Northern Exposure looks great into the fall, AND it seems to be a really good grower for me. I was expecting it would be slow, since Elegans and American Halo are two of the slowest (and oldest) in my garden. So I gave NE some companions, but it's already edging them out!

Last May:

This May:

I'm quite sure you will love it!

I planted mine late last fall and I'm already falling in love with the look. Its still looking like a first or second year in the garden, but there is just something about it....

Thanks. I really am becoming a fan of the rippled edged hostas. In my eyes it places NE way ahead of FW.

I have to apologize for two postings. When I'd submitted my first time I'd received the notice my post was rejected. So I created another.

Last year Les began creating a new foundation garden on the north side of the house that he named the Noopeming Garden, which is Ojibwe for the deep northern forests. It is this inspiration than prompted me to buy Northern Exposure, besides it being an attractive hosta.

Also being constructed was a garden around a large Lilac that would become part of the Noopeming Garden, to contain a mini-hosta feature. I adore minis but they so easily get "lost" in the land of the giants.

Theresa

Theresa, when you get to the mini garden creation, remember there are multiple folks here with container and special in-ground mini gardens. Lots of interest in keeping these little prima donnas happy.

I recognize the word Noopeming but cannot remember it from one time to the next. I do not have Northern Exposure. Why don't you consider Hudson Bay? I just got that one, as a replacement for my dearly departed Eskimo Pie. I think it will be a real winner. It could go in your Noopeming spot too. Just not as a miniature. :)

I have NO pictures of Hudson Bay. I went out in the rain to take pictures of my newly potted 7 this morning, and would you believe the squirrels dug up 3 of the 7? Threw potting mix on the others. Broke off some petioles. I was not happy. So I had to apply first aid. Had rain droplets all over my camera lens. I really want to show you this fine hosta.

I am certainly looking forward to NE growing up a bit after seeing your pictures.
Moc-The Northern foundation line is along 36' of house and 24 feet of garage with an offset where the garage mandoor is and air cond. The original Noopeming garden Les had begun is the house foundation. The Lilac is at the offset and there is room for a 12 foot diameter garden under it. The semicircle towards the house is where I plan the mini-garden. Then following around towards the garage going to larger hostas.

It is going to take me a while since this gal doesn't do to well with shovels anymore. I like the Lilac. I have't found much in the way of surface roots and the digging is easy. The part behind the garage is the furthest away from the miserable maple trees.

As soon as I get the computer worked on later into this month I will get some pictures of the gardens. It is leap year for many of the hostas Les put in. Blue Angels, Parhelion, Krossa Regal, Regal Splendor, Whirlwind and Sagae have turned out awesome. :o)

I still can't get the line dancers in mctavish's 3-gardens photos out of my hear. And now the music from the Mikado - "Three Little Girls at School" is accompanying it. I am looking forward to visiting Wilmingtons many 2nd hand shops looking for mini-garden decorations. Since it is in the Ojibwe Noopeming garden perhaps a native American theme could be nice.

Theresa

Heres mine in the wild woodland garden. It gets lots of afternoon sun. Not on purpose, but the tree shading it came down. This is it's third year. The first it almost fried from all the sun, but now seems to handle it fine

Well, in a way, Northern Exposure is the daddy of Eskimo Pie, which makes him the grand daddy of Hudson Bay. So it's all in the family if I post my new Hudson Bay, right?

I went out early this morning to take its picture, and all those other new arrivals from MITS, after resetting them in their pots with a lot of cayenne pepper, after the squirrels dug the totally UP. That really .......too much.....but as someone commented on Flickr, the will to survive is strong in all life forms.

So here is the Hudson Bay. I'll create another thread for the others, but this one can be of interest for comparison sake, eh?

My two h.'Northern Exposure' are not growing as well as my several 'Frances Williams'. Here is one of my FW this spring, 'Krossa Regal' on the left. This FW was 28 inches tall last year. None of mine has frost burn because they are not teased to come up early by planting them in sun. Bernd

Theresa, look at Van Wade's Native American series for some selections. He's right there with you on the Noopiming theme.
I'm waiting to get his Cherokee, which is shown on the fragrant flowered hosta list, because it is MY tribe. Mascouten is another one of his, also fragrant. (Sorry, I always think from that point of view.)

jagd51-I really like your Northern Exposure. It looks a lot like my Dianna Rememvered, who is in her 2nd spring and beginning to look good already.

Moc, why doesn't that surprise me. I worked with a group of women in Arkansas and had a small group of friends I'd hang with after work, and they all had Cherokee blood. The TOT crossed just south of where we lived.

Bernd, my FW made it's leap this spring and size-wise is awesome. But it is under the walnut tree and even though our spring is late and has been cool, the margins still look terrible. I am going to move it to full shade and replace it with either OBL, Earth Angel or Guardian Angel, I favor the Angels since this is in Theresa's Angel Garden, which is not named for me. The garden and I are both named in honor of my great Grandmother Theresa who came here from Germany. :o)

Theresa

Theresa, my FWs are shaded by tall White Pines, so in spring the sun can not beat on the soil under which FWs are still sleeping. Therefore, they will not come out early and then get hit by frost. I also have 2 OBLs and they get cremated by 3 hours of sun in summer, so I have put them in shade now too. I also came from Germany, 45 years ago, think to visit there again in August. I grow one FW behind a low juniper which shades soil, roots and petioles. That FW has no leaf damage by frost, no burn by sun.
Bernd