Hosta gardens/nurseries to visit

[LadyFeathers]

I am retiring mid April 2012 and have set aside an atlas to locate all the best places to see and visit when it comes to HOSTAS. I'm going to mark up this atlas with ONLY hosta locations for easy reference.

Please give me locations within the United States and Canada where we can see the best hosta gardens and reputable nurseries where we can purchase new varieties. We have about 65 different hostas now, but of course, that is not enough!
We live in South Dakota but visit Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina often. Being retired we plan to travel alot and have many other interest aside from hostas, but what a great treat it would be to be in an area and be able to see some fine hostas.

Thanks in advance. All recommendations for places to visit and explore are appreciated.

LadyFeathers

[Chris_W]

It sounds like a wonderful thing to do in your retirement, and I hope that people give you tons of suggestions to keep you busy

Of course I have to suggest that you try to plan a visit to see us here at Hallson Gardens. On the atlas we are in Southern Michigan, south of Jackson, between Cement City and Addison just north of the intersection of US-12 and US-127. Not too far from us in Tipton, MI is Hidden Lake Gardens which is a Michigan State University botanical garden with an official AHS hosta display garden, and it is a must for a hosta trip.

I'd also mention that Schmid's Nursery and Gardens is nearby, but it is for sale so I don't know the status of it for 2012.

Lots of great nurseries out there, and people can feel free to chime in with their favorites.

Have fun and be sure to keep us updated when you start to travel next summer

Chris

[isadora]

If you get near Springfield, Mo., check out Hilltop Farm at Ash Grove, Mo. http://www.hilltop-gardens.com/index.html
They have an extensive display garden that should not be missed!

Also be sure and see the hosta garden at the Botanical Center in Springfield. The Greater Ozarks Hosta Society has done a lot of work on it and it is wonderful! http://www.ozarksgardens.com/news/0/0/m ... enter.html

Then there is The Hosta Guy, Rob Mortko, at Made in the Shade in Kansas City. He has a nice display garden as well as hostas for sale.

[gesila9]

This will be an interesting thread for me. We just sold our ice cream store so that we can spend next summer traveling combining genalogy research with hosta hunting trips.

You MUST go to Wade & Gatton in Bellville, Ohio. There is a Sum & Sustance there that is over 9 feet wide. He has a display of over 3,000 hostas on rolling hills. Plan to spend at least a half a day there. Download his catalog before you go because you'll be overwhelmed by the massive amount of selections available. We're going back next year.

Hallsons is a must. He's only a couple of hours from us, so we've been there the last two years. Hallson's September sales are awesome. I filled up the back of our SUV with hostas and only spent $120

Here's what we have on our list for next year's travels so far:

Hornbacker's in Princeton, Illinois - check the dates, they have a special open house every year with a selection of hostas at a great price. http://www.hornbakergardens.com/events.asp
Cedar Hedge Gardens in Interlochen, Michigan (800 varieties to chose from with with 4 acres of display gardens). http://cedarhedgegarden.com
Cory's Wildflowers in Chillicothe - (we visited this summer and will return again). 500 varieties of hostas grown by Mr. Cory for over 60 years. All of his hostas are $10. http://coryshostagardens.com/
Hoot Owl Nursery, Athens, Ohio - They had an odd selection of hostas that you don't find many places. http://hootowlhollow.com/


We travel through Ohio three or four times each summer and found that most nurseries have their hostas at half price by mid-July.

Gesila

[redcrx]

Just a few for now:

Upon leaving Hallson Garden head south and east and find Lake Erie follow it.

near Cleveland OH - http://www.hostahomestead.com/about.php

and continuing east along Lake Erie - http://www.eaglebaygardens.com/

then continuing a lot further east - http://glenbrookplants.com/store/index. ... d9phesmjh5

Once you are that far you could head north into Canada and find
Budd Gardens -- http://www.buddgardens.com/

come back west and find Hosta Fever -- http://www.hostafever.com/

Come west and south to Niagara Falls.......

[Linda P]

If you get to Hornbakers, be sure to PM me and let me know! I'm only about an hour and a half away from there,
and you could come visit my garden too. I''ve not totalled up the number of hostas in my collection, but I think it's
probably over 800 by now, and I have no idea how many plants in total. If I started to count all the seedlings and multiples
it would be a ridiculous number.
There's an AHS display gardens at the Dubuque Arboretum in Dubuque, Iowa maintained by Dubuque Regiona Hosta Society,
and also the DeEtta Montgomery AHS display garden at VanderVeer Park in Davenport, Iowa, maintained by the Mississippi
Valley Hosta Society. I'm a member of both of those groups.

http://www.dubuquearboretum.com

http://www.cityofdavenportiowa.com/parks

There is also the Bickelhaupt Arboretum in Clinton, Iowa, just 12 miles or so from my house, that has a small hosta collection
and a marvleous conifer collection, among other things.

http://www.bick-arb.org/

Linda P

[ViolaAnn]

Definitely go to Hallson Gardens. Chris was most gracious to us when we visited even though I couldn't buy anything because I'm Canadian.

If you get to Ottawa, ON, be sure to visit Budd Gardens in Blackburn Hamlet (not their stall in the markets) and ask to visit Don Budd's personal hosta garden. It's spectacular. I'm 15 minutes away and you're welcome to visit, though I've only got a city lot. Not too far from me is a large hosta garden in Beechwood Cemetery and the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa also has a hosta garden. Of course, up the valley an hour is Sandy Hanson who occasionally frequents this list.

[gesila9]

Is there a one-way ban on taking plants across the US/Canadian border?

[ViolaAnn]

I think it's two-way. Need a phyto sanitary certificate.

[redcrx]

I actually tried to read the laws one time and my best guess is that you could bring them into the US if they are dormant.

I have gotten some mail-order from Fraser's Thimble Farm - not hosta but hardy orchids. They do carry hosta.
They are in British Columbia - http://www.thimblefarms.com/

[ViolaAnn]

And they definitely should be bare root.

[redcrx]

Just noticed that Kuks is near Cleveland Ohio.
http://www.gardensights.com/kuks/
Web page says to call for an appointment. I think it's close to hosthomestead nursury.

[steg]

Several nice suggestions for you. By far, Hallson's would be a must. Very nice to have Hidden Lake Gardens in that area as well.

Kuk's is one I have not been to yet, but only because we haven't gotten it worked out yet. We'll get there. Almost made it last year.

Cory's in Chillicothe is nice too. They have a couple outstanding magnolia trees so the spring would be a good time there. I'm not sure how much longer they'll keep the place going. If I recall right, he may have been unloading some inventory there last year.

Homestead was not open for tours last year and only did mail orders. It is worth the visit if you are up in that area, but I would definately call or email them ahead of time. I don't know what this year holds for them.

Good luck and have fun. Be sure to take lots of pictures and post when you can!

[ShortShadows]

Savory Gardens in Edina, MN(suburb of Minneapolis) is very interesting. Robert Savory has been hybridizing for 60 years.

[morgansrgr8]

I agree that Wade and Gattons is a definite place to visit. We have our clubs Hosta auction in August there. And Van loves showing his hosta garden. Two years in a row he has taken my mother and me on a ride around the place. I also like Kridlers Nursery in Homeworth. If you want to spend time in the area he has a cottage available beside a pond. And he lets you fish in it. A win win for me. lol There are a couple others in Ohio but cant recall off the top of my head at the moment. Still recovering from the flu.

[Minnow]

I will chime in for the North Carolina part of your travals!

Plant Delights in Garner, NC , just outside of Raleigh has a must see nursery & Juniper Level Botanical Gardens! http://www.Plantdelights.com
Just East of Raleigh in Chapel Hill is Green Hill Farm. http://www.hostahosta.com