Lovely!! Mine are getting there Patriot that is. My minuteman at the house is still small but out at the cottage for some reason they are leaping before its time!! They like it out there

Wow, I hope my Patriot gets some inspiration from yours, it's beautiful.

I know it's not much to look at right now but my little Austin Dickinson is unrecognizable compared to this time last year. See inset. He was shredded and eaten beyond repair and I didn't know if he would come back at all. He has AND he doesn't have one single bug hole. If he can bounce back from that, I expect great things from him in 2015.

Wow, your Patriot is gorgeous, mbug! Both plants looks great, actually.

Glad to see your AD survived, and looks to be actually thriving this year, Hostanista. Great inset comparison.

One that I'm really enjoying right now is my Calypso hosta. If I knew how, I could provide an inset similar to hostanista's. This hosta is known to melt out later in the season. But I forgive it since it gives me joy in the beginning. Maybe I've found the location it can remain pretty. I bought this difficult one before I discovered this site.

The more I look at ya'lls hostas,the more I think they are a northern plant,not suitable down here in the south! Mine are so bad this year,it's hard to believe they ever looked good! Maybe next year? Phil

Morning, All!

Hostanista's post reminded me about Ann Kulpa...another one of those white-centred hostas that are sometimes prone to melt-out. Here is a comparison to same time last year - I just took the pic today, no slug holes, is covered with tiny pink confetti from the filipendula above her. I think she only has one brown tip as a blemish. Very happy with her! :-)

Another one that is looking good, real good, right now...Marrakech! It is still in a pot though. Need to find permanent home for it again since it's original spot has been taken up.

Great pics, top to bottom. That Patriot is a stunner, mbug. I've always given the edge to Minuteman, when comparing my own, but I would say Patriot is the winner here. Very nice dark green with crisp white border.

North53, I was delighted to see your Calypso and to hear your enthusiasm. I have always liked this one. Years ago, when mine was just starting to perform, the great guru here on the forum warned that my innocent youngster was headed for deep trouble. Guess it was what he calls "carp." Anyway, that has never happened. It has flourished over the years, although I think that I enjoyed it most when it was around the age yours is now. Thanks for bringing back a happy memory (including my first encounter with the carp guy, who - as it turns out - is a barrel of fun).

Now, gotta look into Marrakech and Austin Dickinson. Both look very promising.

Thanks all for sharing.

Steve

Mbug - Your hostas look wonderful with all those blooms. My Patriot leaped this year but only produced one scape. Phooey! I've been trying to nuture Independence and will give it another year if it doesn't perform for me.

DD

{{gwi:1069914}}

Oh Donna, your Patriot is beautiful. My garden is not big enough for my hosta wish list so I have to pick just one of two that look similar and I went with Minuteman this year but your Patriot makes me wonder if I made the right choice.

Mbug- Your subject line says it all! It is the reason we all grow these year after year after year after year... ;-)

-Babka

There will always be some plants
That will make us want to rant
And slap ourselves on our foreheads
'Cuz when they look good
They look really really good
But when they look bad
They look horrid.

lol

Mbug those are some fine plants you have there. I have to admit, my Patriot too is looking better this year than it has over the last several years.

tj

tj....that is great....couldn't be put better

I know that for many of you, the white centers grow beautifully. So do the white margins. However, those are the ones I have the most difficulty growing. Every now and then an exception, for a couple of weeks maybe, then downhill from there.

So I got Patriot and Minuteman before I knew they would not do much here. I got Ann Kulpa. I got White Elephant and Eskimo Pie. Surprisingly, White Elephant (a 2011 purchase) does fine before it turns green about mid June. I lost my 2010 purchase Eskimo Pie, it dwindled to nothing, and I consoled myself with Hudson Bay. It is doing nicely. So are Pathfinder and its offspring Half & Half.

Where I find solace is with the golds, and the greens--which includes all the blues which turn to green. When blue wax does not WASH off, but melts instead, the leaves wind up glossy and fairly smooth. You'd have a hard time identifying some of mine which you'd recognize if they were blue and matte finished.

I took a look back through my pics from that time and found a few that caught my attention.

Jaz:

Sleeping Beauty:

Invincible:

And my favorite NOID:

Eleven, love your photos. It occurs to me that your NOID favorite just above could be Yesterday's Memories. Does it take a lot of sun and keep on going? Yeah, that would be a sport of Squash Casserole, and is one of my favorites too. Has it bloomed yet? Lavender or purple flowers, however you describe it.

I haven't forgotten you want to see Alligator Shoes but don't have a current picture. I do forget what I'm doing when I go outside, just start snapping pics and my thoughts go poof into thin air.

Well, I've had this NOID five years, and that's as big as it's gotten. It was supposed to be August Moon and was either mis-marked or is a sport.