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To be honest, I wasn’t a Hosta fan at first. I was more fond of the brightly colored flowers of annuals. But when we moved into our present home I quickly learned that we had a lot of shade and those brightly-colored flowers that I loved were not going to make it in most areas of our yard.
One day a friend of mine handed me a paper grocery bag full of what looked like dead roots with a few scraggly leaves attached. She said that her neighbor was moving and gave her the hostas from her front yard as they were rare and valuable. Sue decided I should have them because of ‘all your shade’. I wasn’t impressed, but Sue has a way with plants and I trusted her instincts. So, I planted the scraggly-looking roots in a side area of my garden that was nothing but bare soil and shade. This was in September. By the following June I was amazed at the beautiful creamy white leaves with a green center stripes that brightened up that once barren, dark corner! From that day on I was hooked on Hostas.
Soon I learned that many people collect Hostas and I began trading with my friends and neighbors. I also learned that mine were indeed rare and special and I’m still not sure what their real name is. After a few years I was able to dig them up and divide them over and over again, so I was able to share and trade for many unique and special Hostas that would normally be out of my price range. They can be very expensive to purchase, but even then they are worth it as they are very prolific and really fill in those boring shady areas.
There are probably hundreds or even thousands of varieties from very small to huge elephantine specimens. The colors range from creamy white, chartruese, to deep blue-green and all kinds of shades in between. Most of them have token blooms in late summer, but some varieties have large fragrant flowers that really make a nice bouquet or floral arrangement.
Hostas make wonderful border plants for surrounding trees, shrubs and homes. Their even height and sturdiness make them easy to grow and maintain.
My only problem with Hostas are slugs who love to feast on the leaves and turn them into lace. So, every spring as the Hosta’s start to poke out of the ground I sprinkle a liberal amount of diatomaceous earth on and them around about a twelve-inch diameter circle from the center. Diatomaceous earth is made up of tiny ancient sea creatures that cut the slugs (sort of us crawling naked over broken glass) so they rarely get to my plants. This is also an earth friendly way of preventing slug damage as it is a natural substance that breaks down into the soil. Sometimes I have to add a little at the end of the summer, especially if we’ve had a rainy season it has washed away, but rarely does this happen.
Hostas do well in shade, but many do even better with a bit of sun. Since they are very diverse, do some research before you buy, to make certain of the size and color you want. Better yet, seek out a friend, neighbor or relative who grows them and they’ll most likely be happy to share some with you!
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Author Bio Box: Pat Merewether
Experience
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