Isn't that the truth, there is just something about the Hosta, what is it I wonder? doesn't have the showy blooms that some of the others have, but still there is something about those dainty blooms, some people have mentioned how odd my addiction is, they want to know why I am pulling out other prettier (to them) flowers to plant another garden of Hosta, I can't seem to help myself, I already have a list compiled of the hostas I will be seeking the most next season, of course if I find one I don't yet have and it isn't on the list, it will most likely find it's way to my garden! I am very rapidly running out of places to put them in as well, container growing here I come! After all I have all that empty space on both decks, I really didn't use that swing that much anyway, wonder if it would look good in the driveway? LOL!!
michelle

The truth is,flowers don't last,but foliage does! Here in western NC,My hostas are up in March and don't go away until October. Many varieties of flowers come and go during that time,but hostas endure. I am already looking forward to the time when hostas pop again.One nice thing here is in February,Crocus come up,so it isn't that long for hostas! Phil

Michelle and Phil ,thanks for writing.

You both live where you get to enjoy your hostas a little longer than I do. N W Illinois doesn't seen far,but the weather here can get down below -20 to -30 degrees some winters. We're never know what to expect.

Phil are you the one who gardens on hill sides? If so you have made a hopeless situation into a wonderful area to display your hosta. May you stay eternally young so you can climb those hills forever!

Michelle, it's too bad you have to take out other plants to add to your hosta collection. Just get friendly with your neighbors and landscape their garden with what you have to remove! Better yet have a perennial sale and make money to get more hostas like I do. OOPs!!!! Am I able to say that and not get in trouble ?

After we get back from our winter vacation, we go
south for 2 months,I'll start to think about what I'm going to divide or remove. Really, when everything leafs out again you would never know I had taken any plants out!

Happy Hosta thoughts to both of you and Merry Christmas a little early from Illinois. Connie

Connie,yes I garden on hillsides,but I have no choice! I live on the side of a mountain,so everything here is down,or uphill! The challenge is being able to stand upright while planting hostas. Merry Christmas to you also,and many happy years of hosta gardening! Phil

oh none of my plants get thrown away I assure you, my neighbors have benifited from my gardening more then once:) plus I will always keep my iris, daylilies, cannas, tulips, well more sun loving plants then I can write here, actually they call me the crazy flower lady, my yard has gardens of flowers everywhere you look, it is just the shade and partial shade gardens that have been getting remodeled.
one thing about where I live that really bites (besides where I live lol!!) is the fact that it gets so hot here, and I think that is why in the three years I have had hosta, none of them have grown seed for me, I didn't know they could readily throw seeds as they do for some, I was thrilled when I got on here and found out they could, so I have been happily trading for those seeds, I don't care if they are plain green or what they are I just wanted to grow 'my' very own hosta from seed, I am getting excited just thinking about spring:)
Merry Christmas to you all!!!!!!

Michelle, When I cleared off my largest hosta bed this fall I shook the seed pods and hopefully some of the seeds will again grow as they did 3 years ago. I got about 30 babies then which I will be transplanting into regular beds this spring.

It has been interesting watching them grow. I have 3 which are blue, 2 larger yellow and sone smaller yellow plus a dozen ventracosa and other green which I will let mature.

Because we vacation in the south for part of the winter there is no way I can start seeds under lights but I would sure like too.

Did you say how long ago the hosta bug bit you? It's too bad you live so far away. I would love to share some of my extras with you.

Maybe you could plan a road trip for spring to Illinois! LOL

I have a nephew who lives near Marble Hill MO. Is that anywhere near you?

Connie

I actually really got 'bit' this last spring, have had hostas for 3 years, wasn't really interested in em at first, just had some shady spots where I had put a few, it was like one day I just woke up and all of a sudden I wanted one of each kind there was to have, we live on a pretty tight budget so it has been going slower then I would like it too, for some reason DH doesn't believe I need to empty our house buying account to buy hostas, lol!!
I do buy hostas from the box stores, especially at the end of the year, but I really look them over good, and now they don't go in with my established hostas thanks to you guys! could of ruined some nice ones, the way I pack them in, there isn't any way others won't be affected if one has the virus, and I am real careful to clean my tools after messing with each one.
I don't know where Marble Hill is at, we live in the very far corner of Southwest MO. we can be in Kansas, Oklahoma, or Arkansas in a matter of minutes.
yeah I could see DH approving a trip to Illinois just for hostas! he would still be laughing a week later:)
micke

Men!!! My H would feel the same about that kind of road trip! Marble Hill is sourh of St Louis straight across from Cape Girardeau in Illinois so that's not going to work as you live on the other side of MO.

It's a good thing the hosta bug didn't bite me at an earlier age or we wouldn't be able to afford our winter vacation!

Take a deep breath and say " I don't need that hosta this year" Repeat it as many times as necessary until you get over that urge to buy, buy, buy! It worked for me.

Buying a house takes priority over hostas any day. We are at the other end of that scale. We are wondering how many more years we will be able to maintain our home and garden before we need to downsize to a condo or even assisted living! 10,15 years?It will come to all of us, some sooner , some later. That's a bummer thought!!!!

Be happy looking at hostas and saying, they will be less expensive in a few years!!!

Connie

You can do that? really? it works? I keep telling myself to limit it, and really I price all of them before I put it on my buy list and I am proud to say not one of my hostas cost over 10.00, that won't work forever I am sure, hoping as some get more widely available the prices will drop:) I have been buying up house plants too since I can't do any outdoor gardening, got to curb that one too, or else we will have to move outside to make room for the plants, lol!!! I do a lot of yard work for neighbors and I work on my moms horse farm for extra money, so that is usually my plant budget, DH does foot the bill on some of it, but as that is all I ever ask for he is pretty good about it, he gets disgusted cause he practically has to drag me to the store to buy clothes (for some reason he don't think I should be running around in jeans so threadbare they are ripped in places) but when there is a nursery nearby I always make him stop so I can take a peek.