My drug dealer was Janice. I had just move here and left 250 or so Ht Roses. I had spent 30 years colecting them. They went with the sale of my home and busness.
The first year I was here I bought 12 roses. Big mistake, no sun, just big Oaks. They did not fair very well.
I did bring my Elephant Ears with me, been in the family 50 years or more.They did great.
One day I was bored and found the Hosta forum.I saw some of Janice letters and pictures of her Hosta and thought they were great.
So I wrote her a letter asking her about them. Much to my surprize she wrote back telling me that she was no expert but she would help me all she could.
Now I have 150 Hosta and room for more.
She is a fine lady who has helped me a lot.
phil

OK Ken, you are challenging an old memory. I think, about 40 years ago, I saw a nice display of hosta and ferns at Ott's Nursery in Schwenksville, PA (?). I recall a large greenhouse/solarium that was open all year. The kind of place you took your girlfriend to on a Sunday afternoon. No wonder she dumped me...

I guess now I have to find it and see it again. To see if it actually exists.

harryshoe.
Otts was/is awesome!!! I have not been there for 15 years. How many places have the huge solarium like that....you could even walk on the second level of the "rainforest". Good memories!!

I'd have to say my Sister enabled me and I in turn enable her.

I'd grown up in Southern California where the general idea of gardening is planting easy to grow evergreens (Juniper in any form being my most despised plant) and trim everything to death. I rebelled and when I had a chance to garden at my own house which was on the west coast of BC. I went for the English cottage look - the more casual the better.

After moving inland 20 years ago to the harsher climate where I live now, I learned by trial and error what would work here (many things from the coast did not). I helped my sister identify some plants in her Seattle area garden. There was one green one that I told her I thought was "a hosta".

A small piece of this found it's way into my car (don't ask). I researched it the best I could (pre internet) and for a while thought it was Elegans. That shows what I knew since it's turned out to be a green Fortunei. Its not hyacynthina but it is similar.

My mystery green which I named Judy, after my sister, grew well and after a few years I picked up a couple more hostas through mail order. I'd still never seen another hosta in person. I got Gold Standard, Gold Drop, Albo Marginata and a couple others. I grew them mostly in pots - left outside in winter - and ignored. It finally dawned on me how bright the center of Gold Standard was in the shade. I also realized how nice they looked all year instead of just the few months while they were blooming like other perennials.

As time went by the small walnut tree that is by our entry courtyard grew and grew and began shading everything. I finally started putting the hostas in the ground and looking for more. It took more years to venture out from 100% total shade.

Several years ago I bravely planted Wide Brim under a rose bush where it got morning sun. What a shock - it looked great. My interest in the rest of my garden began to reflect how many hostas there were - no hostas - not much interest. In 2007 I followed Kens advice about sun and planted some of my ever expanding collection to between the roses and lavender on the west, hot, side of my house. Surprise again, they almost all have done great.

As my interest increased so did my sisters. We are like two fools talking about them all the time. I just came back from a trip to go to NW Garden show. The purpose was a visit and to bring back the 17 I ordered before Christmas from Naylor Creek. I came back with 28 because she surprised me with 6 as a birthday present. I bought 5 more at the show for various reasons like Liederhosen (which I didn't even know I wanted) reached out to me from it's little bag. It had three growing eyes and needed to be planted. That's the way it goes. Any excuse will do. Judy is limited on room because she lives on a city lot. She'd decided not to get any more big ones. I was looking at Beckoning at the show which she said she wanted but wasn't going to get because of the size. I said I'd buy it for her and give it to her. Since the decision wasn't her's, that was ok. The problem was that she'd forgotten she'd already ordered it so would have ended up with two. I came home with Beckoning - another one I didn't know I had to have!

Bruce, don't feel bad about being a drug pusher. Last fall Judy and I went to the "sale in the park" that Naylor was having. We were with our husbands this time. When we went to pay for out plants my brother in law commented to Jack and Gary that he hoped they knew they were no better than a crack dealer? We all had a laugh over that one.

Here is a picture of my original hosta which I named Judy since we never did find out exactly what it was.

I can't blame anyone it was ME!
I take all the blame for this addiction and I infected my husband.

Been gardening since we purchased my first house 33 years ago. Bought my first AlboMarginata all by myself then Krossa came along and the rest was history.

I think I liked the fact at first that I could actually propagate this plant so easily then I found there was diversity in the species. I always sought out unusual plant in perennials but then found it in Hosta's also.

I have been collecting variegated and chartreuse perennials for so long. I was able to feed my diverse taste buds with hostas and marry the collections together.
It just made sense.

But I will confess to infecting others, and I am proud of that....to bad!

So no one but myself to blame! :)

I acquired my first hostas in 1971 when we purchased our first home in Menasha, Wisconsin.
My mother had some green and white and some solid green clumps that she said I could divide and make many divisions.

Twenty years went by when my hubby's sister, Sharon, and her husband, Tom invited me to go along with them to the Green Bay Botanical Society's annual plant sale as well as a private hosta sale in Green Bay on the same day. Tom showed me a Montana Aureomarginata and suggested it would look nice in my shady front yard... I had never seen nor did I know there WERE any hostas besides the "green & whites" and the "solid greens!" I was HOOKED ! !

Char

My DD suggested that I try hostas in my shade garden. I bought a green one, and it did so so. It was Krossa Regal that sealed the deal. It kept coming back prettier each year. I got curious about Sum and Substance, and eventually I ended up here. I have bought so many hostas after seeing the pictures here. Guardian Angel comes to mind first. I spent a great day spring before last in OK City going through Bob Scott's garden with my DD. I think it was Scooter who enabled me to that garden. Wow what an Eliator! Buster's watering suggestions have been a GREAT help for my climate. Thanks all, and keep those pictures coming.

A wonderful lady named Teresa started it all....sometime in the mid 1980's Teresa gave me 5 hosta and made such a "big deal" to keep the proper labels next to each hosta. I still have them...Gold Standard, Krossa Regal, Golden Tiara, Royal Standard and I can't remember the other 1 right now. I remember that she dug them, because no one else digs in her gardens...

Teresa died at age 91 and her obit stated..."At the Iowa Arboretum at Madrid, the Theresa Schutt Hosta House was named in her honor. " Such fond memories of one of the original Great Hosta Ladies. I bet she is watching me every summer!
karla

I always had a few hostas, Undulata Albomarginata, Antioch and Fortunei Aureomarginata, although I did not know their names. About 10 years ago I saw a number of hostas at the Boerner Botanical Garden near Milwaukee and I wanted a gold hosta. I came home and did some research on the internet and found a number of mail order sources. I also found the Hosta Library and this forum although with dialup internet access at the time I did not see many pictures. I was reluctant to order any plants through mail order as I'd had a bad experience with the Michigan Bulb Co. (not with hostas). I also found the website of Hornbaker's Nursery in Princeton, IL and planned a visit. Their display garden was so impressive that I came home with about 20 hostas that day. Since then I've ordered from a number of enablers including Naylor Creek, White Oak, and Hallson's, among others. I've learned a great deal from enablers who frequent this forum as well as Hallson's forum. I learned of and joined the American Hosta Society, the Northern Illinois Hosta Society and visited dozens of gardens and met a number of knowledgeable hosta people. All of this was made possible through the internet. So I must say it's all the fault of the internet.

Interesting thread.

For me it was our second home, lots of mature trees and tons of shade.

I had gardened much of my life but never had these kind of conditions before, my old garden was full sun and wonderful soil but this shade garden was rocky. I tried stubbornly and unsuccessfully to grow my old tried and true perennials but those full sun flowers quickly died off. I then tried to plant anything that tolerated partial sun hoping to have any flowers that would give me some color.

Got very depressed with all the money spent on my dying plants until I finally woke up and admitted to myself that I had a true shade garden and the remaining plants that were thriving were the hostas I'd planted.

The funny thing is I never much cared for hostas though I had grown a few here and there. I positively am repulsed by slugs and never wanted to grow lots of hostas which I knew would attract them!! I found ways to control slugs and then added a few more hostas.

The credit to really expanding my collection though must go to the computer. I'm not really a computer person and never wanted one. Back in 2001 my husband was upgrading his and gave me his old one which I reluctantly took. Wow, a whole new world opened up, garden forums, etc. Lots of online places to buy new varieties of hostas and lots of other shade tolerant plants too, (hence my screen name).

That old shade garden is gone now but still forever in my heart. My current garden does have the best of both worlds, sun and shade but I'm still trying to recreate that old shade garden, I loved it the best...

Let me think... Just a couple of years ago I was collecting every plant I saw. Thought I had about all the hostas out there. I didn't know their names, but a big green leaf, a green with white edging, a green with yellow edging, & a wavy variegated one. Really, how many others can there be out there? Then I wandered into this forum. Not too bad at first because I had dial up & it took too long to see the pictures. Unfortunately I upgraded, & now I NEED hosta. I've added several, problem really is I don't have a lot of shade. Need to plant more trees. I do have a few that seem to handle the sun pretty well though. But THANKS GUYS, I REALLY needed another addiction...

Below is a copy of my first post on this forum in November of 2006. I thought you all might enjoy it!! I am now up to around 80 Hosta and as the story goes will have to put in a new garden if i want anymore......

I just wanted to tell you all how much I have enjoyed reading all of your posts. You all seem like a very nice group of people, and even though I am pretty new at this we share some of the same enjoyments and thought it was about time I wrote in.
First let me tell you how I got started...

Well, last fall I paid a visit to my uncle's house here in Minnesota. What I walked into was about to change my gardening life forever.

My uncle (who I appreciate so much more now that I understand) had just put in a new waterfall in the corner of his yard. He had transformed this old corner of his yard to a beautiful garden with all of these wonder and strange looking plants. Tall ones, short ones. Big green ones and small blue ones. Each had their own little tag with names such as St Paul, Paul's Glory, Tattoo and So sweet. I was fascinated. After walking around the yard until dark listing to stories from my uncle like, "well I got this one from a nursery 85 miles away tucked in a hillside" and this one I got when we were in Iowa last summer(funny thing about the plant from Iowa he was talking to me about was Hosta "Black Hills" and i couldn't figure out how a hosta from Iowa had a name Black Hills.)It turns out he had over a 100 different kinds and a story for each.

About a week later as I was walking into a local grocery store, I saw a clearance rack of flowers. Most of them were pretty shoddy it was October in MN. In the back was one plant with Hosta in marker written on the side. It didn't have any leaves left, but it was only $1. I said, to myself... "I'm going to buy it!" I was so proud; I went home that night and planted my first hosta!
Spring arrived, and as it started to warm up and some of the flowers started coming up I waited for my hosta to grow. Nothing! Every couple days I would look and nothing! I had pretty much given up. After returning from a weeklong trip, it happened. About 8 blue green spikes had broken through the mulch as my Krossa Regal (as I found out later) was starting to grow and I was hooked!!
This past year has been busy. I am now up to about 25 and next year if I want anymore, I have to build another garden.

So that's it. It is nice to share a little with you all. Like I said, it has been really fun reading all of your posts. I have attached a couple of photos, so you could see my handy work. It is a work in progress so it's not much yet, but spring is only 6 months away!!

Thanks,

Mike

these pictures are from this last summer of 2008 not 2006 when i wrote the orignal post. they show a little of the volumes i have learned from all of you. thank you, thank you, thank you.

I remember way back an episode on The Gardening Journal show hosted by Kathy Renwald got me interested with hostas. This man in Ontario has an amazing collection.

I'm expanding my shade garden out this spring and will be ordering a few, ok lots ;)

Sharon

Nobody, except all of you here on the hosta forum. I originally started buying hostas in 2005 (I think, or maybe late 2004) after reading that hummingbirds were attracted to hosta blossums. It just telescoped really fast from there. I was already using the GW forums for other things (how to sweat a pipe, etc) and found the Hosta Forum. Then I met people from the MN Gardeners forum and several of them are hosta lovers too. Of course, I moved from Owatonna to Rochester MN and took 40-45 potted hostas with me, then moved almost immediately to Michigan and brought all those same potted hostas here with me. Now we're starting all over. So far, we probably don't have any more than 100 or so hostas here. But we'll fix that!

bumping this one up

ken

As a child, I remember the "funkia," as my grandmother called them, around her house in Chicago. When we moved to Minneapolis in 1949, my grandmother gave my mom some lancifolia which she planted. I never knew they had blossoms, because Mom hated the flower scapes and cut them off as soon as they appeared. She also gave her hosta to everyone in the neighborhood, including my best friend who lived next door.

As an adult, I'm sure a had a hosta or two at every home I ever owned. In 1997 we bought a place that must have had hundreds of what I now know are undulata Albomarginata in the back yard, growing where the grass wouldn't. Forward to 2004. My neighbor and I were trying to grow azaleas and rhododendrums under some old spruce trees on a berm between our houses. We failed miserably. I had just done some landscaping and had purchased a couple of hosta varieties to plant in our front yard - Paul's Glory, Ginko Craig. They were doing really well, so we decided to try a few different varieties of hosta on our berm. We bought about 12 or 15 varieties, and they took off. Watching them grow, I became enamored of them. I gave the hundreds of AM away to grateful friends and neighbors and began buying and planting. I now have 132 varieties. I love nothing better than strolling through a garden, looking at hosta. Just like many of you, I'm sure my neighbors think I've lost it, because I talk to my hosta. I am a member of the Minnesota Hosta Society and am looking forward to their garden tour on June 6. As of this writing, I have six beauties in their pots waiting to be planted - Hi Ho Silver, Kiwi Full Monty, Regal Spendor, Tokudama Flavocircinalis, Remember Me and Unforgettable.

Best of all, my old friend gave me a lancifolia that was a direct descendent of the plants my grandmother had brought from Chicago in 1949. I think that's really cool.

Me, myself and I--I have no one else to blame, but this forum keeps me hopelessly addicted!!

I'm convinced that the only cure to buying more and more is to move to the desert! Running out
of space doesn't seem to matter!

Going broke would only cause me to open up an ebay business to support my habit!

I am newly hooked. Never thought I would be, but I am.

It all started in Feb. when I bought a Red Footed Tortoise and started learning to give him proper care. I found out that hosta's were tortoise safe, edible and provides great hiding places. I had a few that that I have had for years that never seemed to grow in the spot they were in. Did not die either, never bloomed. So I decided that I would dig them up and plant them for Gibbs ( tortoise) Also last fall I had picked up a few hosta's for my Aunt and I tried to over winter a few in the pots at my house. A Ginko Craig made it and got planted in his enclosure. Then my Aunt decided to move back to Florida and I went over and dug up the ones I gave her. Planning on using them as stock for Gibbs. ( Oh besides a nibble on a blue cadet, that made it over winter and then showed signs of HVX Gibbs does not bother the hosta)So I started a area that I had nothing else growing in and that got shade in the afternoon. NOW, I am hooked because they are mine no longer Gibbs. I bought my first hosta today, Earth Angel and have a list started for the future and am already scoping out the other side of our house for a future hosta bed.

Gibbs next to the Ginko Craig tonight.
{{gwi:931994}}

East side of my house. Future home of my hosta's. What you see growing is my neighbors, growing under my fence.
{{gwi:931995}}

So, now you know how I have become a new hosta addict.

What hooked/enabled me was the hosta 'Great Expectations'. I've been gardening since we rented a townhouse in '78. I was big on veggies and annuals. I had 2 perennials someone gave me, otherwise I wouldn't have bought any. The perennials were a sedum (never knew the name) and a TB iris. Couldn't get any easier than those 2 to grow. When we finally bought our home in the summer of '96, I had lots of room for gardens. Because I had so much room, I started looking into perennials. Never thought about those green hostas...those were the only ones I knew. Then in Jan. of '97 I got a plant catalog from a local nursery. I was looking at all the perennials I wanted to buy, but skipped over the hostas...never even looked. After a few months, I looked at every page and saw GE. I fell in love with the pic. When I went to the nursery that Spring, I went to the hosta section. I grabbed 3 of them. I planted them in different spots with different amounts of sun. They all had their own different shades because of how much sun they got. After 5 yrs, they got really big. I still can't believe how big the leaves get. Now I've read here how a lot of people don't seem to have good luck with GEs. If I would have read those reviews before I bought them, I wouldn't have gotten them. I wanted easy plants that I wouldn't have to worry about. I've gotten quite a few more since then, but not anywhere near what some of you all have. But I love all the ones I have. The colors, the textures and shapes, just amaze me.
So I thank you 'Great Expectations' for enabling me to the wonderful world of hostas.

Kat

Stephanie_Kay, you and Gibbs get the prize for originality! Gibbs and Ginko look like very good friends.

As for me, I started perennial gardening around my house in 1999, having received two hostas from my mother. One was August Moon, the other, I am not sure, as she died before I could get the names of what she'd given me. She'd spent an entire September day in '98 digging perennials from her Michigan garden so that I would have starts for my newly purchased home where I am now. At that time, she was also closing her garden up after years of perennial gardening, because her husband wanted to move to Hawaii. She died the 1st day of Spring in 1999 and set off a burning passion in me to get the garden beds made and the plants in their right places. Many mistakes have been made, many gardens torn up and done again. At first, I bought everything according to bloom time, color and height. Slowly, the beauty of hostas, as well as their ease attracted me. These days, my gardens are more and more about foliage. However, all of my mothers plants still have their home here, even the ones I'm not so keen on. As for the enabling, I have to blame this forum. Every time I think I've got plenty, someone posts a picture that I just cannot erase from my mind. My mother's passion was daylilies...I have many named ones, just don't know a single name, as she was to come and help, and tell me what they were.

No one person got me hooked. My parents had hostas growing in our yard when I was young-you know, the green ones and the green and white ones. After building a pond in my yard some years ago I visited a nursery that specialized in pond plants. But they also had quite a few ¨different¨ hostas. Different than what I was used to anyway. I fell in love on the spot and brought home ¨Paul´s Glory¨. I was seeking out hostas at every nursery I went to and adding a few here and there. Eventually I found this forum and that´s what pushed me over the edge. Suddenly I was trading hostas by mail, buying hostas online, growing them from seed, subscribing to hosta publications,attending Hosta College, etc. I can also say that since becoming addicted to hostas I´ve met some of the nicest people and became friends with some of them(who share my addiction, of course.) As mentioned in another post I´ve moved and can´t grow hostas where I now live. But I still love them and miss them and read about them and look at photos of them...

It was midnight, on a hot sticky night in July! The moon was full and I was coming out of a
restaurant in a run-down neighborhood with a full stomach and a gnawing sense of evil in the air!

Cautiously I made my way to my car, when suddenly out of the dark shadows, I heard a deep
raspy voice call out--

"Psst! Hey lady!! Wanna buy a hosta?"

Terrified, I turned to run, frantically thinking--"what is a hosta", but he boldly stepped out of the
thick darkness, blocking my escape! Silver moonlight sliced through the trees revealing his massive
and gnarled hands, fingernails filled with black dirt--in one he held a large clump of luscious 'June'
and in the other, a glowing 'August Moon'!

I hesitated, conflicted, as my eyes darted back and forth between the two enticing plants, that I later learned
were known as 'Hosta'! He set one clump on the hood of my car, and ran his fingers through the tantalizing
leaves spilling over the other filthy hand! In that moment, 'good sense' waged war with 'lust for leaves'!

I briefly wondered where he might have gotten such impressive specimens, but 'June' mesmerized me
and I nervously asked him, "Do you accept credit cards?"

With a deep snarl he demanded,

"Cash--NOW, or I'LL leave, and you'll never see me, nor these plants, ever again!"

Throwing caution to the wind, money and hosta were exchanged as he cautiously scanned the parking lot
making sure the transacton was not being observed!

I quickly jumped into my car, hosta strapped in the passenger seat and rapidly made my escape, tires
smoking as I sped down the dark alley, to the interstate, fearing the FBI, CIA and Dayton Hosta Society were
fast on my heels!

Every couple of weeks, I made it a point to visit that neighborhood and find my 'supplier' lurking
in that same thick shrubbery. Every time I met with him, his hosta were more expensive, but it didn't
matter--the addiction became intense and I was helpless to resist any longer! Eventually, he had all
the money I had and I was and am hopelessly hooked--and broke!!

Cursed hosta-man!! OH--HOW I LOVE HIM!!! ;o)

Okay--it just got too dog-gone hot and 'sticky' for me to continue working in the yard and I imagined
a better story than I had originally, about my 'addiction'!! I like this version better!!!

The "awakening" was with me grandmum, me thinks.

They were living on the farm, which I later bought and sold, and she had H. Lancifolia all around the house. I remember thinking at the time I should plant some on a shady hillside and see what they would do.

Then I dug some up and planted them at the next several houses I lived at, thinking it was a very nice hosta (and the only game in town).

Then I went to a nursery one year, and they had an unamed hosta, probably H. Honeybells now that I know there are names for them, and it grew well.

Then we bought our third house, and it had shade. So I thought, gee, lets pull the hosta from the east side of the house and see if they like it under the ash tree. They loved it.

I started looking for more varieties. Then I found some at a flea market/farmers market. The guy said he had about 200 varieties. This was six years ago.

That's when I really got hooked. I bought many, many hostas from him, became a master gardener, and specialize in hosta questions locally, and am branching out to ornamental grasses this year.

I'm up to 270 or so varieties, and built two pergolas last year to increase my shade area or reduce my mowing area.

Not an exciting story, but one thing is for sure, Hosta grow on you.

There is no such thing as a bad looking hosta in my book, except one w/ HVX.

Just think, some cultures like to stir fry the tender little shoots and eat them.

Oh, the inhumanity.

^ _ ^

dkB

~

Twenty-two years ago when I was in 7th grade a friend of mine had a pool with the most beautiful hostas surrounding it. As a 13-year-old I remember peeking at the tag (Plantain Lily), but wouldn't dare say anything about them because I was "too cool". 12 years later in my first house the garden bug hit. My first yard had very little shade, but I got a few free hostas and they loved it...from there it was alll down hill. Today I have over seventy varities and tons of shade! I am an addict and my own 7 and 4 year old know what hostas are and can even name a few of them!

My friend Sabrina... I had some of the common green and green and white.. I went to her house, and she dug into her Sum and substance and Blue Mammoth, even though they only had a few eyes each and gave me a start of each. I went downhill from there...

Ahhh, lynne, it's always the *friends* that do us in--isn't it! Now--I'm one of THEM, and consider it a duty
to enlist more and more of those who are hosta-clueless to be converts and hopeless addicted to a very
safe plant, (as far as addictions go) although it can get to be very expensive to satisfy the craving for more,
sad to say!!

Free always is a good reason to take some plants from a neighbor. That was 30 years ago and I shared those 3 kinds of hostas with my sister and sister in law. Moved and left them all behind 16 years ago. Met my neighbor while clearing out brush along the south lot line. She wanted to know what I planned to put in and I said hostas and together we planted a huge hosta bed there and the rest is history. I looked around for more hosta to use in my yard and started learning the names of the plants. 600+ plants and 170 varieties now grace my 3/4 acre garden.

Because of my many hostas I was asked to be a part of our local garden walk in 2006. I know I have helped quite a few friends and even strangers become addicted to hosta. Do I feel bad about it, not at all.

A couple of years ago while I was visiting my brother and sister in law as we were walking in their 3 acre tree filled yard I gazed down the hill and saw this wonderful enormus hosta bed filled with mature hostas of many kinds. The setting was spectatular and I said in aue to Donald "Where did you get all those hostas?" He looked at me and said "you"! We've had many a laugh over that!

Now that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!!

Connie

My Hosta addiction is just beginning. We bought a house on one acre, mainly for the dogs to run around on. It is a ranch surrounded by huge, old trees and the yard is literally a blank canvas. So, I know that you can grow al kinds of plants in part shade, but could not figure out what to plant.

Now, let's go back to my childhood... My mother got one hosta - the green and white kind - from a friend. That Hosta was to be the end of me almost. Each summer, we divided it and planted more and more of it everywhere. It was my job to take hedge clippers to the flowers each year and to divide them when friends and family came buy and wanted it. I came to dislike that Hosta and decided to never have it in my yard when I had a home of my own.

Back to the present. I do have a home of my own and a bare yard. So, out of desperation, I went to my parents' house and you guessed it, I got a piece of Hosta. Then I was driving down the street and saw a yard filled with other kinds of Hosta. Then I read in the newspaper that a nursery down the street from me has over 600 kinds of Hosta for sale. Well, my interest was peaked and now I am addicted. I already have 10 - 12 kinds of Hosta that I bought within the past month. This morning, I ordered 30 more from a mail order company. I think I am in trouble!!

Daniel in Ohio

I really have no idea how long it has been, but I had finished building a sunny perrenial garden in the small back yard. It was time to move to the front yard, I had to remove the big yews that were constantly clogging my drain lines. I had a clean slate to start with. I went to Michigan to go plant shopping with my sister. We visited a nursery that had a huge S.'Elegan's'. That got me hooked. I had already had plantiginea, undulata, and Aureomarginata, but now I could have a big blue one! Well, I brought home Halcyon. After finishing my front yard, the side was shady, and would not grow grass, so Hosta was the perfect choice. It was then that my collection started taking off. I have sinced moved out of that house, and moved into another home with a bigger yard, with lots of potential. I just have to figure out how to be able to afford the mulch to make the beds pretty!

I remember when I was a kid, popping the flower buds on the old green and white Hosta - didn't have an appreciation nor respect for the plant.

But my first Hosta was from my boss's wife Sue. Then she told me about a Hosta "farm" down the road from her....that turned out to be Jean and Pete Ruh's place. Now this was quite a few years ago, but then we hosted the 2005 AHS convention and I wanted to work it. I posted, I think for the first time, on this Hosta forum and Ken got me to our local North Coast Hosta Society. I became a memeber of both the AHS and NCHS, worked the convention, met the greatest folks and had a blast.

So between Sue, some 10 years now, the Ruhs', and yes Ken, I have been hooked-line-and sinker a Hostaholic thanks to them all.

Deb

I purchased my last (current)house late August 2 years ago. There was no landscaping what so ever. There was however the dead remains of two shade gardens on either side of the front porch. I've always been a gardener, but always in full sun. I knew NOTHING about shade plants. I had to have something in the ground to look at till winter hit so I ran down to the local box store (I now know better) and bought, at the recommendation of the sales clerk, 2 August Moons, 4 Francee and 4 Astilbe. Then I had to research on line to figure out their planting preferences. That's how I found all of you.

So the sales clerk may have nudged me ... BUT ... MY enablers were, and are, Butch, Ken, Janice, Alexa, McT, Paul, Mary, Phil, Don, Connie ... OMGoodness...All of you. Now not quite 2 years later I am just shy of 100 hosta, over 80 different named ones. I should hit a little over 100 by end of this week, beginning of next, when the mail man comes...he he he. :-)

Alexis

bump to the future 2015

Sitting in my garden room office working the computer on a cold windy morning waiting for the temps to get to +30 so I can go outside to start some winter yard work.

Came across a 2009 email from Ken that prompted me to resurrect this thread. Thanks Ken for the memories!

Always fun to reflect at this time of the year on why you do what you do!

Bruce

i see you clean out your inbox as often as i do ... lol ...

ken

Thanks Ken for starting this thread when I knew nothing about hosta until McTavish gifted me some a mere 3 years ago to fill in an area that I was sure was my last garden. Never wanted the work, retired, tired and never got hooked on anything.. then along came myrle and all her Hosta! Found the forum and started to check out the plants , you know, the green ones, the green and white ones. That is why my user name is almosthooked but from my yard now and all the purchases, would never know that now .
Thanks Bruce for bring this back to the top and thanks Myrle for the start. The most fun three years I ever had in a long time
Faye

hosta ain't no stinkin' drug ⦠now, bacon, on the other hand ...

Kmart had them and they looked cute so I bought them. Did not know what I had till the year later. Pips got me hooked. And then I came here. The rest is history....

What a delightful thread to resurrect! Somebody gave me some sale hostas from Lowes that were obviously mislabeled. I went on the web to figure it out and was hooked within hours. I can even show the picture of the hosta that did it. It's from the Sebright website.

Kathy

The internet did it. Without it I would never have stumbled onto this forum. I would never have 'met' all of you. I wouldn't have nearly as many hostas, I wouldn't know nearly as much about them, and I wouldn't enjoy them nearly as much as I do. I wouldn't photograph them, and measure them and count their pips and call them by name. I remember when there was no internet in my house, and no hostas in my yard. Not really the 'good old days' were they?

And isn't it interesting/sad how many posters to this old thread no longer join us here?
Jan

Bruce, thanks for bumping up this thread! I don't think I ever read the OP by Ken! I started loving hosta when I moved in here to my second house with my second DH in the late 90s! There were a few of those ubiquitous green and white ones, but I thought they were marvelous. However, I became really and truly hooked when I stumbled upon this forum. I began to label my new ones and dream about hosta gardens like all of yours. Then, adopted two galloping gardeners who objected to the labels and even some of the placements of my hosta. Now, I keep adding, but no labels. My gardens will never look quite like Ken's or Phil's or McTavish's or Bruce's or Babka's or Mocc's or any of your wonderfully tended gardens, I will never remember all the names (memory like a sieve), and I will never be satisfied, but I do love my hosta and I am so glad to have found all you kind and funny people! You inspire, teach, and encourage me every day. Thanks!

Oh, and I will be referring to Ken's step by step instructions (think it was yours, Ken)on moving large hostas this spring-never got round to it in the fall (darn school gets in the way of my gardening-would much prefer being off in spring and fall to being out in the heat of the summer). New neighbors are taking out shrubs that were a nice backdrop and have already cut down numerous trees that has destroyed my shade, so will try to move my huge ones to the back yard. Not sure what I will replace them with, but willing to bet it will just be more hosta and a couple of new trees on our side for shade. Oh, to live away from neighbors!

Started out with nothing to look at but trees on the west side of our house. Nobody even walked on any bit of the land on that side. We had cleared out the woodland debris along with most of the ticks and chiggers, but there just wasn't anything to entice a person to want to spend time out there.

Went to a nursery in '09 looking for something, anything to plant on that west side that could survive deep shade, just so there would be a plant to look at. Bought a Blue Angel and two Guardian Angels.

My love for Hostas grew slowly, only adding a few each year until last year. Last year the bug really hit and I went from 80 Hostas to 150. Still have to redefine the border this winter and fill in the mulch. I barely had enough time to get all my new Hostas in before the 1st frost hit this past fall. Anyway, I'm infected now the the Hosta bug, and loving it.

I started with hostas around 1988 when looking for perennials for our yard. A big local nursery had $1 per pot in late fall. I bought about 30 pots for several years each year, and there were hostas in between. Then I received mailorder paper catalogs in the mail, which had hostas, and I bought several. Now I have more than 250 different ones, and many hosta seedlings just coming up.
Bernd

Home Depot, then this forum. In late fall 2013, or maybe it was the year before, I joined the HD Garden Club, and they promptly emailed me a coupon for hostas, buy 1, get 2 free. So I bit, never thinking where I would put them. I found places for two, but the third ended up turned on it's side in a corner of a tiny bed, and forgotten till spring. I found it and turned it right side up on a chilly spring day, and lo and behold, it was alive! The other two didn't survive the winter, but that one has come back twice after winter. :) It's just this year I've really had time to look and learn, and I've added a few, but I keep coming back to this forum. I think I have the bug.
LynnT

Time to reflect for the new year!

Seven years after my original post, I now have 485 varieties. (up from 134 varieties in 2005) Thanks, Ken! I'm looking forward to a new hosta season in 2016! Two friends and I have a plant sale mid May and I plan to dig up my duplicate hostas to make room for new and more desirable hostas! The proceeds will finance my addiction and make room for more.

Question, I've had Empress Wu since 2009 and even though it has gotten BIG, I'm just not all that impressed with it. Does it ever get pretty?

I've always noticed and enjoyed looking at hostas. Unfortunately, I have to admit - like another poster above - that as a child I participated in 'popping' the flower buds. Shame on me!

In my previous home/garden, we had some 'green and white' hostas that had been planted by either the previous owner or the builder/landscaper. I moved them, divided them, etc., but never added to the collection or even thought about getting different ones --- I don't think I really ever paid attention at the nurseries to just how many different varieties there were. And I certainly never knew that some would be happy in sun! I was gardening and planting, but hostas just weren't on my radar.

When we moved into this house 5 years ago, I planted a little Japanese Maple and decided I wanted to fill out the bed around it right away because I know they don't like having their roots disturbed once they get established. So I was at Home Depot and saw some pots of Rainforest Sunrise. I thought - that will be a pretty contrast to the red leaves of my Bloodgood maple... so I bought them. I also saw some epimedium and decided to put some of those in that same bed.

So the next spring when the hostas seemed to be taking a long time to appear, I started searching on the Internet for some info. I remembered how great Gardenweb was when we were building our house (couldn't have done it without the great info and pictures from people on the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, appliances forums!!!). And I started reading the hosta forum, then the trees, shrubs, etc.... And my eyes were opened to these amazing hostas, and now I fear I'm hooked.

I greatly expanded my beds last fall and so I've been making plans for planting this spring/summer. And thanks to you all, I have a pretty good list of hostas, and some companions, that I hope to get asap. So far, in the ground I only have 3 varieties: the Rainforest Sunrise, Cathedral Windows and Rhino Hide. In pots I have: Blue Mouse Ears, Fire Island, Prairie Sky, Wheee!, and the sport I removed from RS last summer.

Edit -- Also - thanks to you all, I won't be buying my hostas at Home Depot any more. The RS, so far, seem to be fine and healthy. But I'm glad I've had the opportunity to learn about HVX and the need to be careful of sources.

I saw my first hosta at my Grandpa's house. I was 5, I know because he died shortly after my visit. It was this huge green plant, as tall as i was, with the largest leaves my little mind had ever seen. To a 5 year old it was magical. I've loved them ever since.

My mother started collecting hostas when I was a young kid to fill the densely shaded side yard of our house. She was a constant gardener, raised on a farm so gardens were her passion and plants her habit. :)

I was her constant companion on treks to garden tours, sales and random back yard tours all over the Metro Detroit area. The bug just came naturally. When I was a teenager, I recall going to a sale with her in Royal Oak, in the yard of a Michigan Hosta Society member not far from downtown. Lovely dark brick house, on a corner lot. They packed so many varieties in that yard. It astonished me that there were so darn many shapes, sizes and colors! Before then I thought they were cool plants, but didn't love them until that sale. If I recall correctly, my mom got her first minis at that sale and I asked for a blue, pretty please!

When mom passed away 5 or 6 years ago, my sister and I made sure to dig up as many as we possibly could from her yard and moved them to our houses, before we sold it. We both still have our mother's hostas, and we have divided and shared with half our family and friends through out the years. Now, I'm a bit of a hosta hoarder, with a full sun yard! Ohh the tragedy!

Remember Liz, as the hosta addicts keep saying: hostas are shade "tolerant". So maybe the sunny yard will be okay.