Hosta are definite water lovers, yes we water and often wish we could double what we lay down. Now understand the soil here is way light and drainage is beyond good. If we get an inch or more in a week, all's O.K. but two is better. H. 'Abba Dabba Do' is a great example of a water lover. You really have to drench it real often to get it to stand up tall and perky.

Most of the hosta are in almost complete shade, say, heavily mottled. Now, after years, we see that Hosta are NOT shade plants, merely shade tolerant. We have several examples of the same cultivar in deep shade vs. one in more reasonable light, and the growth difference is obvious.

Finally, yes, the plain old dymo embossed labels last and last, at least in the shade. It's a pressure-activated adhesive, so press hard when applying. It takes a sharp pocket knife (and a steady hand) to get one back off after 10 years, I can tell you!

Hope I got all that and didn't go too far.

hh

Here on a glacial moraine, the water is an astounding 426' down, and the pump big and bad enough to bring up the water that far really spins the electric meter, yeouch!

So we skinny by as needed, and love when we get lotsa rain.

hh