2013 hostas in Ottawa

[ViolaAnn]

It's been a cool spring this year, with another set-back - a slight frost, tonight. But the hostas are coming slowly. I've lost 3 small ones, 2 of which were doing poorly last year, but the vast majority (of about 200 varieties) are accounted for, though many have not yet unfurled. Others are slow and difficult to find in the crocus and/or tulip foliage.

Here are some pics from May 11. I'll post a few tonight and finish tomorrow.

'Allegan Fog' - love the misty leaves of this plant

'Alligator Shoes' - not yet unfurled

'Allan P. McConnell' is hiding in the crocus foliage. I have more of this along my driveway which is fully unfurled.

'Aristocrat' - watching this carefully to see how much as turned fully blue. Each year I seem to have some solid blue.

'Avalanche'

[ViolaAnn]

I have 3 divisions of 'Baby Bunting'. This one is most fully unfurled. It's a great small blue hosta.

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'Brother Stefan' - now a few years old and doing well.

'Cherry Berry' is another hiding in crocus foliage.

'Chinese Sunrise' is a bright spot in the early spring garden.

I'm making 'Cracker Crumbs' into a border in one garden. This is just part of it. Need to do more dividing this year.

[ViolaAnn]

'Cutting Edge' is dramatic even before being unfurled with its spiky eyes. A leaf from this plant earned me a best in show award for foliage a year ago.

'Deja Blu' is coming slowly.

'Eleanor Lachman' was new July 2012 and seems to be coming back well.

'Fire Island' is nearly fluorescent yellow at this time of year.

'Fireworks' is a slow grower, but is coming.

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[Schattenfreude]

Very pretty, Ann! Which of yours seem to do best, i.e. need dividing the most often? Do you grow many in full sun?

I'm in the process of lifting quite a few, amending the soil some more, and setting them a bit higher in the hole this time around.

Kevin in KC

[Carol O]

Wonderful photos of your hosta coming back.

[kaylyred]

Looking good! 'Baby Bunting' is a cute one.

Mine are maybe only just slightly further along in unfurling. Slow season, but that's good. Despite warnings a couple nights ago, I've managed to avoid frost all season, and now we're looking at nice warm temps all week and right through our last frost date. It was nice not to have to worry about frost damage this year.

[ViolaAnn]

Kevin - I have very little full sun left in my garden though I do have a few which get more afternoon sun. I don't generally divide at all unless I'm trying to make a border, or I want divisions for a plant sale of the plant gets too large for the space available.

Karen - we were -1 (C) last night and could have a slight frost again this evening, but it's not cold enough to worry about. Am hoping that once we get through this cool spell it will warm up for good. Mostly, I brought my tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings in to shelter.

More pics -

'First Frost'

'Green Eyes' - very tiny and in a pot, but growing well. I also have 'Tiny Tears' in this pot and did have 'Masquerade' in the same pot, but after struggling last year, it didn't make it through the winter even though the pot was buried in the garden.

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One of a couple of divisions of 'Halcyon' which I have. Or we are pretty sure it's 'Halcyon'. One of my very early hostas and it's always been quite slow growing. Not very blue at this time of year, but once it shows blue it keeps it well into autumn.

'Hidden Cove' - quite a small hosta.

"Illicit Affair' - mostly not yet showing its seasonal colour. BTW, when I had a large plant sale 2 years ago, I divided up many of my hostas completely and replanted in groups of 3. It has the effect of making the clump look fuller sooner and also has the benefit that if I divide it in the future, I can lift only one small part of the plant.

[ViolaAnn]

'June' on the east side of my house. To be fair, the foundation wall is not insulated on the inside at this particular spot.

Another division of 'June' on the west side of my garage and also close to the neighbour's garage. Interesting how much earlier the first division is. BTW, this was a 1-eye division of the first plant, with no roots, about 4 years ago. It has done very well.

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'Korean Snow'

'Last Dance' is a bit slower and still hiding in foliage.

'Lemon Frost' is another that I'm dividing to make a border. Have a lot of this.

[ViolaAnn]

'Liberty' looks dramatic even before it's unfurled. This plant going on its 5th year, I think.

'Little Sunspot' has not yet developed the darker margin that it will have. I find it really interesting how many hostas change colour dramatically during the season.

'Lakeside Cranberry Relish' - this has proven to be very fertile, producing some seedlings with red legs.

'Lakeside Mom' - beginning to show its streaks. Again, about 5 years in the garden. It has not yet set seed for me but I keep hoping.

'Lakeside Reflecting Glass' was new in 2012 and seems to be doing very well. A streaked sport of 'Lakeside Looking Glass'

[ViolaAnn]

A seedling I've dubbed 'Lovely Leila' after one of my granddaughters. This is about 6 years old and gets darker in the leaf centre later in the season, though it retains some mistiness. Not sure of its parentage - might be 'June', but the markers got moved the first winter I had it. I divided this last autumn and will send the other division either to my daughter or to Leila's other grandparents.

'Marilyn Monroe' is looking frilly even before being fully unfurled.

'Moonstruck' looks gorgeous in the spring. But I've found this one to be a prissy prima donna. I DO have another division that I'm trying elsewhere in the garden, but I think its days may be numbered. Am hoping the new garden arbor will help reduce sunburn on this one.

'My Claire' - one I've had for a long time and which I think should be better known. I like this one a lot. Another that I fully divided 2 years ago and replanted in 3 groups.

'Orange Marmalade' was a gift in 2009; so it's not growing fast for me. Its proximity to a Linden tree may slow it down, but it is otherwise doing well.

[ViolaAnn]

'Paradise Island' now in its 3rd year in my garden and catching up to 'Fire Island'. Might have to look this one over carefully as some of it seems to be missing the narrow green margin.

'Paul's Glory' is a mature plant but a bit slower to emerge than some.

'Peppermint Ice' - mine shows rhizomatous tendencies though I've not found anyone who can back me up on this.

'Pixie Vamp' was new 2012 and is an enthusiastic small hosta which also set viable seed in its first year with me.

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'Rainbow's End' now in its 4th year, I think. Virtually slug proof.

[ViolaAnn]

'Raspberries and Cream' - this sport of 'Raspberry Sorbet' has a very subtle yellow margin with a touch of yellow streakiness as well. It will show better slightly later in the season.

'Red October' showing off her red legs. Very late blooming and will bloom for me only if we have a very long summer.

'Remember Me' took a long time to start growing but is now doing well. I love the bright yellow leaf centre upon emergence. It will fade to creamy white later.

'Revolution' - love the green flecks in the leaves of this 'Loyalist' sport.

'Salute' is a very nice upright blue.

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[ViolaAnn]

A 2008 seedling, I think from 'September Sun'. This is now fairly mature and obviously won't get overly large but it keeps its yellow colour well during the season. Haven't yet given it a name but I think it's a keeper.

'Sitting Pretty' was new to me in 2007. For 4 years it had just one eye and it's now on its 3rd year with 2 eyes. Pretty but very slow growing.

'Summer Breeze' is beginning to show the yellow margins that make it a bright spot in the garden.

'Surprised By Joy' is a very small hosta. Pretty but it will be decimated by slugs.

[ViolaAnn]

What's a hosta garden without 'Undulata Albomarginata'. I have 4 divisions of this old hosta, all around my Linden tree and all mired into tree roots; so they are there for the duration. They look great in early spring and maybe attract the slugs away from some of the other hostas later on.

'Warwick Curstey' is a fast-growing, dense mound. Mine was moved and divided up last autumn as I shifted things around for, I hope, a more complimentary colour arrangement. Still mostly hidden by crocus foliage.

'Wheee!' was new in 2012 and is doing well.

'White Christmas' I've had for quite a while and it seems to like the location SE at the base of my oak tree. Gets a bit of morning sun.

[stefan]

Ann you have many beautiful Hostas in your garden
My favorite is Rainbows End and Cutting Edge and Lakeside Reflecting Glass is fantastic

[Pieter]

Ann, there is nothing in 'Peppermint Ice's background to account for the seemingly rhizomatous behaviour. Ultimately only digging it up will tell the story.....is it posssibly mis-identified? BTW, is that "Twisting The Night Away" still around?

[ViolaAnn]

Pieter - if you look at the Hosta Library, http://www.hostalibrary.org/p/pep.html there are quite obviously two different plants named 'Peppermint Ice'. Chris's plant and mine look alike and like the one with the flower (and IMHO are much nicer than the other one, LOL). But mine has shown these tendencies for a few years with eyes popping up away from the central crown. And it has been discussed and nobody else seems to be seeing this in their plants.