Devil's Advocate

Lady Isobel Barnett

Punky

Lotsa Hosta

Nice pictures above, but Debbie, could you please consider editing yours so that the captions are closer to the correct pictures. Looking at this thread for the first time, it took me awhile to figure out why the captions didn't match the pictures they were next to.

H. Doubled Up

Incredible fragerence!

I don't think I've posted any 2019 pictures here and it's about time I did. It's not been the best hosta growing year. We had an AWFUL spring, cold and wet right into mid-June. Then it got hot and very, very dry and the hostas suffered. I have many more than usual showing brown leaves. Last summer was also very dry and I think it has affected the size of some of my hostas as quite a few are smaller than they should be. But here are some. These are the most recent photos, taken a few days ago.

'Alakazaam' is a couple of years old and doing well. Need to find garden space for it, though under this maple tree, plants are better off in pots.


'Allegan Fog' is one I've had since 2006, but I've never gotten viable seed from it. Most years it doesn't set seed at all unless I help it.


'Alligator Shoes' was new in 2008 and has one large leaf turning brown a bit early.


'Bashful' is a couple of years old and doing well in a pot but I'll look for a garden location for it.


'Blue Mouse Ears' is mature and needs to be divided this autumn if I want to keep the "mice" in this trough.


'Blue Wedgwood' is a slow grower, but maintains a lovely blue. It was new to me in 2005.


'Captain's Adventure' was new this year. This is a funky one and there seem to be some lots of it with HVX from certain sources. Mine came from a different source, but I ran a test on it anyway just to make sure.


'Charlotte's Web' is a streaky one that is not stable. New in 2011 and has been divided a couple of times. I dug it last year and divided out the stabilized portions and it's looking better but I may have to do it again next year.


I have the entire 'Baby Bunting' family in this trough, but 'Cherish' has decided to become an "ultra-mini". It was new in 2007. Much to my amazement, it comes back every year, but look at it next to another mini in the family, 'Cameo'.


'Dancing With Leila' is my own 2009 seedling from 'Last Dance' which beat all the odds and is variegated. It's reverse of it's pod-parent and looks a great deal like the related and commercially available "Dance With Me". I ended up naming it after my second granddaughter with a nod to its heritage.

'Dee's Golden Jewel' - or at least that's what I'm calling it. It's actually the solid yellow that I've divided out of my 'Jewel of the Nile' which is a sport of DGJ,


'Deja Blu' - is a mature plant (new in 2007) that is not easy to divide as it's got a very solid crown. With walkways on both sides of it, it's outgrowing this location; so I need to lift and divide it this autumn.


'Dorset Blueblood' - is the solid blue sport that I divided from 'Dorset Clown' this season.


'Eleanor Lachman' - was new in 2012 and is doing well. I remember my late friend Eleanor when I look at it.


'Electrocution' was new in 2014 and I really like this one. You can certainly see how it got its name.


'Emerald Ruff Cut' was new in 2009 and I love its ruffled leaves. I have two seedlings from it, one yellow and one green which both have nice ruffled leaves.


'Fruit Punch' was a 2015 impulse buy. In spring, the leaves have a faint edge of pink and it's just about to bloom. It's has very colourful blooms on red scapes.


'Ghost Spirit' was new in 2008 and I love the varied mistiness of its leaves.


'Guardian Angel' was a division, in 2017, from a GA I bought for the hosta garden at my church. I have the rest of the plant, temporarily I hope, in my back garden as the church lost its shade tree and we dismantled the hosta garden at which time I beat the other gardeners and brought the plant home and took a division from it.


'Ice Age Trail' was new in 2006 but in 2017 you could barely find any streaked portion of it. I finally dug it and divided out lots of 'Big Daddy' and a small streaked portion. It's still being grown in a large pot, but I hope to get it in a garden location this autumn.

'Ice Cream' was new in 2007. For the last couple of years it was growing with a "fairy ring". This spring I dug it all, removed tree roots, enriched the soil in the hole and planted some of it back together. I also got about 5 divisions for plant sales.


'Island Breeze' was new in 2015. It grows much better for me than either 'Fire Island or 'Paradise Island', probably because it has wider green margins. It has lovely red legs and red-purple flower scapes. It's about to bloom


'June' was new in 2006. I divided it some time ago and have another equally large growing in different light which looks quite different. The last couple of years it has grown a lot, but I'm carefully watching the centre of this mound as it may be becoming solid blue. I'll know better in spring.


'Korean Snow' was new in 2004 and has never been divided. I love the misty leaves.


'Little Treasure' was new 2011. It has been grown for the last 4 years in sold sun after we lost a large tree to Emerald Ash Borer. It may not be quite as blue as it could be, but has otherwise done very well.


'Lakeside Mom', new in 2009 remains my favourite streaked hosta and it's been pretty stable for me.


'Lakeside Paisley Print' was new in 2013 and I'm pleased with the way it has grown.


'Loyalist' is an old one, acquired in 2006. Again, it has grown well for me, probably because of a lucky placement.


'Masquerade' was new in 2013 to replace what was one of my very first hostas, way back before I knew hostas came in different sizes. It has grown a lot this season and if I want to keep it in the trough, I'll have to divide it for next year. I might look for a garden location instead.


'Milkmaid' is one of my newer plants, new August 2016 and I like it a lot. It's like a mini 'Spilt Milk. It produced some seed pods this year and it will be fun to see if it produces seedlings that are anywhere as interesting as those I have from 'Spilt Milk'.

So many nice Hosta. Milkmaid did not overwinter for me last year. I did get a new one this Summer, will have to see how it does.

Here are more for today.

'My Claire' - new in 2008. I like this small hosta a lot.


'Nancy' - was new in 2013 but divided at the start to share with my friend Nancy. She got the larger division and this one has taken awhile to grow but is doing well now. It did get damaged a bit early in the season, maybe when the adjacent AC unit was serviced. Will protect it next year.


'Peppermint Ice' was new in 2006. Mine seems to regularly puts up divisions at some distance from the main mound. Love the brightly coloured flowers of this one.


'Popo', new 2011, is one of my smallest mini-hostas and does well in a pot in a trough though I may try to find a place in the garden for it.


'Praying Hands' was new 2007 and has been moved around a bit until I realized it needs sun after seeing one in full afternoon sun in a friend's garden that was half the age and twice the size. It has grown a lot after being moved to get more sun.


'Punky', new in 2005, was one of the first acquired in a trade with a friend met on Dave's Garden. I like this one very much. It's similar to 'Blue Wedgwood' (from which it is a sport) but the leaves become lighter centred during the season. (You see a bit of 'Blue Wedgwood' at the right since I grow them next to each other.)


'Pure Heart', new in 2014, is the only white or light centred "Mouse" that has not sported to solid blue for me. So far, so good.


'Purple Heart' was new in Sept. 2014 and has wonderful purple petioles that extend colour into the leaves. Bright purple flowers late in the season and I have 3 lovely seedlings with similar characteristics from this one.


'Rainbow's End' was new in 2009, but it took a couple of tries to get it going after squirrels dug up my first one and it perished. This one is tough as nails - the slugs pretty much leave it alone.

'Raspberries and Cream' was in impulse buy in 2008. I was attracted to little white wisps in the leaves. It blooms very late in the season.


'Raspberry Sundae' was new in 2011 and has been moved 3 or 4 times to find a good spot for it. At one point after we lost a tree it got too much sun and grew fast, but faded to be really ugly. It seems to like the present location.


'Remember Me', new in 2006, was a very, very slow grower at first but seems to have gotten over that. I've taken a couple of divisions for friends and it's doing well.


'Restless Sea' was new in 2007. This one has sawtooth edged to the leaves which have very white backs. It's about to bloom now.


'Revolution' was a gift in 2007 after I lost my first one and this one has done well.


'Roller Coaster Ride' was received in a trade in Vancouver in 2011. For years I thought it was a mini until we lost a large tree and once it got more sun it grew like topsy. This one is pretty much in full sun though a couple of new Mountain Ash trees are beginning to provide some filtered shade.


'Sara', new in 2006, is the name of my younger daughter. This one is larger than I had expected from its description and has done well. It's lutescent and gets more yellow during the summer.


'Silver Threads and Golden Needles' has been in a pot since I got it in 2010. This year I put it in a larger pot and divided out a solid yellow sport.


'Stiletto' was a gift in 2009 and I've never divided it, though I suspect it would make an excellent border.


'Summer Breeze', new in 2003, was acquired before I really became addicted to collecting hostas and it likely the first one I bought after consulting the nursery owner about suggestions.

Great pics Ann, really like Punky!

crawgarden said:Great pics Ann, really like Punky!

I do too!

Here are some more.

'Summer Music' new in 2005. The previous hosta, 'Summer Breeze', is a sport from this one. I see very little similarity. This one took a long time to look nice but has come on well the last couple years.


'Sun Power' was new in 2005. I had it in a corner in the back yard that was too dark and too dry. Then, when we lost our large ash tree almost 5 years ago, some of the hostas north of where it had been got fried. I moved a couple around. This one does like the sun, but really does not like full sun no matter what some people say. It grew a lot better in more sun, but was also crispy by mid-August. It's done much better this year. I keep a soaker hose embedded in the mulch around these hostas to help with watering and a couple of young Mountain Ash trees are now beginning to provide filtered shade.


'Surfer Girl', new in 2018, was my only new acquisition in 2018 and I love the way it has grown. It's in a pot in a trough, but I may need to find garden space for it.


'Tears of Joy' was new in 2010. This is a peculiar little hosta with tiny folded leaves. Also peculiar are its flowers which have virtually no petals, but otherwise are intact. Mine is in a large pot.


'Tickle Me Pink' was one of several that were new in September 2014. At that time, I pulled out some borders of rather ordinary plants in front of my house to make space for more interesting varieties. I love this one. In late August it generally starts to glow yellow and usually develops a bit of pink at the tips of the leaves. I have several nice seedlings from this one. Bright purple flowers in September.


'Touch of Class' was new in 2004. I've had quite a bit of sporting to solid blue ('Bulletproof') from this one, but it still grows fairly well. I also have a few seedlings from it.


'Undulata Albomarginata' new in the 1990s. What's a hosta garden without the old-fashioned green and white one. I likely didn't even know what a hosta was when I acquired these. They are now mired into tree roots and I had 4 clumps, but did successfully manage to dig one out this year to allow room for another plant.


'Venus' was new in 2008. This is a lovely green plant and if it likes the season well enough, it will reward me with huge, white, fragrant, double blooms late in the season. It has large buds now and I'm crossing my fingers because sometimes those buds fizzle.


'ViolaAnn' was a gift in 2010 when my garden was on a bus tour. (A highway coach actually pulled up to my suburban house and disgorged members of the Ontario Hosta Society. Then I joined the bus for the rest of the day). Anyway, I have no idea of its heritage and it's been a challenge at times to keep it streaked; hence it's not particularly large. But a couple of years ago I gave it a vanity name.


'Wheee!' was new in 2012 and has done well. This one is simply unlike anything else in the garden and it's unique from the time it emerges. Wheee! indeed!

Venus is always a toss up for me if it blooms, the buds are huge, people cannot appreciate Whee until it gets big, than watch out.

And a few more to finish off:

Weedling found in 2012 and almost certainly from 'Lakeside Zinger'. It has really tough green leaves, though I occasionally see a white streak in some of them. The hosta next to it is 'Grand Prize'; so it's quite small.


'Whirlwind' is one of my older hostas, neww around 2000. I'm posting pictures of both my divisions because this year they looked strikingly different from each other though the second plant was divided from the first. This is the older division and it's closer to a tree, hence is drier and gets less light.


'Whirlwind' - this is the newer division. East of my house; so morning sun, though not necessarily more moisture because of roof overhand, though it's not fighting with a tree. I moved it slightly and improved the soil where it is planted about a year ago and this year it's more upright and has wider margins than every before.


'Wylde Green Cream' was new in 2008. Like 'Ice Cream' of the same family, it had formed a fairy ring. I dug it in the spring, enriched the soil and removed tree roots and replanted some of it. Also got about 5 divisions for sales.


'X-rated', new in 2007, is a nice, free-spirited mini which has done well for me but especially likes the new location where it's been for 4 years.


'Heidi Ho' is a 2013 seedling from 'Spilt Milk'. This is quite a large plant and getting larger as it's been divided a couple of times to share with family members as I named it after my third granddaughter.


2010 seedling from 'Deja Blu'. This is a nice blue mound. Normally has a nicer shape than in the picture but I divided in spring.


2012 seedling from 'Christmas Pageant' is quite large and upright and has attitude! I MAY name it 'Noble Nolan' after my only grandson.


2014 seedling from 'Emerald Ruff Cut'. I like this yellow seedling for its ruffled leaves. But for some reason it didn't bloom for me this summer. It was moved to this location late last summer.


2016 seedling from 'Curly Fries' looks a lot like its pod parent except for a slightly different colour to the leaf. I quite like this one.


2016 seedling from 'Purple Heart'. This one has really red petioles extending up into the leaves. I'm looking forward to the bloom on this one.


2016 seedling from 'Spilt Milk' has been streaked from the very beginning. It looks nearly identical to my 'Milkmaid'.


2016 seedling from 'Tickle Me Pink' has thick, glossy leaves and red flower scapes.


another 2016 seedling from 'Tickle Me Pink' is more like the pod parent with thick, yellow leaves.

Great pics everyone! Really has me excited for the upcoming season!

Question regarding First Blush- I have read that in order to really get prominent RED on the leaves the plant needs an abundance of sun. Is that your experience?

Generally, how RED does the plant get when it first emerges/blushes and how long does it hold coloration? Given that site conditions and climate zone will impact both.

I think temp would be OK here, since it doesn't really get HOT until about July. But my site conditions would be under a very large maple that leaves out late but once it does it provides full shade (albeit filtered canopy shade).

I have been tempted by First Blush since it was first released but I have held off since the big allure to me is that really strong red coloration you see in a few pics.

Thanks!

First Blush need early morning sun to bring out the coloration, I've had it since it first came out, The coloration is a purple ish red, it fills up most of the leaf until it starts getting warm than it loses its coloration to a nice glossy green. Growth rate is fairly fast.

Thanks RJ.

I think my site would provide that (East facing) early in the season. Many of my hosta are starting to emerge now but a week or 2 before any leaves unfurl. Looks like your picture of First Blush at the beginning of the thread was posted beginning of June and the leaves just have a bit of purple on the edge remaining.

So I am thinking you typically get maybe 2-3 weeks of full Red/Purple blush on the leaves? Would that be accurate?

Jim,
That would probably about right

I have loved strolling thru this thread. Many of mine are up but some have been frozen and I had to cut back the melted leaves I purchased REMEMBER ME because of my sister that had passed with cancer. It has been very slow. She had over 70 cultivars and asked would I don't most to the local arboretum.

Here is a couple pics from my garden. Wish I had more shade! I am potting up my minis because I have voles.