Not Pic of the Day 5-28-08 'Sweet Tater Pie'
Moderators: ViolaAnn, redcrx, Chris_W
Not Pic of the Day 5-28-08 'Sweet Tater Pie'
Those of you who have been around the hosta world for a while know that in addition to having a tendency toward the newest-coolest-rarest (rather than, sometimes, the best) we also go through phases, crazes, and fads.
Some of these are significant
- the changeover from field-grown divisions and a 10-year investment before releasing a new cultivar to the wham-bam-thankyoumam world of tissue culture. -the changeover from deciding which of the 40 or so available varieties to use in a particular spot to the "which of the 5000 will I decide to grow" world of hostas.
Others were less so.
- who still has BAP-10 on their garden chemical shelf? (BAP 10 can force some plant to develop rapidly... in hostas, it would make some varieties develop more eyes, "awakening" dormant eyes. Of course, in most cases, this really turned out to function like the national budget, spending next year's revenue this year. But I've got an expensive reminder of the craze on my shelf...
so... in the late 80s H. yingeri was discovered. As you know, the small y means that yingeri is a species, a plant that occurs naturally "in the wild." In brief, it has roundish shiny leaves, a smallish clump, and its most distinctive quality is probably its narrow-petaled purple flowers. (They kind of remind me of the difference between a regular daylily bloom and a spider daylily.)
For a while, yingeri was all the rage. Everybody had to have one. I'm sure lots of folks here have one somewhere in their garden. Nice plant - but nothing too special except when it flowers and you can show it off.
But the introduction to the market of a new-found species has its biggest effect through breeding. Yingeri got crossed with everything imaginable.
(scenario - yingeri as a fresh-faced contestant on American Idol, makes a big splash, then gets thrown into the dog-eat-dog of competitive hostadom, runs with the current brat-pack of star-du jours, having sex with a different hosta every night... then finds itself sitting in the dark, scotch in one hand, cigarette in the other hand, asking "is that all there is??")
Often the shininess of the leaves and the spidery flowers were traits yingeri passed on the the offspring. Which brings us to today's NPOTD.
'Sweet Tater Pie' is the result of crossing 'Golden Scepter', the all gold sport of 'Golden Tiara', with 'yingeri'. It's a Tony Avent release, which you might have guessed from the quirky, and very Southern, name. Though it turns green by midsummer, in the spring SWP is a really bright spot in the garden. Though it fits well with a food-themed bed, you don't hear a lot about STP these days.
Hosta Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... ater%20Pie
MyHostas - http://myhostas.be/db/hostas/Sweet+Tater+Pie
Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/s/sweettp.html
When Matt (Gibbscorner) visited last week, he was drawn to it... as often happens, a new set of eyes helps us see something in our garden afresh that we have just grown accustomed to.
Frankly, STP doesn't photograph well, which is why I went into all the background detail.
first, in its setting with another bright spring plant, 'Orange Marmalade' and following counter-clockwise, 'Fujibotan' (small green), 'Lakeside Prissy Miss', and 'Aardvark'... and second, a poor attempt to capture the character of STP
Some of these are significant
- the changeover from field-grown divisions and a 10-year investment before releasing a new cultivar to the wham-bam-thankyoumam world of tissue culture. -the changeover from deciding which of the 40 or so available varieties to use in a particular spot to the "which of the 5000 will I decide to grow" world of hostas.
Others were less so.
- who still has BAP-10 on their garden chemical shelf? (BAP 10 can force some plant to develop rapidly... in hostas, it would make some varieties develop more eyes, "awakening" dormant eyes. Of course, in most cases, this really turned out to function like the national budget, spending next year's revenue this year. But I've got an expensive reminder of the craze on my shelf...
so... in the late 80s H. yingeri was discovered. As you know, the small y means that yingeri is a species, a plant that occurs naturally "in the wild." In brief, it has roundish shiny leaves, a smallish clump, and its most distinctive quality is probably its narrow-petaled purple flowers. (They kind of remind me of the difference between a regular daylily bloom and a spider daylily.)
For a while, yingeri was all the rage. Everybody had to have one. I'm sure lots of folks here have one somewhere in their garden. Nice plant - but nothing too special except when it flowers and you can show it off.
But the introduction to the market of a new-found species has its biggest effect through breeding. Yingeri got crossed with everything imaginable.
(scenario - yingeri as a fresh-faced contestant on American Idol, makes a big splash, then gets thrown into the dog-eat-dog of competitive hostadom, runs with the current brat-pack of star-du jours, having sex with a different hosta every night... then finds itself sitting in the dark, scotch in one hand, cigarette in the other hand, asking "is that all there is??")
Often the shininess of the leaves and the spidery flowers were traits yingeri passed on the the offspring. Which brings us to today's NPOTD.
'Sweet Tater Pie' is the result of crossing 'Golden Scepter', the all gold sport of 'Golden Tiara', with 'yingeri'. It's a Tony Avent release, which you might have guessed from the quirky, and very Southern, name. Though it turns green by midsummer, in the spring SWP is a really bright spot in the garden. Though it fits well with a food-themed bed, you don't hear a lot about STP these days.
Hosta Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... ater%20Pie
MyHostas - http://myhostas.be/db/hostas/Sweet+Tater+Pie
Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/s/sweettp.html
When Matt (Gibbscorner) visited last week, he was drawn to it... as often happens, a new set of eyes helps us see something in our garden afresh that we have just grown accustomed to.
Frankly, STP doesn't photograph well, which is why I went into all the background detail.
first, in its setting with another bright spring plant, 'Orange Marmalade' and following counter-clockwise, 'Fujibotan' (small green), 'Lakeside Prissy Miss', and 'Aardvark'... and second, a poor attempt to capture the character of STP
Last edited by jgh on May 28, 2008 10:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Posts: 777
- Joined: Jun 29, 2006 9:03 pm
- USDA Zone: z5
- Location: Central NY
I like them all! Isn't it frustrating when the contrast is so extreme that you can't get a good photo?!
I was going to point out how much EMPTY space is between them, and how many more I would have packed in there (out of necessity), but now I'm just thinking about that dark corner with the scotch and the cigarette. lol!
I was going to point out how much EMPTY space is between them, and how many more I would have packed in there (out of necessity), but now I'm just thinking about that dark corner with the scotch and the cigarette. lol!
~~~ Audrey ~~~
“If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good”
Dr. Seuss
“If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good”
Dr. Seuss
Well, Ginger... odd that you would say that... I am currently working on an opus involving - mucking dookey! Stay tuned!
and party... two things... one, that might be my least crowded bed, but also, it is still very early spring here. Those plants only leafed out in the past week - they aren't anywhere near their full spread for the season.
and party... two things... one, that might be my least crowded bed, but also, it is still very early spring here. Those plants only leafed out in the past week - they aren't anywhere near their full spread for the season.
jgh, you sound altogether TOO JADED.
They're only plants, for heaven's sakes! enjoy'em!
They're only plants, for heaven's sakes! enjoy'em!
...greening up the Great White North!!!
Digs' hosta list
45° 22' N 75° 43' W, 114 metres (374 ') above sea level.
Digs' hosta list
45° 22' N 75° 43' W, 114 metres (374 ') above sea level.
Wonderful story-telling, Jim. I was LMAO by the time I got to the scotch & cigarette in the dark.
I have a Sweet Tater Pie that I really enjoy as well. Mine doesn't get much [if any] sun so it is a little bit easier to photograph I think. But then the cloudy days we're having here this spring make for good hosta photography almost every day.
I have a Sweet Tater Pie that I really enjoy as well. Mine doesn't get much [if any] sun so it is a little bit easier to photograph I think. But then the cloudy days we're having here this spring make for good hosta photography almost every day.
-
- Posts: 669
- Joined: Mar 10, 2003 10:38 am
- USDA Zone: 5b
- Location: Western NY, Zone 5
Trying to catch up. Looks like a beauty to me.
Pat
My Hosta List
Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.
~ Walt Whitman
My Hosta List
Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.
~ Walt Whitman