised to see it this year. I think it even looks a little bigger. Don't be fooled by the pic. It's about 7 inches across at the widest point.

HostaDesigner · Post by **HostaDesigner** » Jun 03, 2007 9:36 pm

BL has always been high on my "love-it" list.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Jun 03, 2007 10:47 pm

Bright Lights! (Insert sobbing and wailing!) I can't seem to grow this one or Tok Aureo or Blue Shadows.
My Bright Lights was a goner last year, a no-show. This spring I was surprised to see 5 tiny little leaves emerge. I don't know if it will live, but it's trying. I did manage to keep one Tok Aureo alive for 3 years now. I've killed 5 of them so far.
Hank, your Bright Lights is wonderful!
Linda P

jgh · Post by **jgh** » Jun 03, 2007 11:05 pm

I've been growing hostas and drinking wine for a couple of decades. Now, when I talk with someone who is just learning to enjoy wine, I encourage them to buy some good juicy fruit-forward wines for $6 or so a bottle and enjoy them on a regular basis. I also encourage them to buy about a dozen bottles of good $15-20 bottles of recent vintage and put them into good storage. My reasoning... after they've been enjoying wine for 10 or 15 years, their palate will have improved enough to enjoy a really fine wine... and those aged bottles will now be $100 bottles of wine. Their ability to appreciate the wine will mature as the wine does.

I give similar advice to beginning hosta people. I encourage them to grow some fun, inexpensive, fast growing hostas that will give them a lot of immediate enjoyment. I also encourage them to put in some tokudamas. Though the tok.s won't be a lot to look at right away, eventually their amazing quality and refinement will make them centerpieces in the garden.

I've got two Bright Lights that I started from tc... I think about 1995. They are in different light conditions, so there is some difference in coloration - but I love them both. One of them greets people at the main entrance to our gardens.

: oh, what the heck... one more... Bright Lights with its companion, the reversed tokudama Flavocircinalis

chickweedo · Post by **chickweedo** » Jun 03, 2007 11:11 pm

beautiful! - I have a T.flavorcinalis and it is pretty but sloooow. Kinda like me....

jgh · Post by **jgh** » Jun 03, 2007 11:26 pm

then again, could be worse... ugly and slow... like me

My gardens are grown to draw attention away from the gardener...

I_Dig_it · Post by **I_Dig_it** » Jun 04, 2007 12:17 am

I just got Bright Lights this year.

Hope it grows up to look as good as the others on here.

Janet

Pieter · Post by **Pieter** » Jun 04, 2007 2:28 am

Last year I obtained some bare roots that ultimately were considered to be 'Bright Lights'. I have several of them and they were spread around the yard in #1 pots, some of which were in a lot more direct sunlight than others. This one here saw a fair bit of direct sunlight and I thought it was interesting to see a variegated Hosta that was almost yellow and glaucous. Late August '06 for this picture I put the container beside the June I have just to show how different glaucous Hostas can look. As an aside, this June has parts that are exposed to a lot more direct sun than others, this being the back part is mostly in shade and doesn't quite colour up the way the front part of the plant does.

: Bright Lights and June; P8230131.jpg (38.3 KiB) Viewed 3898 times

baja220 · Post by **baja220** » Jun 04, 2007 7:22 am

I so hope my Bright Lights comes outta being set back by the freeze. Not lookin too good right now, but it's not dead I only got it last year so wasn't very big anyway.

Beautiful pics Hosta Lovers!!!

Debbie

tsneal · Post by **tsneal** » Jun 04, 2007 12:17 pm

Great pictures!! Here's mine....

Stephanie

: Bright Lights & El Nino

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Jun 04, 2007 1:01 pm

Stephanie - your Bright Lights & El Nino combination is amazing!!

Very nice!!

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Jun 05, 2007 10:45 am

Finally got around to dealing with some pics.

Here's BL this year, in a grouping with another recent POTD, Kabitan. (also here is Honeysong; think of an "improved" Wide Brim)

Also shown below is On the Edge, a green-edged sport of Aspen Gold, which is a large gold Tokudama-type (in contrast to Little Aurora, a small gold Tokudama-type). OTE (hate the name, as internet searches for it are impossible) is growing really well for us. I need to submit this pic to the HostaLibrary. I would imagine that means it's much faster than Tokudama Aureo-nebulosa, which it resembles (but is even more puckered, much more so than Bright Lights, which is less puckered than Tok A-N).

Hallson Gardens

Pic of the Day--Bright Lights

Pic of the Day--Bright Lights

"Bright Lights, big city, gone to my baby's head."