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irawon

No regrets with these

irawon
9 years ago

It's always nice to see that the hostas you bought last year were good choices this year right off the bat. Some take just a bit more time to show their promise, I know and are well worth the wait. A case in point is Rocket's Red Glare and Clovelly, both of which I bought from the same vendor at the same time last summer.Now I've seen some beautiful Clovelly's shown on this site but this year in my garden, I prefer Rocket's Red Glare.

I'd really like to see those plants you purchased last year that please you already. Here are my picks.

ROCKET's RED GLARE. The clump is full, symetrical and you can see the red at the base of the leaves as promised.

Comments (14)

  • irawon
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I realy wanted to add Komodo Dragon to my garden but it's just too large for any spots I may have., so I chose Artic Blast, which has KD in its genes and is supposed to be a medium sized plant.

    ARTIC BLAST: I love its upright habit and blue color.

  • irawon
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm always attracted to blue yellow-margined hostas. This purchase was not planned and I'm not disappointed.

    STEPPING OUT: How's that for a vigorous grower? I have it to the right of Canadian Blue, which has really gotten huge.

  • irawon
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Delona's Smile: The leaves looked a lot narrower on the vendor's site but it looks nice and full and I love symmetry in the shape of my plants.

    Edited to add pic.

    This post was edited by irawon on Sat, Jun 7, 14 at 14:42

  • irawon
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    ARC DE TRIOMPHE: I'm so happy with this one. I was worried it wouldn't be blue like the one I saw in an alphabet thread two years ago.

    Now, let's see yours, cause I need some enabling. I haven't done much shopping this year yet.

  • irawon
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Moc, thanks for taking the time to give me some suggestions. Those are all lovely specimens, so full and symmetrical....just what I like. I I love the ripples on Manhatten and the freshness of Jade Stone... the fragrance is a bonus. I hope JS doesn't get too big. I'm noticing a whole lot of areas in my beds that could use some filling in as I look at the pictures I've taken recently... but most of the time I encounter huge roots. I envy your ability to move yours around to achieve new combinations but with the numbers you've accumulated even that must be exhausting. I hope you've recovered nicely from yesterday's Herculean feats.

  • User
    9 years ago

    Irawon, it was super hot today but I cut it short at 12. I was out early, even at 7:30 was dripping wet with sweat. I rolled another big section of tree stump into place, uphill a wee bit, (pant pant) and rearranged some pots, spread more rotten pine tree wood, dumped cypress mulch and when I was done I watered the hotter areas of the garden. The birds were waiting for the sprinklers to start. Then we went to dinner early and it will be to bed early as well. The heat and humidity saps the strength quickly.

    Here is one of the areas I worked on. Dug up two hydrangea and moved that tree stump section into place (rolled it about 85 feet) then covered that with hosta. Note the tall liriope is trampled....it will recover, but I might trim it with the lawnmower. Not many weeds to worry about in that. The black pots are kept cool sitting in the tall liriope used as ground cover.
    Oops, seems I took the picture before I moved the stump.
    But the 2 hydrangea are gone.I also moved the clump of holly fern after this picture.

    This is the far south end of the garden where I'm working to level some areas. Yesterday I moved the pot of clematis into place after moving the wrought iron etagere to the other side of that screen. I must secure the thing from tipping before returning the small pots to its shelves. The arbor will cover in passion vines, and Our Lady of Grace will be repainted and returned to a pedestal beneath the arbor. The mulch is cypress chipped up.

  • don_in_colorado
    9 years ago

    Hi Irawon,

    Spring Fling was a favorite of mine from last season, when I first acquired it, and it's still looking like a favorite this spring. I love everything about this hosta. I first saw Spring Fling from one of Paul in Minn's garden pics, and I knew I must have that! Thanks again, Paul!

    Cheers,
    Don B.

  • don_in_colorado
    9 years ago

    This was my Spring Fling last season. If I had the great spaces of Jon's or Denis' land, I would be very tempted to mass plant Spring Fling in a drift.

    Don B.

  • irawon
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Don, it's great when a hosta returns looking as great or better than when you first planted it, isn't it? I really like your SF. I've also bought hostas that Paul showed in his garden. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was his Arc de Triomphe that MADE me buy mine. Haha.

    I've noticed you've added quite a few of Olga's hostas to your garden. I really like them too. I've been trying to figure out how to add Chesapeake Bay without clearing some more grass. I'm having a tough time looking after what I have now, so my husband says "no" to more beds. Most evenings he takes a tour to look at them though. He even suggested I should buy another hosta to put bedside Linda Sue.

    Gosh, Moc, you're at it again. Your place is looking good. I didn't venture outside until about three o'clock today, fertilized some climatis, watered a few outdoor pots and weeded one bed and by 5:30 my face was beet red. The mosquitos are bad here too. Lucky you, you got to go out for dinner. We had leftovers.

  • User
    9 years ago

    Irawon if Jade Stone seems too big for you, I suggest you try a Doubled Up. It is supposed to be more compact even though it is a greenie and fragrant to boot it is also a very organized hosta. It has the 6 inch white blooms, I've even read they are some larger than other fragrant bloomers. I ordered the one in the picture in 2012 but ordered a 2nd one this year. I really like it. It is growing fairly big this year but it is said to be a medium. Perhaps a M/L?
    Anyway it likes it here I think. It is in a TALL pot because I wanted to emphasize it, show off those long pets and umbrella like leaf arrangement. Taken May 24

    and the blooms from last year. All of them opened.

  • Eleven
    9 years ago

    So far, Ice Cream is looking really nice again this year.

    Maui Buttercups was on my wish list for a long time, and I'm glad I finally ordered it last year.

    Pocketful of Sunshine is already looking adorable.

    Sky Dancer is gorgeous.

    Wylde Green Cream was another on my old wish list. Glad I have it now.

  • irawon
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Eleven,

    Thanks for taking an interest in this topic. All your hostas look great. The two that I don't have are Sky Dancer and Pocketful of Sunshine. I passed over PF of S last year because I thought it looked a lot like Little Sunspot but now I notice it has rippling that LS doesn't have... a good suggestion. I think it's a small that I can use for one of my many small empty spots. I'm trying to avoid look-alikes. I really like Sky Dancer too. I'm a real sucker for the blues and ripply ones. I'll have to remember that it's Sky DANCER and not Sky PRANCER.

    I think Ice Cream is rhizomatous the way it multiplied so quicky under my spruce.
    My Maui Buttercups needs to go into a spinout bag.

    Moc, Doubled Up looks lovely. I'll keep a look-out for that one. We have several really good nurseries in town and they bring in new varieties all the time but I haven't seen it listed this year. I know I can mail-order but just don't want to get into that.

    Here's NEPTUNE which I bought last year that I put in a spin out bag. I hope it looks the way it should.

  • newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
    9 years ago

    One of my favorite purchases from last year is Majesty. Last year it was two eyes and this year it was the same. Now I know it is a Liberty look alike, but the margins on this one are wider and brighter than my Liberty which I purchased in 2012.