Gorgeous!! I keep hesitating getting one because everyone seems to think it's difficult. You're doing something right there!

Now go to bed for heaven's sake Paula, it's almost midnight!

That is a great one!! Very nice to come home to!

Out here on the West Coast it is early...just past twilight. 3 hrs after the East Coast..

I'm on my 4th GE. It is such a beautiful one so I keep trying. I can do Fire and Ice big time, but not GE.

-Babka

Hostanista and mbug, thanks. Hostanista it is midnight and why are 'you' still not in bed! lol

Babka, I really like Fire & Ice, too. This is the second summer for mine.

Move to zone 5 ! I think that is the key....I am tempted to repost my last Great x pics.. but feel guilty when I have already twice...

Thanks Paula for showing us your GE. I agree that you have a beautiful plant. It is at maturity when the coloring and corrugation are at their best. Enjoy!

'Nista, you live in the zone that GE likes so you shouldn't have any problems.

Just to be safe though... don't plant too deep, give her lots of water and morning sun.

GE is so strange. I planted two next to each other last year. They were tiny when I planted them. One is doing well and about 10 inches across. The other, planted at the same time and same size, is probably SMALLER than it was last year. Picky things, I can't figure them out. I almost weeded the small one by accident one day too. But I'm holding out hope because that picture above is gorgeous.

Paula, a nice looking GE is always sweet to see....interesting that we feel we are lucky if one grows well for us. I've lost lot of other perennials that others can grow...so conditions are important. So far, some sun and good watering have benefited GE in my garden. An older one in shade has grown slowwwwwwly and is just starting to show promise, while the newer one has leaped past the older one and shown growth each year.

Paul

I've had pretty good luck with GE myself, Not much eye growth but the leave have been getting bigger and better every year.

2 years ago the whole plant was smaller than 1 leaf this year.

My biggest and best Great Expectation.............

.........which gets just a little less sun than my other 3 year old.

{{gwi:1048452}}

....and my Fire and Ice, which has struggled and may be catching hold.

I'm so glad I have two new ones because my three-old this year didn't like being potted last year. It gained some additional small eyes from last year but is very slowwwwww. A little leafed out eye came apart in my hand this morning so up it comes again to see what's going on underneath. It's only been there maybe three weeks? Groan.

The two new ones are going back under the peony, where the older one was very happy exposed to sun from sunrise to after lunch. I'll just have to stay on top of dead-heading the peony flowers before the petals fall all over GE.

Good example of "don't fix what's not broken".

Here it is from last year...so lovely and of course quite a bit lighter due to light.

All the pictures posted so far have really captured the beauty of Great Expectations. No matter what zone it's grown in, no matter the variations in colour, this hosta is a stand-out in any garden. I am just like all of you who have had to replace, or buy multiples of this plant - it has to be present in my garden.

Bought my GE in 2012 with two tiny leave and although it hasn't grown large it still is alive and in hiding now because every other has grown twice as fast. Afraid to move it with all the negative things said about it being hard to grow and all so just may have to move something else if it gets crowded out