Ahem......

Like the proud mama whipping out an endless album of kiddy pictures......

Mojito....I have two, one was a bonus. Let me look for June pictures.....I got them both this year, 1 from Hallson. I also have a few others......but we won't go into that right now, ok? :)

Thanks, Mocc. I knew you'd come through with pics! I assume it's been a good one; good grower and all that we love from 'Guacamole' descendants? From the looks of yours, I'll like it a lot.

Thanks Again,
Don B.

I don't keep the flowers, so I don't care about fragrant, BUT we do get raccoons around here. They have caused a lot of damage looking for grubs and bugs. I got rid of the grubs with either beneficial nematodes or grub killer, but they STILL visit. They have even eaten my redwood pegs that (apparently) have (had) bugs in them. So I put some STRAIGHT ammonia in a spray bottle and I sprayed around the edges of the pegs. So far it has worked for us, and discouraged them (5 at one time on our roof...they sound like elephants at 5 am on our one story home with a shake root) from wreaking havoc around our yard.

-Babka

About the Stained Glass getting stomped, don't need excuses, you're among friends. I thought mine was dying and bought #2, so you are acting just like me.....some you cannot do without.

Meantime, I am standing in my Back40 with my jaw hanging open in awe at the early blooms coming from many of the fragrant hosta. Last year, many arrived really late in the year and did not show me what their qualities were. This year, for the first time, I'm seeing the potential. Talk about smelling nice....no "odor" at all, poor Ludi....just a sweet scent when the air is still, some in the early daylight hours, then at twilight.....

Among those blooming early here, about to bust open is Avocado. Moonlight Sonata just finished blooming. I see that Doubled Up has two fat-budded scapes, for all the world what Aphrodite ought to be doing--and it is a double flower too. I am beyond excited to see what it looks like open. A first for me.
Then Paradise Sunshine is looking really big as a plant, and the scapes which are opening blooms now, are all really tall. I am so proud of Old Faithful, the Olga fragrant, for its tall scape about to bloom too. Flower Power has a tall scape too. In full bloom, but not the huge flowers. Hadspen White is blooming nice white flowers. I need something to hold up those fishing pole scapes that bob and dip and block my way through the garden paths. Fragrant King is also proud of his fasciated scape with FULL SIZE leaves on the scape itself, and a nosegay of a fasciated flower bud on the end. Even...get this...one of the Royal Standards has 2 scapes, meaning he'll be blooming before the 4th of July. Quite early, you see what I mean? And then, Holly's Dazzler finished blooming at least a week ago....but sad to say no seed pods forming. White Knight has a couple of scapes. So does Sweetie, right next to him. I hope they get ideas to share pollen and double the fragrance in any seed, I should hope....don't know nothing about plant genetics, biology, but it's my wish after all.

If my big players on the fragrant team had not been lost to a kind of mosaic virus this spring, I'd show you what they were looking like before I put them down. Fried Bananas, it made me weep to lose it....Fried Green Tomatos, awwwww.....and then Guacamole? oh, that was the last straw. Of course, they are all now replaced. You cannot be a serious fan of fragrant hosta and not have those three major players. Then along comes Stained Glass and its progeny, and its a fun game!

I recommend Jade Stone to you for the leaf. If it blooms this year, I'll be sure to report it here.

Like you said, Don, you can never have too many fragrant hosta.

Here's Doubled Up taken today

Mojito and Cerveza are supposed to be tetraploids... pretty much the tet equivalents of Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Bananas.

They've been easy - take a lot of sun - flowers match the rest of the family. They haven't been particularly fast growers, but adequate. Except for the names, I haven't found them to be much/any improvement over the diploid ones - but they are all great!

Raccoons are a pain. Big enough to be dangerous. I'm thinking the powdered cayenne would work sprinkled or sprayed in solution on the leaves.

I hesitate to suggest adding crushed crab shells to your potting mix or soil as a way to control the grubs and nematodes as well. Because raccoons like to eat fish, and this is rather smelly but hopefully it works. The pots I sprayed with this have few sawfly larva holes, where the pots without the crab shell have a lot more holes. My DH now uses it in his veggie beds. But with our two dachshund girls around, we have no issues with rabbits, or with raccoons any more. Just those pesky squirrels. And the pepper works, just don't forget to do ALL the pots. The real test will come this fall when new pecans have to be buried somewhere.

I gotta show you the Avocado scapes which are now above the leaves. Also taken today.

Who needs excuses to get more hosta, Mocc? Me? You? Nah. Nobody I know. Shoot, I have 9 'Guacamole'. Why? 'Cause I LOVE 'Guacamole'! Most of 'em are at the side of my house under the bathroom window (remember 'the fragrant plan'? Heh heh, I'm still massing 'em for greatest effect) Got a few 'Royal Standard' there too.

Thanks for the info concerning 'Mojito', Mocc and Jim.

P.S.: Is 'Xela' a good grower, Jim? It's a looker, in my opinion.

Don B.

Cervesa is a yellow. Tortilla Chip is a yellow. Amberglass is a yellow. Frozen Margarita is a yellow.

Mojito is green.

Jade Stone is variegated. see below

I have to go to bed now, or I'd upload the additional 100 pictures I took to end the month of June in the garden.

Thought I'd throw in a shot of Fluted Fountain, from Hallson.
It already looks like a winner to me.

In the same order also came
Faithful Heart and Fantasy Island

KEY WEST!!! YES.......

Neptune, the bonus gift..look at all those ruffled edges so young

WOW Don ... never too many hosta.. Your count is still growing! How is your room for more? I made a section 2 1/2 ft. x 50 ft. by my husband's wood shed( so he won't pile STUFF) I planted English ivy to climb and have room for hosta under/around/ in front of vines . I know the ivy is invasive but it is in an area I can mow around if it gets crazy and also hides a metal siding.
Stained glass is such a nice one but never saw Mojito offered locally but it looks very nice. Moc I really like your Key West. Hallson give you bonus with your orders? Your selections are so great in the US.. lucky ducks!

Oh, Don, Don...here I had finally convinced myself to wait until September, but here you are, pulling me back in!

How can I ever thank you? ;)

I've been out of town for a few days and came home to Guacamole in bloom. My oldest photo is from April 2011, but I don't have the date I got it or source written down. The flowers are at least 3" across. I've never seen a hosta flower that big. I can't wait until this evening to go out and smell.

bk

IâÂÂm very late to this thread, but I have both Mojito and Cerveza.

Seeing as these are the only two registered sports of Avocado, and I LOVE Avocado, I figured I would do a tri-planting of the three, showing off the whole family.

Here is mama Avocado

Her son Cerveza

And daughter Mojito

Here they are together for color comparison

Well Holy Moses! That is a fetching family there, Ludi. Very well brought up offspring, with Cerveza a more aggressive personality. Mojito more tightly wrapped but as strong as the brother. Yes, I have the family here and I agree with you.

You really must meet more of the entire plantaginea clan. They grow on you. (hehehehe)

BK, I know it was a happy welcome home to see Guacamole in bloom. How sweet it is! Congratulations.

For those who are looking for Avocado... I believe Holy Mole is the same hosta... different registrations, but... both are suspected (confirmed?) tetraploid sports of Guacamole.

and when I was dividing it yesterday, I realized how much Cathedral Windows also resembles the other two... though there is an extra step in the origin... Guacamole to Stained Glass to Cathedral windows...

Anybody with limited space could plant any of these three for that particular "look."

and why don't more people grow Ming Treasure? Not only a nice margined plantaginea... mine often gets streaks...

My PUD got a fairie statue fallen on him. :-( He lost a couple of leaves and I was so upset. He looked squished, too, there for awhile, but he's starting to perk back up now. Hostas are very resilient!