Hostas are shade garden staples
Funka areshade gardenclassics . These easy - to - grow perennials come in a smorgasbord of colors , sizing and bod but how to you choose the good hostas ? We can aid !
Undemanding and cold - hardy from zone 3 to 8 , hostas attend best when grown in well - drain dirt and part shade , though there are some exception that do n’t mind more sun . Make certain Hosta receive 1 column inch of water a week from rain or thehoseto get the well - seem foliage that does n’t have crispy edges .
A couple of inch of constitutive mulch , such as small barque scrap , can help conserve piss but be certain to keep it pulled away from the crown a few column inch to avoid rot .
Hosta foliage is beautiful
Though genus Hosta bloom in previous fountain through late summertime with pallid lavender or white heyday , foliage is their main attraction with farewell of grim , atomic number 79 or gullible , and many that are variegated .
examine pairing a coolheaded bluish hosta with burgundy coral bells ( Heucherahybrids ) in your relaxing backyard retirement . Or replace the blue hosta with a chartreuse one for center - kill results .
Colorful leaves are exciting , but leaf shape and size of it are a plus , too . Most hostas have meat - shaped or round leave , but you ’ll also chance some that are very narrow-minded , others that are loving cup mould and yet others with wavy edges . So even hostas that are the same coloring material keep the garden lively .
You might even notice that untried hostas attend a small different than the “ grownups . ” For example , a untested ‘ Alcyone ’ has spear - shaped leaves , but in a few years , they ’ll be affection - mould .
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Large hostas or small hostas?
Hostas come in a huge range of sizing to serve any suspicious garden situation . The largest varieties , such as ‘ Sum and Substance ’ , make people stop and say , “ Wow ! ” They make a cracking setting for small plant or a gorgeous specimen . sensitive to small hostas make a lovely edging along moulding and paths while miniature hostas , such as ‘ Blue Mouse Ears ’ , can be the sum of attending in a container .
With all this potpourri to select from , where do you begin ? originate with an outstanding hosta . There are C available , and most are good choices . But the one you ’ll discover below are whole performers and are some of the best hostas we consider our dearie !
‘ Sum and Substance ’ genus Funka
This vainglorious hosta can hold its own even with shade - garden shrubs , such as bigleaf hydrangeas ( Hydrangea arborescens ) . Deeply veined farewell pop out unclouded green , change to chartreuse , and then turn golden jaundiced as the weather warm up . The more morning sun you could give your ‘ Sum and Substance ’ , the lustrous atomic number 79 it will be . In funny gardens , leaves are greener .
Hosta tipIt can take 5 years or more for slow - growing declamatory hostas , such as ' Sum and Substance ' to reach mature sizing .
BloomsPale lavender in late summerLight2 to 4 hour of shadeSize30 in . tall by 5 to 6 ft . wide
‘ golden ’ Funka
‘ Alcyone ’ is one of the best blue hostas you may grow . Heart - shaped leaves have prominent veins that swoop down the leafage from stem to tip for a simple sophisticated take care hosta .
Hosta tipRub a down Funka foliage with your pollex and index and some of the drear disappears — this is called the “ flower . ” This waxy covering is washed away by heavy rain or cauterise off by too much Lord’s Day , leaving a green leaf . The leave will be down in the mouth again next class , though . That ’s why profane hostas demand more tincture than those that are green or gold .
BloomsWhite in midsummerLight4 to 5 hours of shadeSize15 in . improbable by 2 ft . broad
‘ Cutting Edge ’ hosta
Sometimes a plain - green hosta is just what you demand . But why go with just any unripened hosta when you may have ‘ Cutting Edge ’ ? Those wavy leaves have what ’s called a “ piecrust bound . ” With age , the leaves become crinkled , and border draw in up to disclose the dusty blue back of the folio . ripe plant life organize a dense hill of undulating leaves that create a common sense of motility in the garden .
BloomsLavender in late summerLight4 to 5 hours of shadeSize22 in . tall by 27 in . astray
‘ Little Sunspot ’ hosta
‘ Little Sunspot ’ has a deep - gullible gross profit margin that widens as the plant gets older . Morning sun will twist the center brilliant gold in the North , but full shade is estimable in raging Southern garden . ‘ Little Sunspot ’ adds some extra punch at the front of the border with its beautiful variegation and it multiplies rapidly so you ’ll have plenty to share with acquaintance .
Hosta tip’Little Sunspot ' and many other hosta variety have crumple on the leaves — also called “ seersuckering ” — which gives the works an interesting texture up close .
BloomsLavender in early summerLight4 to 5 60 minutes of shadeSize10 in . magniloquent by 15 in . wide
‘ Sagae ’ hosta
Big , beautiful ‘ Sagae ’ is one of the earliest Funka to go forth in bound . leafage gross profit unfurl brilliantly jaundiced and turn creamy by midsummer . When implant a young ‘ Sagae ’ , remember to give it plenty of elbow room — this hosta can get 5 feet wide ! This hosta was formerly known asHosta fluctuans‘Variegated ’ so you may occasionally see it listed that means .
Hosta tipThe best sentence to separate hostas is in bounce . Modern leaf are emerging so it ’s easy to see where the plant is and there ’s not a fortune of leaf in the way .
BloomsLavender in summerLight2 to 4 hour of shadeSize2½ ft . marvellous by 5 foot . wide
‘ One Man ’s Treasure ’ hosta
Most hostas have showy leafage but in the case of ‘ One Man ’s Treasure ’ , it ’s the stems , or petioles , that are the wiz — they ’re cover in violent - purple smudge up to the folio blade . Plant it on a terrace or raise bottom where you may fully appreciate the colorful staunch as you go by . ‘ One Man ’s Treasure ’ grows in an open , arching mound with bell - form reddish blue flowers on even darker stem .
BloomsViolet in late summertime to fallLight4 to 5 hours of shadeSize14 in . tall by 24 in . wide
' Curly Fries ' hosta
What ’s really coolheaded about this pretty genus Hosta are the stiff , but not rigid , ruffled foliage . folio emerge yellowish green in spring , then turn gold . If it ’s growing in a piddling more sun , folio will fleet to creamy white by tardy summer . Deep over-embellished scape carry lavender flowers in late summer .
Hosta tipGrow it in containers or along a funny track — somewhere you may reach out out and touch it to verify it ’s real .
BloomsLavender in recent summerLight2 to 4 hour of shadeSize5 in . tall , 16 in . wide
‘ Wheee ! ’ hosta
Ruffly leaves with a creamy border that goes all the direction down to the crest make ' Wheee ' a standout . And it ’s a impregnable growing variety with thick leafage that slugs wo n’t bother .
Hosta tipIf you have several hostas and desire a grouping that ’s full but not overcrowded , space them their mature breadth apart on centre .
BloomsPurple in midsummerLight2 to 4 hours of shadeSize11 to 18 in . tall , 28 to 30 in . wide
‘ June ’ hosta
You ’ll never get bored with this beautiful hosta . In springtime , folio center are chartreuse then vary to a creamy chicken by summer . You’ll get the good coloration by grow ‘ June ’ in dayspring sun and good afternoon shade . In full shade the center stays chartreuse and the blue-blooded margins fade .
Hosta tipSlugs seem to pass by Hosta , such as June , that have compact leafage and look for dinner elsewhere .
BloomsWhite in midsummerLight4 to 5 hour of shadeSize15 in . tall by 30 in . astray
‘ Patriot ’ hosta
The irregular promising - white margins of ‘ Patriot ’ add glitter to your shade garden . ‘ Patriot ’ is a good choice for gardens where summer get hot — it can take the heating and still look good especially with a duet of inches of mulch and unconstipated watering .
Hosta tipSome genus Funka , such as ' Patriot ' are later to emerge in spring than others .
BloomsPale lavender in midsummerLight2 to 4 hours of shadeSize15 in . tall by 36 in . wide
‘ Blue Mouse Ears ’ genus Hosta
‘ Blue Mouse Ears ’ is one of the best miniature hostas you may grow . Tiny but mighty , this little dynamo has buddy-buddy blue - fleeceable leaf that imprint a sloshed mound . practice it to abut a route or make it the highlighting of a pansy garden . look on for the flowers in summer — they swell up like tiny balloon before they open .
BloomsLavender in midsummerLight4 to 5 hours of shadeSize6 in . marvelous by 12 in . wide
‘ Krossa Regal ’ hosta
The vaselike drug abuse of ‘ Krossa Regal ’ makes it a standout in the world of genus Funka . move up up rather than out , it brings an architectural component to the border . This unsloped wont also makes ‘ Krossa Regal ’ a smashing alternative for containers — there ’s room below for more plant !
Hosta tipFor happy , healthy hostas in a container , use a wad with drainage holes and a soilless potting mixing to help keep root putrefaction . body of water on a regular basis , and tip with a boring - release plant life food on the surface of the potting spiritualist each spring .
BloomsLavender flower in mid- to late summerLight4 to 5 hours of shadeSize32 in . tall by 6 foot . broad
‘ rotation ’ genus Hosta
patch , stripe and marbling are out - of - the - ordinary mark for hostas , so it ’s no surprisal ‘ Revolution ’ is democratic . Some hostas with this type of diversification can be short - lived but ‘ gyration ’ arrive back year after year . thickheaded leaves organize a squeamish erect mound with confettilike speckle on a creamy center . The chip start out pale in outflow but grow darker as the season move on . set ‘ Revolution ’ where it have morning sunlight will bring out the good folio color , but in the South , full shadowiness is your best bet .
BloomsPale lavender in springLight2 to 4 hours of shadeSize18 in . tall by 24 in . wide
‘ Sun Power ’ hosta
‘ Sun Power ’ can take full sun in all but the hottest area and needs at least 2 hours of sun to get that beautiful gold foliage color . Ruffled leave emerge chartreuse in the spring and rapidly change to gold .
Hosta tipHostas , such as ' Sun Power , that can take more light call for some extra help . More sunshine means more heating system so be sure to water regularly and apply a couple of inches of mulch to keep up wet .
BloomsLavender in springLight2 to 4 hours of shadeSize22 in . tall by 36 in . wide
‘ Abiqua Drinking Gourd ’ genus Hosta
Big low-spirited cup - shape leaves are what make this hosta so distinctive . They can be up to 3 inches deep and have a seersucker texture — that ’s the puckery look you see on the leaf . Its bloom baby-sit just above the leafage instead of on tall scapes like many other varieties . ' Abiqua Drinking Gourd ' is tedious arise but deserving the postponement .
Hosta tipSnip spent flower scapes off below the foliage once blooms are done . This tidies up the works and prevent the Funka from waste energy forming seed .
BloomsWhite flowers in early summerLight2 to 4 60 minutes of shadeSize18 to 24 in . magniloquent , 30 to 36 in . wide
‘ Autumn Frost ’ hosta
The head - turning foliation of ' First Frost ' has a blue-blooded shopping center with broad shining yellow margins ( that ’s the out edge of the leaf ) in early spring that commute to creamy whitened by summer . You could n’t demand for a more dramatic hosta . And those gorgeous leaf are thick so bullet are less potential to start nibble .
BloomsLavender in late springLight4 to 5 hours of shadeSize12 to 16 in . magniloquent , 20 to 24 in . widely
