In my opinion, those are great choices (Clifford's Stingray I am not too familiar with and don't know squat about) but all the others I love. I'm also ordering 'Flower Power' from Hallson Gardens. I am sure some Minnesota region peeps will respond pretty soon regarding ship dates. They may have no choice BUT to ship orders in May...Still pretty cold in Michigan.

Regards,
Don B.

Don B.

Mid-May is perfect - last average frost date in Twin Cities area is 15th of May. No familiarity with Flower Power or Clifford's Stingray.....the rest are very nice hostas.

Paul

Thanks, Don. I am wondering if it will be warm by the middle of May here the way things are going.

So, another stupid question. When you receive the plants, do you just put them in a pot until you can actually plant them? Water them to death?? I have no idea. I have never tried this before.

I just thought cliffords stingray looked really nice.

Thanks Paul. You do have to wonder if the average frost date means anything this year. I keep waiting for it to warm up.

I guess we got spoiled by the weather last year.

My list of the hostas I want, is really long, but I thought I would start with these. Don't want to shock the husband too much.

Great choices! I had a Clifford's Stingray for two years. Not sure wat happened, but it just died/disappeared. I am going to try again this year, though, because I also like the way it looked.

It is still really cold here in northern VA-29 degrees last night! Gosh, I am dying to get out in the yard.

Enjoy your order.

Jamie,

Chris will give you very detailed instructions on how to handle the bare root Hostas that you receive. I soak mine in water for at least two hours before planting. If the bed is fully prepared I plant in the ground, otherwise they go into a pot until the fall for planting them. Your choices are fine. I'm not a fan of Flower Power, but it will grow just fine. Show us some pics when they come.

Steve

I have seen an established Cliffords Stingray, and it was a sharp plant. I almost bought it..before I admitted to myself I had no good spot for it...

You're going to really like the plants you receive from Hallson Gardens. I wonder what kind of bonus Hosta they're going to throw in as your 'Thank you for ordering' gift? :)

Don B.

This post was edited by Don_in_Colorado on Fri, Apr 5, 13 at 0:08

'Queen of the Seas' and 'Summer Breeze' with 'Wolverine' as a bonus plant.

'Cathedral Windows' 'Avocado' 'Fragrant Bouquet' and 'Fried Bananas' (not in pic) with 'Fragrant Blue' as a bonus plant. Hallson Gardens is the best. It's a lot of fun anticipating what the bonus plant will be. On another order, I bought 'Undulata Albomarginata' and 'Valentine Lace', and I got 'Luna Moth' as a gift plant!

I can no longer remember what I did for enjoyment before becoming a Hostaholic!

Don B.

I have to laugh at myself. As soon as Steve said he wasn't a fan of Flower Power, I went back to look at it and I'm trying to figure out how it made the cut. I have a pretty short list, so you would think I would know why I picked something

The bad part is that while I am looking for pics of that hosta, I am writing down more names of hostas I want.

Don, I'm excited to place an order with them. The idea of a "bonus" hosta is really kind of fun.

chris is 10 miles west of me ...

our spring is SLIGHTLY ahead of yours ... and i mean minutes.. lol ...

he will send them.. when he can get a shovel in the ground.. and this year .... it might not matter when you want them .. lol ...

i dont know if they will be dormant.. or leafed out..

a leafed out hosta will have no humor about frost/freeze .. and that is the definitive reason on whether you can plant them out and protect them.. since you have a few..

or whether they need to be potted ...

whatever you do.. do not leave them in a bucket for a week or two.. roots need air.. as much as water ... so you do not try to drown a bare root hosta.. because you can drown them ...

FP is a nice historical hosta.. you can do better ... even plantiginea itself.. or royal standard is better ...

dont get caught in the name game.. where you latch on to a cool name.. and then wonder what the deal was..

is your bed ready for them???

i used to have a wheelbarrow filled with media .. and stuck mail order in that.. and wheeled them in and out of the garage.. for a few weeks ... if necessary ... one large pot will do the same ... take a ballpoint/sharpies.. and write the name on the smallest leaf.. so you dont mix up names.. as you unwrap and pot them ...

ken

Thank you all.

Ken, thats the info I need. Maybe I will make it easy and ask for the end of May. Snow should be gone by then. The bed is ready, but I am planning a couple of shrubs for the rear of it, so I maybe I should get them in first.

I think I went with Flower Power cuz I love my nigrescens and I thought it would do well in some sun.

So, lets kick out Flower Power and go with something else I will "love" for my first order.

Have to stick with ones Hallsons has, so......

Abba Dabba Do ? (Pauls picture is pretty convincing)
Mojito?
Frosted Dimple?

Any votes??

I've had Clifford's Stingray for several years and had no problems except for one that sported a couple solid green eyes. I separated and saved them - ordinary but they grow like weeds.

I don't have Mojito or Frosted Dimple, but Abba Dabba Do does OK. Mine is a bit slow, probably needs more light.

Generous of you to let us have an opinion. I've had fun looking.

For a large green, that I wish I had but I don't, Niagra Falls. However its probably not as sun tolerant. As Ken says, Royal standard can't be beat for a large, sun tolerant green and you could get that anywhere.

If I had to choose from your suggestions, Blue Dimples. I loved the pictures in the alphabet thread.

Beverly

If you're in the Twin Cities, there are several vendors here within the Cities that are pretty reputable sellers. Check out Venero's, Savory's, Funkie's and even Linders.... for common varieties, you can't beat their 2 year guarantee!

I am in the twin cities Melissa. I have been to Savorys and Paul told me about Verero's last year, but I never made it out there. It's on my to-do list if it ever warms up.

I've never found much at Linders. What is Funkies??

My order for Hallson (I added another one to it plus some on-sale Oriental lilies) MIGHT ship around April 22. Depending on weather. But of course, they will send to us earlier than they will to more northerly parts of the country. Just fine by me, since there will be no big leaves to get wilted like later in the summer.

I got Flower Power last year. However, I NOW HAVE NO PICTURES since my external hard drive went kaput on me, and if it is not in my Flickr albums, I lost all and I mean ALL of my photos for the last TEN YEARS. I do still have the thumb drive with my index of garden plants by name, where they came from, how much they cost, yada yada. Let me check Flickr to see if I uploaded a picture for you....

Yep, I uploaded ONE in October. It is a fragrant hosta with long green leaves. I am a fan of fragrant hosta though, and this was much further down my list of acquisitions than the species fragrant hosta, MAMA of them all, plain old plantaginea.....which I would recommend.....or maybe instead something like Fragrant King, which is outstanding and vigorous in growth and variegated as well. Don't get me started listing my favorites of Mama's Family!

Flower Power

plantaginea

Fragrant King

and the flower scape in bloom for Fragrant King

I was notified that my Hallson's order shipped yesterday! I must be getting ones that are over-wintered in pots rather than that frozen tundra.

Will post pics when they come.

-Babka

Thanks for digging up the picture for me. Actually, I think thats how I got started on ordering Flower Power. I wanted to order the plantaginea, but Hallsons was out and I wanted to try a fragrant one.

The flower on that Fragrant King is amazing

Well, I rarely go to Savory's, just cuz I can usually find what I want a bit cheaper elsewhere.

From your list, the Linders on Larpentur would have had all but Clifford's Stingray. I'm just a huge fan cuz I think their guarantee is so great.

Funkie Gardens is another hosta specializing nursery... it's outside of Stillwater. There's also Chaska Farm & Garden (prices a little high).

Paul and I have been known to frequent several private sellers too! We do a great job of enabling each other in that way.

Don B, just noticed you mentioned Fragrant Blue coming from Hallsons this spring. It is not known for its fragrance, might have none, but it is a real lion of the plantaginea family. Or make that the Napoleon of the fragrant family. Not the largest, but a hosta of great vigor and durability. Mine stayed a medium blue-green for most of the growing season, and the new leaves reflushed blue late in the season. I think you'll really enjoy it.

And to the original poster, my opinion? You cannot go wrong online ordering by keeping to quality providers. You made excellent choices all around.

Mocc, I actually got that order last summer, but you're right; No fragrance I could detect, but a great-looking and fast-growing Hosta. I like it a lot. One of my favorite blues.

Don B.

I SAID:

chris is 10 miles west of me ...

our spring is SLIGHTLY ahead of yours ... and i mean minutes.. lol ...

he will send them.. when he can get a shovel in the ground.. and this year .... it might not matter when you want them .. lol ...

====>>>>

it has been brought to my attention that i suggested that they would be sent 'whenever' .....

i seem to have said.. when a shovel could be placed into the ground.. so as to facilitate 'digging' of said hosta ... as a prelude to packing.. and shipping..

i just havent figured out how to dig up a hosta in frozen ground .... and if anyone knows.. let me know.. because i just wasted march and some of april.. when i could have been moving hosta ....

and i am now under the impression.. that the soil is fully thawed in southern MI ... specifically east and mid sections.. and since west is z6 .. i will call it all of southern MI ... now this only leaves those sellers in MN and WI .... wonder when they will thaw ....

regardless ..... please forgive me if there is any confusion regarding such ... no business man will make money.. if he only sends.. when he fells like it .... and i meant nothing other than the physical impossibility of digging plants out of frozen soil ....

ken

one reason ... to take delivery ..... ASAP ... especially on newer, rarer hosta... is that you get them in your grubby little hands.. before they are SOLD OUT ...

so you ask for shipment ASAP.. and struggle with them until proper planting time..

NOTHING on your list.. is rare.. so take delivery whenever it pleases you ... but confirm such with your seller ... in case anything is not ....

ken

No confusion Ken. I've read enough about Hallson's to know he wouldn't just ship them "whenever".

Things may be thawing in MI, but we are waiting for about 14" of new snow. So, I am not in a hurry. Mid to late May is probably the best time for me.

"The Postman Rang Twice" today, but not with my Hallson order. So I guess it will be Thursday when it comes. Bummer. We have another 80 * day and it is gorgeous, tomorrow will be thunderstorms and winds, so I have my umbrellas (shade for the garden) all folded up.

Hallson will be my second arrival of the growing season. It includes the balance of his fragrant hosta not previously in my garden, so unless Chris sells different fragrant hosta, I'll be tending toward Bob Solberg and VanWade for my fragrant hosta fix. The third big order is waiting on weather from Van Wade.

That's just cruel. 80? Like above zero?

Poor Jamie! I apologize for mentioning 80* .....but when all your plants decide it's safe to grow, the transformation in your garden will be awesome.

And yes, like above freezing, and even above the high seventies.
;/

Hallsons is already digging and will ship to you when YOU want. I got my dormant babies a week ago. They're up about 1" a week later. Most years he ships to me in early April. Apparently Chris has figured out a way to dig earlier than Ken. Magic growing methods, methinks.

Mine go right outside because we're warm here, but for those of you in the below zero parts, you can pot them up and watch them sprout indoors, then put them in the ground when you are sure it is safe. Why wait?

-Babka