Your favorite type of plants or characteristics?

[Chris_W]

I was walking around and admiring lots of the new plants last night, and noticed that I am attracted to certain plant types over others, and was wondering what some of your favorites are too?

The ones that catch my eye more and more are those with smooth, shiny leaves. I always stop to check out plants like Jaz, Lederhosen, and Lullabye, even Queen Josephine and Invincible. Not sure what it is about these, but I've been thinking I would love to see more shiny, thick but smooth leaved plants, especially yellows.

I'm also attracted to plants with rather subtle variegation patterns like Robin Hood, tokudama Aureonebulosa, Guardian Angel, or Dust Devil.

The ones I'm really getting tired of are the white centered ones that melt out by the end of the summer, but last night was marveling at Ann Kulpa and Fantasy Island for still looking really good. Even Loyalist has held up well for me this year. Dancing in the Rain looks awful, as usual, probably the worst of my white centered plants...

So what are some of your favorite types of hostas these days?

I'm heading out with the camera soon to get pictures of some of these and I'll add them later

[Hostahaveum]

Mine still all look pretty good here in NJ, except Pineapple UPSD Cake looks ratty for some reason. I find myself really giving the wavy
blues an extra long look, as I do my morning garden walk. Ones like Neptune & Winfield Blue really held there color great this year & I love the shape. Q. Josephine , Valerie's Vanity & Second Wind look great after a rain all shiny & new. I am really into more of the solid colors this year too. Funny how tastes change from year to year.

[loisf]

I really like montana and its many progeny: montana Aureomarginata, Mountain Snow, On Stage, Yellow River, Silk Kimono. The leaves are so graceful.

[Roxanne]

Piecrusted very ruffled Hostas always get me. Also cupped heavy-substanced plants beg for my attention. Doesn't matter if they are big or small, or even variegated.

I hate to say it, because so many people are "into" it.....I really don't care about red petioles.

I like oddities too.....like "quill" and 'Praying Hands" or "Winter Lightning" for whatever reasons.

Who am I kidding.....I can find a reason why I like most any Hosta, if it preforms well.

[Chris_W]

Those big architectural plants really are nice too, aren't they. Takes a while to really get them to the point where you can appreciate them, but worth it. Nothing else quite compares to a full grown montana Aureomarginata

I know what you mean, Roxanne, the red petiole plants don't do much for me either - nor for the majority of my customers and visitores. Give those plants some nice flowers, though, and that changes things, but then I'm buying that particular plant because of the blooms and not the petioles.

And I think ruffles are nice too, sometimes overrated, so again it has to have something along with it to really catch my attention, like American Icon and Journey's End which have great color AND great ruffles, or just a great architectural presence, like Niagara Falls or Lakeside Ripples

[scootersbear]

The bigger the hosta the better. These are always the 1's people point out in my garden first.

Red legs means posibility of red seed pods which I like the looks of red seed pods (compared to the normal green)
I like green hostas where the flower stem is red. Just gives a color variation MHO

[Linda P]

Who am I kidding.....I can find a reason why I like most any Hosta, if it preforms well.

That about sums it up for me, too!
I seem to love the huge ones, deep viened or corrugated, and the wavy or piecrusted plants the most right now. Niagara Falls is recovering from a near-death experience, and is stunning this year. Elatior, while not wavy or piecrusted, refuses to be ignored. Gold Regal, nigrescens, Jade Cascade, Ultramarine, Big John, Komodo Dragon, Gunsmoke, Summer Warrior, all stop me in my tracks every time I walk around the garden. Lime Piecrust, Glory, Love Pat, Reptilian, Sea Yellow Sunrise, Jimmy Crack Corn, Sun Power, Grand Canyon. Are you noticing a theme here? Solid colors, all of them! I have some very nice solid-color Lime Piecrust seedlings that really came into their own in their 6th year. The white-backed ones are taking my eye more and more...Azure Snow, Lemon Meringue, Marilyn Monroe, and High Kicker...that one is really gorgeous!!!
But then ,Satisfaction and Bobby Sue and Mt Tom catch my eye, not to mention that Kiwi Full Monty, Abba Dabba Do, Frosted Jade, Leading Lady and Antioch have all been spectacular right through the summer.
Good flowers are a plus, and I, too, like the red seed pods. Raspberry Sorbet has some of the best flowers I've seen. Lily Pad is in bloom right now, and the combination of those spidery yingeri-type flowers along with the mirror-like foliage keeps me coming back for more. My plantaginea Aphrodite bloomed for the first time in the 8 years I've had it, and I have to go out a few times a day to look at that.
I do have a few white-centered ones that have been outstanding this year, namely Cascades and Moonstruck. Cascades is looking a little ratty right now, mostly because half of the tree that shades that bed was lost in the ice storms last winter. It held up well past anything else in that location, though.
I haven't even mentioned Liberty, Lakeside Shoremaster, Unchained Melody, Victory, Don Stevens, and a host of others all looking wonderful.
So, how can I tell which kind I'm drawn to the most?
Yep, any hosta that performs well.
Linda P

[Chris_W]

Took a few pictures this morning to add here

Raspberry Sorbet does have some of the best flowers. I would love to see these flowers over yellow leaves!

Here is another nice one in flower, with nice smooth, shiny blue leaves - Blue Haired Lady. You can really see the H. yingeri influences.

Here is one of the subtle plants I like - Dance with Me.

hosta_dance_with_me.jpg (26.83 KiB) Viewed 1964 times

And finally one of the great looking white centered plants I mentioned - Hosta 'Ann Kulpa'

hosta_ann_kulpa.jpg (33.71 KiB) Viewed 1964 times

I was surprised by another mention Cascades was looking good, so I checked on mine and the leaves really don't look that bad. Only problem I've had is that it has never really grown. The same has been the case with Sea Thunder for me. Not bad, just doesn't grow that much. But the tetraploid Sea Thunder, American Sweetheart, is terrific. Maybe someone could create a tet Cascades. I bet it would be great

Chris

P.S. - Quick forum note: Just wanted to mention, the attachments above were uploaded from my computer to the forum and then they were placed inline (there is a button below the attachment when you are posted that says "Place inline"). Raspberry Sorbet and Blue Haired Lady were scaled down by the forum to fit nicely, but can be clicked to make them larger. Up to 5 images can be attached (and placed inline if you want) and the maximum file size is now150kb. Hope that helps

[Ginger]

I find myself attracted to the yellows. I love my Winfield Gold.I also really like the yellow of Fire Island when the leaves are new. I also really like the ones with nice thick leathery leaves. I love the feel .

Chris, I think a yellow with thick leaves and those great flowers from Raspberry Sorbet be a knockout

Ginger

[Carol W]

Chris your Raspberry Sorbet looks like there is some streaking going on a few of those leaves? Or is it just the way the light hit them? You sent me a bonus of Raspberry Sorbet this spring and I must say I love this one. It demands attention, you can't help to draw your eyes to it! Always looks great and now with it flowering all I can say it wow!

Out of the rest of the hostas here one that grabs attention are Krossa Regal still a rich blue-gray and no leaf damage. Then there is September Sun, it brighten up that bed at this time of the year, I think it's by far the prettiest August Moon sport! One of my favorites Thunderbolt is still looking good holding the blue color.

I've noticed that over the years I've been drawn to yellow centered or margin more. The last couple of years as they have matured they or most started looking all alike and getting boring! So it's I've mature I added more blues, dark green and yellow solids. But streaker and red stems have also been added, too! Makes the garden so much more interesting now!

[jobranch]

I have been experimenting with anything that is different this year. I got Raspberry Sorbet from Chris and can't wait until I see it bloom. I got Blue Betty Lou, but it is extremely upright and sort of odd looking - will wait until next year to see how it looks. I have been trying to add more blue and gold hostas this year too. I got Princess Anastasia, Dragon Tails, Beckoning and Yesterday's Memories from Chris - all gold/apple green. Love the Princess Anastasia (photo below) - it has a little leaf burn on it. I also have been looking at solid green hostas or anything that has a piecrust. Basically anything but the basic green and white varigated hosta. Also got Stained Glass which is pretty sharp looking...

Princess Anastasia

[Chris_W]

Chris your Raspberry Sorbet looks like there is some streaking going on a few of those leaves?

Good eye Carol. I was wondering if anyone would notice that This particular Raspberry Sorbet has quite a bit of streaking on several eyes that is very white from spring to fall. My hope is that one day I'll get some white variegated sports or seedlings out of it, but RS doesn't set much seed, probably because it blooms so late. Some day I'll try to work with it though

[Kent]

I'm attracted to intense yellow hostas, piecrusting and really odd shaped leaves.

Kent

[thy]

The huge ones, vaseshaped- think i never get tired of them, piecrust and bumples and .... blue is still my favorite color. I am more and more into solid colored hostas, but then there are some edged ones I would replace in a split second if i lost it

And substance is a must, they have too look good most of the summer

[ViolaAnn]

I have Raspberries and Cream which is, I believe, a Raspberry Sorbet sport - with sort of streaky green leaves. New to me this year and it hasn't bloomed YET. Might still, if it's a late bloomer. Chris, do you know if its flowers are similar?

Ann

Raspberries and Cream

[Chris_W]

Hi Ann,

Yes, Raspberries and Cream will have the exact same blooms. Mine are going gangbusters now, so hopefully yours will soon too.

I have Raspberries and Cream too and the margin is so faint that you almost don't notice it. Shows up nice in your picture though

[flowerchild59]

I love the pointy, wavy edges, like sea octopus, purple lady fingers, laevigata, gracillmilla, etc. I am really attracted to hostas like clausa, and other species hostas like yingeri, rupifragra, alsimifolia, amagi nishiki., etc/
I guess that's why atom smasher really blasted me to the moon.

[Primroselane]

We got almost an inch of rain on Monday evening and my Hostas are looking very good today. The Lakeside San Kao is so beautiful along with Summer Joy, Niagra Falls and Bobbie Sue. Potomac Pride is looking better and better each year. My Raspberry Sorbet never gets a chance to grow, with deer or bunnies eating it, maybe next year now that all the deer in our area are dying from a virus they think. Very Strange is seems they are finding them dying along the Clinton River near our place.

[nanny_56]

When I was rearranging stuff earlier this year I came to notice that I have a lot of hostas with yellow or ones that are a blue/green combo. I like plants with a piecrust and I like heavily corrugated foliage. I LOVE the giants but just don't have a space right now for one!

[Primroselane]

Three more looking great today with this rain, City Lights (Yellow) Tidewater (light shade of green) and Frosted Jade ( green with white edges).
My Hostas are doing great for this time of year. They love the rain. I am so excited.