Pic of the Day--Guardian Angel

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Hank Zumach
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Joined: Oct 11, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Stoddard, WI

Pic of the Day--Guardian Angel

Post by Hank Zumach »

Hi All--From time to time we have had discussions about how climate affects the size of many hosta varieties but there haven't been many comments about how climate affects the appearance. Guardian Angel apparently is a variety that shows different variegation effects in warmer vs. cooler climates. In warmer conditions its center variegation apparently fades out by mid summer. Here in my zone 4B/5A the plant keeps its light colored center throughout much of the season. That is nice because Guardian Angel is a very attractive plant in our garden and it would lose some of its appeal without the striking variegation pattern. The plant in our Friendship Garden is off to a bit of a slow growth start, going from 18x7 in 2006 to 16x9 this summer. That leaves it a several years away from a listed mature size of 36x24.

Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... an%20Angel

MyHostas - http://www.myhostas.be/db/hostas/Guardian+Angel

Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/g/guardian.html
Guardian Angel friendship garden 6-25-07c 037.jpg
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
nanny_56
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USDA Zone: 5b
Location: Putnam County, Indiana Lat. 39* 45' 54.2892" Long. -86* 41' 55.9284''

Post by nanny_56 »

That is a very attractive looking plant. I may have to consider that one!! Thanks Hank! :P
Claudia
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest" - John Muir
Carol W
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Joined: Aug 26, 2007 10:52 pm
USDA Zone: 4-5
Location: Zone 4-5 Northern, IL

Post by Carol W »

I picked one up this fall from a warmer zone, it's was greened out and it's great to know that I live in the same zone as you that it should keep it's color most of the season!
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thy
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Joined: Sep 23, 2002 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 7
Location: Denmark - 7B/8A Lat. 55,23

Post by thy »

It is just so beautiful :D

I have 2, no! do not have space for them, but after I got one from Chris I was so scared to loose it.. I got one from Holland as soon as possible.

Lots of people have told me they wanted it... I have to cut down the numbers... but one of them was my son :wink:
No doubts, he get it

It is a slow starter, but here it is beautiful all summer :wink:
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
E-mail for pics hostapics@gmail.com
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Nathalie23
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Joined: Feb 17, 2006 10:08 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada (zone 4) 46 25'/-72 35'

Post by Nathalie23 »

I'm glad that your Guardian Angel is doing well in your Friendship garden. I hope it will do his job of protecting this garden too...
Nathalie

I usually speak french so sorry for my mistakes in english
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Linda P
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Joined: Oct 15, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: N W Illinois, zone 5

Post by Linda P »

Mine lost some of the summer color this year, especially once we hit those hot days in August. Even though it's not as spectacular when it greens up, it's still a beautiful plant. DD has one, actually I believe it's a piece of mine, that stays brightly colored far longer than mine. She lives just 4 miles from me, so I'm guessing that a few other factors might also affect the color. Light? Soil? Any little microclimate might do it.
Linda P
Guardian Angel unfurling May 20 07.JPG
Guardian Angel unfurling May 20 07.JPG (49.57 KiB) Viewed 5948 times
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
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eastwood2007
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Joined: Jan 25, 2007 12:51 pm
Location: kansas, usa zone 5b

Post by eastwood2007 »

wow... :o
Charla
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Mary Ann
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Post by Mary Ann »

Nice color patterns on that one, Hank.

Mine is growing differently than yours, Linda. It's growing in PM sun in a large sunken container. . . .and lost the coloring early summer.
GuardianAngel.jpg
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kHT
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Joined: Oct 31, 2001 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 7-8 Z-nial
Location: PNW, some where over the rainbow?

Post by kHT »

Oh how pretty, can't wait to see ours next year! Thanks for sharing this one.
karma 'Happy Toes' (kHT)
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I'm just a simple housewife.
loisf
Posts: 100
Joined: Nov 13, 2007 6:54 pm
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Post by loisf »

Linda P and Mary Ann, what fantastic Guardian Angels. Mine just finished its second year with me, and it looked more like Hank's in size. What fun to see full-grown beauties. Mine is planted to get morning sun here in Zone 4, and it held its color well until late in the year. Thanks to all for the great photos.
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thy
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Location: Denmark - 7B/8A Lat. 55,23

Post by thy »

Hej and welcome to the forums :D

I think you will get a pleasant surprise next year, it will start growing for real.

Pia
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
E-mail for pics hostapics@gmail.com
loisf
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Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Post by loisf »

Pia, thanks for your welcome. And it's wonderful to hear that next year should show good growth. My hosta collection started in 2006 with about 40 varieties. I added another 45 this year. Some of the plants were quite well-developed, but many were only one or two divisions. I am quite excited about 2008. As I learned which varieties needed more or less sun, I have moved them about a bit, so that may slow some of them down. In the long run, I think they will do better for it though.

Thanksgiving Day is next week in the US. I am thankful for a new friend in Denmark. Lois
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thy
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USDA Zone: 7
Location: Denmark - 7B/8A Lat. 55,23

Post by thy »

A start with 40 hostas and adding 45 the next year :D

Do you have a lot of space :-? I hope so, just wait and see Hanks pics, other pics and the hosta swap, you wil need space :lol:

Thanks :D It is so nice to have friends in US and they are allowed to laugh when my typing is just ........special :wink:

Pia
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
E-mail for pics hostapics@gmail.com
loisf
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Joined: Nov 13, 2007 6:54 pm
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Post by loisf »

Pia, your typing is so much better than mine would be in Danish, or any other language, for that matter. I guess I do have a lot of space by some standards. Our lot is about 100' by 200', about 30 by 60 meters. Much of it is a really steep slope where trees and brush grow. I have taken all available space for hosta. Next I will have to dig up the grass area. I have a shady area where grass is hard to grow. That might be next. Lois
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thy
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Location: Denmark - 7B/8A Lat. 55,23

Post by thy »

:lol: Sometimes I am too sleepy or to fast or... just :lol:

3 times my space... with a mix of size it will be 500 and you still have a patio a bit of grass and 2 compost bins :wink:

Take care of this topic... you will need more hostas :wink:
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
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Linda P
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Joined: Oct 15, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: N W Illinois, zone 5

Post by Linda P »

Thanks, Lois, and welcome to Hallsons. I had less than 100 hostas when I started hanging around with these people, and this year I passed 550. It's all their fault. :lol:
Linda P
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
Algernon Charles Swinburne

Latitude: 41° 51' 12.1572"


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Spider
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USDA Zone: 9A
Location: Tampa, FL

Post by Spider »

:lol: I can picture that! :lol:
Spider's Hosta List There are photos there too :)

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Willowy
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Location: Zone 6a Newburyport, MA

Post by Willowy »

What beautiful large clumps of Guardian Angel. Mine saw nice growth from year one to year two. Hopefully I won't have to waite too long for magnificant speciments like those. I am in zone 6a and my GA also had great color all season long!
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irawon
Posts: 129
Joined: Oct 02, 2010 1:34 pm
USDA Zone: 5b
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Pic of the Day--Guardian Angel

Post by irawon »

Another picture of an immature GA. Only planted last summer. Can't wait till it fills in like some of the above. Hoping it will be nicely proportioned and that my photography skills improve.
June 16,2012
June 16,2012
FreakyCola
Posts: 1397
Joined: Feb 20, 2002 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 5
Location: Indiana

Re: Pic of the Day--Guardian Angel

Post by FreakyCola »

My Guardian Angel has the same coloring as Hanks all season long, and is probably 4 feet wide. It is the most beautiful hosta I have so I bought a second 1 to plant someplace else. I had read about it fading and mine never did so I wondered about that. I just assumed it was happy now because I had moved it from another space where it wasn't happy. I thought it was showing its appreciation! :D
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