WHOOHOO!! Congratulations, Mom...your 'kids' are beeeeeutiful! Look at them all...they are gorgeous and you must be bursting at the britches just looking at them, huh?

This forum is something else and so are all of you, my new-found hosta-friends! :)

Way to go Ludi! I recognize a lot of them...and fawn over the rest lol lol
Wonder how many will 'graduate' next year????

Wooohoooo. . .I'd say you got a gooood dose of the hosta-holic
This forum is lethal. . lol
Wonderful babies. . . .just beautiful. Nice! Made me old heart pound faster. . .

FANTASTIC! That is one awesome graduating class!

Yes Sidney, lethal, Ludi should have put a warning in the title of her post!

I recognize most of them, but I need to know the names in picture #4 behind the ones with the green leaves with yellow ruffled edges. They have wide green edges with a narrow, almost maple leaf like, white centers.

I like the way your group's color variegations flow together so nicely.

Congrats to Master Ludi and the class of 2013!

Deb
psst: I think they're blocking the exits ;-)

Oh my! How lovely! You are as insane as I am. I love it. So tropical, artistic and pretty. Great choices! By chance, can you tell me the names of these:

Thank you Ladies for the kind words. :)

It has been one hell of a ride, but IâÂÂm enjoying myself way too much to slow down. I doubt I will ever have a year like this again, but how else was I to start my collection ?

Gesila,

I am pretty sure you are asking about my two Sharp Dressed Man.

Both of them came from Naylor, a year apart. I ordered the first one last year and loved it so much I put a second one in my cart for my spring order this year.

These two will get potted up together next year to make one plant for a fuller effect, quicker.

He is one of my favorites. It reminds me of what a tetraploid version of Cascades might look like.

HOSTAGASM!!!!

Aaah, beauty en masse is sooo easy on the eyes...Happy Anniversary, Ludi!

Regards,
Don B.

Hi Schiba,

The first one you have circled that is all green is Cranberry Wine, ordered from Naylor in 2012. ItâÂÂs a hybrid of H. 'Cinnamon Sticks' x H. 'Tequila Sunrise' from Kathie Sisson. The leaves actually emerge bright yellow. As the season goes on it darkens to the more limey green. The transition is pretty fast too if you donâÂÂt keep it in some sun.

Here is a pic of her schmexy red pets.

The second one is Goodess Gracious . . . one of my top 10 favs :)

And finally Emerald Ruff Cut

First of all, Don B: "HOSTAGASM"!! Yes indeed, good one!

Secondly Ludi, if you're in the Philly area why aren't your beautiful hostas in the ground? Why all the pots?

They are all absolutely stunning, so healthy looking, and an amazing variety.

Love how you took those photos; were you hovering like a hummingbird on a couple of those? My goodness, how did you take those overhead shots??

I think Ludi is 'working' on getting some hosta in the ground, but then he gets so mesmerized by all his beauties, he spends the day drooling over them, and when he finally regains his normal senses, it's dark out. ;p

Just Kidding, Ludi!
Don B.

Congratulations!!!! :)

I think I need to wipe the drool off my iPad.

For the love of all things holy, DO NOT EVER let me get ahold of your address. Philly is too close, and your beauties too tempting...

HAhaaaaaaaa Don . . . you remember my first hostagasim when HallsonâÂÂs order came . . . love the phrase, although I doubt I was the first to coin it.

Hostanista . I was in fact hovering . . . on an eight foot ladder. For most of them though I was just standing on the wall that borders the edge of the porch. I knew I would have to go vertical to be able to get them all in the same shot.

Why are they not in the ground ? Well Don actually hinted at that. I am making plans to get them in the ground but I donâÂÂt have the beds prepared yet.

I decided last year (around this time) that I was going to completely overhaul the front yard. It hadnâÂÂt been maintained in the last 10 years so everything is overgrown and crowded out. I have a lot of really old established shrubs to take out before any real preparation can begin.

The soil is garbage as well (although some will argue that point with me) but I am slowly adding amendments and researching organic soil reconstruction. Once I have a better balance of nutrients I will plant them in the ground.

For now though, I can coddle them in pots and make sure they get a nice start before I let them fend for themselves in the âÂÂwildâÂÂ.

Don . you are so right !!! I often head outside with the intention of work, but usually never make it off the porch . . . you can see why. :p

Oh Jadie donâÂÂt tease me . . . I would love a garden visitor !!!

IâÂÂm not actually in downtown Philly, but 11 miles north of city proper in Elkins Park/Jenkintown. I see you are in Maryland . . . near Baltimore ?

Feel free if you like to shoot me an email through GardenWeb. IâÂÂd love to give my first tour. :p

Ludi

Great idea to celebrate your one year anniversary!

Your hostas are impeccable. You can be very proud!

It's taken me weeks to clear my porch and get those 40 hosta that I got from Green Mountain in the ground...I JUST got the last one (Abiqua Drinking Gourd) planted today! So, I understand, it's sooo easy to just pick up the pots and study the beautiful hosta one by one as the daylight ticks away...But I'm glad it's done; Now, to peruse the Hallson Gardens website and reboot the cycle...Cheers, Buddy!

Don B.

P.S. Just ordered 'Gone With The Wind' from Hallson Gardens....Did you get yours yet, Ludi?

Don B.

Oh dear, Ludi! In about 3 to 5 years you will be in the same boat I am. Those hostas GROW and GROW, and get more beautiful as they mature, but many will have to go into larger pots. And then you will run out of space, and then life gets difficult deciding which ones to keep. But, would I do it any other way? NO! This is fun! Who needs a front AND a back door. Go ahead, and block the exits, well, maybe except for one, so you can get out to swoon over your beauties. ;-)

-Babka

It's the happiest anniversary announcement I've ever shared with a friend. Those are beauties, well cared for, have a good future ahead. Who was your valedictorian in this graduating class, the star performers, teacher's pets? But don't answer that. You'd be consoling the rest all night long.

You can reflect on a very good year. It has been a pleasure to enjoy your company every day this last year.
Moc

Congrats, Beverly

Happy Anniversary! And what fun to have everything in pots so you can take a group shot. They're all very happy and healthy looking, too.

NewHostaLady . Thank you for the kind words. While I wouldnâÂÂt call them impeccable I guess no gardener sees their own plants quite the same as someone else does.

I can say they certainly are a lot of work. Between the incessant upkeep I need with cayenne to keep the tree rats from digging and the garlic spray after it rains to help deter slugs itâÂÂs all I can manage. But a labor of love and they keep me smiling even through the worst of it. :)

Don . WOOT !!! You go boy. :p

So glad I could enab . . . er suggest Gone with the Wind to you. :)

I did in fact receive mine along with all the others. They weathered the trip well and are all in the pictures above, although looking back I did kind of bury Gone with the Wind.

Chris was kind enough to mail me the one I picked by hand while I was up there. I found one with some streaking on two leaves so I figured itâÂÂd be fun to watch for any sports. I doubt it will amount to anything and will probably settle out next year, but still fun. :)

It is dark now or I would go snap a picture for you. Maybe tomorrow . . . oooo that might be a nice thread to start to see if any others are growing it.

Miss Babka . I guess I am blocking the exits arenâÂÂt I . . . oops !

I try not to think about them being 5 foot giants, but I will inevitably have to cross that bridge at some point, as you mentioned. I am still some time away from that dilemma and really do have quite a bit of space to plant them in the yard. So in the long run, I âÂÂshouldâ be fine for space . . . key word âÂÂshouldâÂÂ.

But as we have come to gather, I am too fussy a gardener to do anything in a timely manner. So I will putter with my soil and slowly release them to the wild green frontier that is my overgrown front yard someday. :p

Dearest Mocc . Not sure if you are aware, but you are scattered all throughout that porch. There are many a hosta I have acquired solely due to your well placed bait, and I am all the better for it. :)

Although I hope never to rival your behemoth collection I can dream that I will have the time and space to house as many as you do someday. Thank you so much for everything. MadPlanter . Those were my thoughts exactly . . . when else . . . if ever . . . am I going to have an opportunity to take a picture like this again ?

I had made plans to do it a while ago but was waiting for the last of my 2013 orders to arrive. Now that they are all here and have been potted up I took the weekend and went for it. :)

It was a lot of fun. The neighbors actually stopped to see why I was on a ladder with a camera. They had thought I was taking pictures of an eagle.

I laughed and said âÂÂNope, just my hostas.â They smiled and politely moved on. :p

Thanks again everyone itâÂÂs been awesome !!!

Ludi

Ahhhh, Ludi me lad, well said. Deserves a big Cheer all around. HIP HIP HOORAY! There are always kind words in your heart.
And happy ones in all your posts. Good show, Ludi ...

It's going to be a fun second year.

It has been wonderful to watch you bloom. Thank you for sharing. Hi I am Paula a Hostaholic

Miss a few days and you come back to this. WOW! At first I thought it was a flowerbed but you have everything in pots. Something I need to do this year. You have some amazing plants. Marg

I'm speechless, Ludi, at the wonderful growth in ONE year.
Congratulations and good luck in the years to come.

Mocc . Your words are always gracious and a great source of inspiration., not only with me, but with many others on the forum. Your generous spirit is a big contributor to its overall success. :)

Paula . If IâÂÂm not mistaken, I think you were the first one to respond to my initial Elegans post. So you have been with me on this crazy ride since the beginning, as well as others. Glad to be in such great company. I couldnâÂÂt have done it without you all. :)

Marg . This forum is crazy active this time of year. It seems to be taking a little less than 24 hours for some posts to drop on to page 2.

WOW, if that was a flower bed and I had planted them all that close I would be in some serious trouble in a very short amount of time. I do intend to keep some in containers permanently, but in a much more orderly manner with fancy pots and such. :p

Ira . Thank you ! I keep telling anyone that asks, my secret is in the seaweed. I use it on all my potted hostas and I have noticed a big difference.

I started using it on my orchids this winter and noticed a tremendous amount of color saturation, so I knew the plants were taking in the minerals and not just a shot of nitrogen like most commercial fertilizers.

ItâÂÂs good stuff, I swear by it. Although, I have recently begun following the teachings of Phil Nauta and might switch to just plain kelp here in the future and leave my commercial seaweed blend to the orchids.

Thanks again everyone for celebrating with me !!!

Cheers to another great year,

Ludi

Wow! You don't mess around - all of those hosta in one year! It has taken me four years to get to 120, however; all but about 10, are planted.

The photos are great because you don't usually see so many hostas together like that and it is good eye candy. It also helps with 'grouping' ideas.

Congratulations!
Paula