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jon_beard89

Early scapes

Jon 6a SE MA
9 years ago

Halo

Sieboldiana Elegans

Great Expectations

Frances Williams

NOID

FW again

T-Rex

Blue Umbrellas

Bressingham Blue

Sieboldiana Elegans

I hope you take the time to savor and share your early scapes.

Jon

Comments (48)

  • User
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Some lovely closeups of your forming scapes, Jon. In some cases the ones you picture as "early" here, have already formed seedpods in my garden. I'm not saying that is the norm, because to me it seems rather precipitous.

    Just what is the average bloom period. Here at my house I also have numerous--but not all--fragrant hosta in bloom. In New Orleans they'd call these the "second line"--not the main parade, but the enthusiastic part of the crowd traveling along with it.

    I'll have to get some shots this morning while it is overcast and post them later today. It includes Fried Bananas, Avocado, 24 Carat Gold, Southern Gold, Mariachi, all in bloom. Others scaping include Sugar Babe, Guacamole, Holy Mole, Cerveza, and who knows what else this morning.

  • bkay2000
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Like Mocc, I already have pods on several. Cathedral Windows and Fragrant Dream are scaping already.

    It is almost July, you know.

    bk

  • User
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Is it early? Almost all of mine are flowering in all areas of my property. Even with the insane rainfall and flooding going on and cool temps, scapes are up and flowers are opening. What's delayed though are my tomato plants. But that's not for this forum.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looking forward to the pics, Moc.

    There are other hosta just starting, but they are all late in scaping....so maybe the title should be late scapes, or some early late scapes,,, or late early scapes......or....

    ; - )

    Jon

    Anyway, no flowers, except as shown, and these are the first scapes for me.

  • irawon
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We had one and one half days of hard rain, so some of my hostas have formed a few scapes. Tick Tock had the most. Dream Queen, Montana Aureomarginata and Golden Meadows had only one. My pictures include most of the plant, so I could keep track of which are which.

    Tick Tock

  • irawon
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Montana Aureomarginata

  • irawon
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dream Queen

  • irawon
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Golden Meadows. I like the color of GM at this time of year better than last year.

  • irawon
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Emerald Ruff Cut showing better this year than last... could be the late spring?

  • Steve Massachusetts
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nice pics, Jon. You are getting really good with that camera. What are you using?

    Steve

  • irawon
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    BTW, Jon I meant to mention that your GE scapes look like fingers crossed. HAHA. Good luck with yours. Mine only has 2 fat eyes after 5 years. I'm planning on putting him into a spin out bag.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the pictures Irawon. I am fascinated with the close ups though. I am going to have to bring a pad and paper as I have to walk out and look and say 'Now which one was that' all the time.

    Steve, it is a Nikon D80 which I have had for many years. It is most responsible for any good pictures I might take. Very simple to use. I use the eye piece; just don't like using the viewer. Screw the lens in or out to zoom, push the button in part way and it marks all the points the camera is focusing on so you can set what you want in focus or out of focus. Sophisticatedly simple is how I would describe it.

    Jon.

  • dg
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Woodland Elf (a mini) has itty bitty scapes.

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    First time seeing Jimmy Crack Corn in bloom, new 2013... Had much rain yesterday!

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Guardian Angel looking like a gooseneck! New...don't know what's normal, lol

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mini Skirt with her first scape.

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My bagged Cherry Berry from March.

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sagae with its lovely coloured buds.

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Choco Nishiki aka On Stage, first scape!

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Blue Mouse Ears

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No buds, but my granddaughter called this drop covered moss "jewels"...she's only four but already is displaying "garden terminology" prowess! No, grandma did not prompt her - I simply asked her "what do these raindrops look like to you, honey". :-)

    Jon, your pics of the flower scapes are lovely.

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wheee! scapes

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sport of Whirlwind's first scapes.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Degregory and Jo, now we're talking. The rest of you; get down and lets see those scapes, if I have to wash my knees then so do you ....

    ........pretty pushy aren't I?

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Albomarginata

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No dirty knees, but very wet bare feet, wet head and wet clothes, but it's all for the cause!!! lol!

    Frances Williams

  • mstrecke
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So I have a question.

    I thought hosta varieties bloom at the same time no matter what their local is?

    I read this somewhere and have no basis for this statement, just curious!

    I will post pics of some of my scapes tomorrow!

    Margaret

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I didn't think you wanted me to disturb this to look for scapes....just throwing it in - too good to pass up!

  • mstrecke
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ZOMG WHAT IS THAT! JO?!?!

  • User
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Boy, there are some eye popping plants pictured here.
    I think my TickTock is holding out on me after seeing Irawon's. Holy Mole, BatMan!

    And Jo your Jimmy Crack Corn capture of the flower buds look like popcorn kernels. Your Guardian Angel scape that weaves around like a crazy person is puzzling....but I have some crazy scapes too.

    When I posted earlier today I said I'd be taking pictures and of course that meant I had to put names to them so I could upload to Flickr. That took a long time. Plus, I received a (small) (supplemental) order from Plant Delights and then another (small) (supplemental) order from LOTG. And they had to be treated properly while I had the chance....DH was taking a nap and I did not disturb him in the slightest.
    So I proceeded to take about 110 pictures, indexed them, put them in albums on Flickr, straightened out the mess because they did not go where I wanted....and now here we are at quarter past the witching hour.

    Want to see a few? I'll post a few here, and give a link to the album at Flickr for those with a masochistic streak.

    My question is.....what do you consider "early scapes?" Anything that comes before the normal time is early. I'm not sure I know when normal is. Considering that, I will show mostly the fragrant ones setting scapes, in full bloom. Then I'll show a few that are NOT fragrant but have seedpods already formed and not blooming.

    To begin....my two really great performing gold hosta this year already bloomed and got it over with. Neither set seedpods. I show you the plants as of today because to my eyes they are not tired nor worn out, and I assume it is because I found the "sweet spot" for golds in my garden.

    Johnny Angel and Sea Gulf Stream already bloomed with zero seedpods.

    Now the fragrants.
    Royal Standard. I have 4 of them, with 3 of them scaping. They are in a LOT of sun, mostly afternoon, and I drown them in water.. They are more gold this year.

    The Shining. I pushed the leaves aside and surprised to see this big tubular flower with a scape about a half inch long. Deformity? yes!

    Sugar And Spice just scaping a little bit.

    Fried Bananas with two scapes. NICE white flowers. It was damaged by the cold this spring.

    Otome No Ka

    Rippled Honey

    Prairie Angel

    Fragrant Gold

    Frozen Margarita (I have 2, I think only 1 is scaping)

    Fragrant Fire

    24 Caret Gold...it also set ONE seedpod so far and is still in bloom. I'm hoping for more!

    Avocado in full bloom

    Holy Mole

    Sweetie with a weird scape

    Dan Patch

    Ginsu Knife, both of them, forming scapes

    Sweet Bo Peep

    GUACAMOLE.....I say, that is a surprise

    The Sweetest Thing is a fragrant streaker scaping

    Fried Green Tomatos blooming already

    That's it for the fragrant ones for now. I guess I better let the GWeb server cool off a little and I'll post more tomorrow if you like. The ones with seed pods are nice. And the ones in bloom are too.

  • don_in_colorado
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Margaret, I've heard and read the same thing about the same variety of hosta sending up scapes at the same time, no matter that they're in different climates.

    Let us call "B.S." together, eh? B.S.!!!

    Cheers,
    Don B.

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mstrecke, that is a Fire and Ice....still in a pot and safe from slugs and snails thus far! :-)

    Jo

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jo,

    Thanks for taking one for the team with your wet feet. Great pictures.

    Margaret,

    as Don said, I think we can file that myth as 'Busted'.

    Moc,

    Thank you going through all that to show us some great scapes (or escapes?)

    Please keep them coming everyone.

    Jon

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Fanfare

    Orange Marmalade

    Albomarginata

    Sagae

    {{gwi:1018996}}

    Her majesty Empress Wu. Such a dainty scape for the world's largest hosta.

    Jon

  • User
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jonny, I must say that your closeups are fantastic. I am in love with Sagae. It looks like a tear--a sad and lonely tear--is clinging to the scape. There is a feeling of "take me home with you" about that tear.

    And my comment on Empress Wu....she is a big girl but she is every inch a feminine being. Of course she has dainty flowers and might enjoy a lace hanky if you gave her one. :)

    Now for the hosta which have seedpods this year.
    Seducer. Note it is in a lot of sun and it went into a decline recently where you will observe the golds did not.

    Key West in same area as Seducer (note it at top of pic) seems to love the sun (and lots of water too).

    My trio from Lowes includes the two with seedpods, Elegans (as it was labeled) and Frances Williams (which is now showing some signs of the dessication)

    Sagae with multiple scapes and a nice set of seedpods too

    Yesterday's Memories with 10 scapes and a sparse setting of seedpods

    Dick Ward with ONE seedpod and it is through blooming

    Rosedale Golden Goose also ONE seedpod.

    Heart's Content again ONE seedpod

    Mississippi Delta bloomed early and set a few pods

    Gotta love the ventricosa family! They are generous with pods which have a white color to them. This group includes ventricosa, Holly's Dazzler, ventricosa Aureomarginata, Stir Fry. The only one which has not bloomed yet is Heartache the yellow on the right, which is a hybrid

    Golden Meadows with short scapes set a few pods too

    Happy Hearts, showing cold damage to its leaves, gave me one pod too, bless its little heart.

    Nakaiana the species had numerous scapes and seems to have set pods on all of them. Nice fat pods.

    Margie's Angel arrived this year with a scape growing and now has several nice size seedpods on it. Still tied up. This is a TALL plant

    Clear Fork River Valley, one of my best performers and always looks good. It set seedpods too. I missed taking its picture on the 25th but here it is on June 2 with pods. That is Golden Meadows next to it....hoping they had a rendezvous with the same pollinator.

    That's all with seed pods. Some have bloomed and have nothing to show for it, but that is a story for another post.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you very much Moc and thank you for the pod pictures.

    Your Golden Meadows made me think that I had ignored my GM. I don't know how I could have done that, but here it is with a couple of extra to make up for ignoring one of my favorites.

    Jon

  • User
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jon, I wish my GMeadows had the coloration yours does. I thought I put it in enough sun to get a lighter midleaf but apparently not. I've been much too timid about that. This year, however, I gritted my teeth and located the gold hosta in a LOT more sun, also the green fragrant ones. In that location and with a LOT of water, they are both doing very well. SURPRISINGLY well.

    Here are some more which are not fragrant but are either blooming or scaping, as the case may be. A lot of them are early by nature, some may just be early as a response to a difficult winter, and they are going through the reproductive process as a precaution against a repeat of an early winter this coming year.

    Victory in full bloom. Those tall scapes require clips to keep them out of the way

    Gosan Sunproof in full bloom too

    June Fever in full bloom now

    Zebra Stripes...I don't know WHAT this one is in, because it shot up a fasciated scape which seemed to consume the whole plant for a while. Now it is still not opened a bloom and it has a small rosette of leaves growing. I hope it lives.

    Striptease in bloom, the only one in that family to do so.

    Red Dragon with some gorgeous maroon scapes blooming soon

    Squash Casserole, my #2 plant which is new this year. All the others in the family already bloomed...except for Wave Runner (sport of SC) which arrived here yesterday.

    Princess Anastasia...this is the older of 3 plants and the only pot of it which did NOT bloom. It almost died, so I cut it some slack. I think it is a lovely plant and show it instead of the others.

    Purple Lady Fingers, 2 pots and both are scaping. I show only one here. It is breathtaking with deep purple unopened bloom spikes.

    Southern Gold through with blooming and no pods.

    Mango Salsa (that's Deep Pockets neighbor) about to bloom.

    Riptide blooming now. Love the frosty white/purple scapes

    First Mate is rather smallish here but it is blooming

    Touch of Class with 2 scapes so far

    Annabel Lee in bloom with more frosty purplish scapes

    Neptune in bloom. Not sure if it turns this satin oily shiny color elsewhere but that is what some of my blues do. Must be a heat response after the wax melts?

    Astral Bliss in bloom, and another blue to turn shiny and green.

    Guardian Angel (yes) in bloom.

    Purple Passion x 3 in one bowl on a stand. Nice purple flowers, don't you think?

    Nathan's Nirvana (Stuart Asch plant) in bloom

    Purple Haze in bloom with a very short scape barely above the leaves.

    Alligator Shoes has a short scape growing

    Lakeside Black Satin is through blooming but set no pods...which is okay, just so it stays pretty and healthy

    Hypoleuca one of two plants and this one is in bloom

    And finally, June with 3 scapes coming through.

    Thank you for allowing me time/room to do this. Hope this can contribute to the discussion about what is early. Of course there are those blooming in more northerly climes that have not begun to show signs of the flowering process here. It is not all about the location but some other factors at work too. For those which require a "sweet spot" like Great Expectations does (it prefers the Magic of Michigan), it is up to us to discover their innate preferences and accommodate them.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Moc,

    Its always a treat to get a tour of your gardens. My Golden Meadows doesn't get much morning sun and it gets mostly dappled sun the rest of the day. I am a lot further North so I wouldn't give it more sun to get the color I have, I wouldn't think. My GM is pretty much under a full canopy of very big pines that allow only very dappled light through. It gets practically no direct sun at all.

    I bought mine at auction after Hosta Hillbilly showed his and caused a nationwide sell out.

    Jon

  • User
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I chuckle at the "nationwide sellout" because it could happen when he shows his garden. I wish I could remember who posted the gorgeous photo of Manhattan last year, with mauve buds on it, it took my breath away.....now THAT is what these pictures are all about! You are doing your part there, Jon. Keep after the closeup shots. I wish I could hold steady enough to get such results. Or had a "blonde proof" (white hair proof) camera.

    Thanks for the compliment about my gardens. I hope I do not wear out the patience of the forum. So many pictures so little time.

    I still hope you will find a Johnny Angel and simply drop the "h" out of it. I think about you every time I look at mine. It is one of the most perfect performing gold hosta and not at all finicky.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I will end up with a Johnnie Angel (although some would not agree that it is appropriate for me) if only for the name. I do have a sunny area shortage, so I will have to give it some thought as to where I can put it.

    Jon

  • anniegolden
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Some of the tight flower buds in the above posts look like tiny artichokes.

    Here are my early ones:
    Blue Mammoth:

    Thunder Bolt:

    Sagae:

    Paul's Glory:

    Christine

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Christine, the pinky/mauve is so pretty in the last two shots set against the backdrop of the hosta leaves.

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Christine aka Annie-

    Nice shots, you are definitely well ahead of me. My Paul's Glory hasn't even thought of putting up a scape yet.

    Thanks,

    Jon

  • dg
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Loaded Sagae scapes

  • dg
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Blue Hawaii

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Loaded indeed, Gregory. I can only hope some day that my Sagae develops into a beauty like that. My Blue Hawaii is in its second year and is struggling to put anything up.

    Jon

  • anniegolden
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here are a couple more that I missed - they are hiding in the gloom under the foliage. Does a snowy spring stunt the scapes?

    Frances Williams:

    Love Pat:

    Chris

  • Jon 6a SE MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Chris, thank you. I am sure the cold, snowy Spring delayed pips, growth and scapes here for me. This morning it was 50 degrees at my house. I cannot remember using the air conditioner so little. I was thinking I should have worn a jacket to walk my dog this AM and it is almost July!!!

    Jon