There are not too many plants which would decorate your garden better than Hostas. Exquisitely beautiful and original, they create a very charming effect and bring diversity and a cheerful touch to your garden.
Numerous benefits of this plant, like beauty, durability, hardiness, made it a number one selling plant in the US. Gardeners from all over the world give their preferences to Hosta plants, choosing them for border planting, background and ground cover planting, and also for brightening dark or shady gardens.
Hosta foliage comes in four different varieties: white, yellow, green and blue. The size, texture and shape of the leaves are different as well. The surface of the leaf can be wavy, flat, curled, contorted etc.
Hosta flowers are not that showy, and they are definitely not the main attraction for plant lovers. Hosta blooms anytime in the period from the beginning of summer to mid autumn.
Some of the flowers do not open at all, and others show a slight resemblance of lilies. As for the color of the blooms, they are usually white, whitish with thin lavender lines, or purple.
Soils of Hosta Plants
It is not difficult to take care of these plants. Most people prefer to plant them in spring. Choose a location in your garden with well drained and loose soil.
Compost should be mixed with soil approximately fifteen inches deep.
Put the Hosta plants into the planting hole so that the crown is level with the ground.
Fill the hole with soil and add a good amount of water. As for the spacing between the plants, they should be planted with a distance between them up to three or four feet, so they can have room enough to grow and develop.
In the next several years your Hosta Plants will do best if left undisturbed. They require very little maintenance. They like shady places, that is why it is a good idea to plant them under trees. However, powerful tree roots usually compete for water so make sure your Hostas are watered regularly, especially in the period of growth.
Put a layer of mulch down in order to keep the soil moist. It will also help to create a good temperature for the roots and to eradicate the weeds. Slight fertilizing will contribute to the happiness of your Hosta plants as well.
Light Conditions of Hosta Plants
It is a common mistake to think that Hosta plants do best if planted in full shade. Of course, you should select a shady place where your plants will be protected from the heat of the midday sun. However, Hosta plants do require some sunlight. Some varieties of Hosta will tolerate even bright sunny locations, provided you water them frequently and prevent the soil from drying out.
Uses for Hosta plants
They do reasonable well as border plants, as they overhang a lawn edge and control the growth of weeds by not leaving weeds any space to develop.
It is also a nice idea to plant Hostas as a background plant: with the variety of colors it has to offer it is rather easy to create a beautiful combination of plants in your garden.
And of course it comes without saying that Hosta plants would make an excellent ground cover. They grow considerable fast, so they will create a thick mat to cover the ground in your garden.
Summary
Hosta plants are my favorite of the shade perennials. There are many, many varieties to choose from. But let me warn you, once you have a few, you will become a collector.
These shade gardening plants prefer rich, moist, well drained soil with a neutral PH.
They multiply quickly and before you know it you'll be trading them with other collectors.
There are two things to watch for: slugs and snails. Check your plants daily and remove any of these critters.
At the end of the season when the flower stem and leaves start to wilt, you can cut the plant back to the ground and tidy up, or just leave it to Mother Nature. This is a good time to divide your plant if you desire.
The Remember Me variety starts with yellow leaves and a blue-green margin. In summer the yellow turns to white. Lavender flower bloom mid to late-summer.
Scientific Name: Hosta undulata Zone: 3-8 Sun: Full Shade
"The Hosta 'Albomarginata'Ö, Hosta undulata, has soft green leaves with white bands, making it very striking. The Hosta flowers bloom from July to Aug... more
Scientific Name: Hosta fortunei Zone: 3-8 Sun: Full Shade
"The Hosta Aureomarginata, Hosta fortunei, has a heart-shaped deep green foliage with a yellow band. The purple flowers bloom from July to August, how... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'Big Daddy' Zone: 3-9 Sun: Full Shade - Partial Sun
"The Hosta Big Daddy, Hosta 'Big Daddy', is a large selection that has huge, frosty blue leaves that are cupped and heavily quilted. The pale lavender... more
Scientific Name: Hosta'Fragrant Bouquet' Zone: 4-11 Sun: Partial Sun
" The Hosta 'Fragrant Bouquet, displays wavy leaves with a creamy edge and are apple green in the middle.The1998 AHS Hosta of the Year boasts wavy lea... more
Scientific Name: Hosta fortunei Zone: 3-8 Sun: Full Shade
"The Hosta 'Francee'Ö, Hosta fortunei, has heart-shaped dark green leaves with narrow yellow changing to white margins. The lavender flowers bloom fro... more
"The Hosta 'Francis Williams'Ö, Hosta sieboldiana, is a large Hosta with wide yellow margins that surround blue-green centers, making it very striking... more
"The Hosta 'Gold Standard', Hosta fortunei, has heart-shaped large broad leaves with creamy yellow and variable dark green margins. The pinkish, laven... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'Golden 'Tiara' Zone: 4-8 Sun: Full Shade
" The Hosta 'Golden Tiara'Ö has heart-shaped green leaves with wide chartreuse and white margins foliage, making it very striking. The dusky lavender ... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'Guacamole' Zone: 3-9 Sun: Full Shade - Partial Sun
"The Hosta Guacamole, Hosta 'Guacamole', is a medium sized hosta that has yellowish leaves with a wid green margin and stems producing white colored f... more
Scientific Name: "Hosta 'Liberty' (PP12,531)" Zone: 3-9 Sun: Full Shade - Partial Sun
"The Hosta Liberty, Hosta 'Liberty' (PP12,531), is a sport of the well known variety Sagae and is considered by many to be the finest hosta ever intro... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'minuteman' Zone: 3-9 Sun: Partial Sun to Shade
"The Shade Hosta 'Minuteman', Hosta 'MInuteman', is a close relation to 'Patriot', except it has rounder leaves that are a deep glossy green, with tra... more
Scientific Name: Hosta fortunei 'Patriot' Zone: 3-8 Sun: Full Shade
"The Hosta 'Patriot'Ö, Hosta fortunei, has heart-shaped, glossy medium green leaves with a large white margin, making this variety very striking. The ... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'Revolution' Zone: 3-9 Sun: Full Shade - Partial Sun
"The Hosta Revolution, Hosta 'Revolution', is a sport of the popular hosta Loyalist which in turn is a sport of the hosta Patriot. It is considered on... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'Stained Glass' Zone: 3-9 Sun: Full Shade - Partial Sun
"The Hosta Stained Glass, Hosta 'Stained Glass', is a sport of the hosta Guacamole and was Hosta of the year in 2006. It is considered one of the best... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'Sun Power' Zone: 3-9 Sun: Full Shade - Partial Sun
"The Hosta Sun Power, Hosta 'Sun Power', is one of the best gold hosta's there is. The large leaves are about 12 inches long by 7 inches wide and are ... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'T-Rex' Zone: 3-9 Sun: Partial Sun to Shade
"The Shade Hosta 'T-Rex', Hosta 'T-Rex', is a gargantuan-sized hosta! The dusky blue-green leaves are so large (18""x20"") the plant may take 3-4 se... more
Scientific Name: Hosta undulata Zone: 3-8 Sun: Full Shade
"The Hosta 'Variegata'Ö, Hosta undulata, has dramatic, narrow, lance-shaped wavy leaves with white centers edged in green, making it very striking. Th... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'Whirlwind' Zone: 3-9 Sun: Full Shade
"The Hosta Whirlwind, 'Hosta', has upright pointed leaves that are twisted and folded. The creamy yellow to white centers and dark green margins give ... more
Scientific Name: Hosta 'Wide Brim' Zone: 3-8 Sun: Full Shade
"The Hosta 'Wide Brim'Ö has a deep blue-green center with very wide, irregular margins of cream with gold tints at maturity, making it very striking. ... more
