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zkathy

Golden Gate, King Tut, Key West

zkathy z7a NC
10 years ago

hh, you've sold me! Those Golden Gate pictures from the top gun thread have been haunting my dreams. Problem is I already have Key West in the ground and King Tut ordered and paid for to be shipped this spring. I've spent a lot of time looking at the compare hosta web page and these are similar looking hosta.

Again I have two questions. Does anyone have pictures or comments about the similarities and differences of these plants? And a larger more global question about grouping hosta. King Tut, Nefertiti and Brother Stefan are related and similar looking. I was thinking about putting them in the same bed. Key west and Golden Gate are also very similar. Do you like groupings of like hosta or do you have other criteria for choosing neighbors?

Comments (10)

  • mctavish6
    10 years ago

    Those are good choices. I do have a few comments. I don't have Golden Gate but my sister does. To my eye it looks more similar to Sunny Delight or Sun Power. It is upright and wavy. It is a very beautiful plant.

    King Tut was a standout for me this year. I've had it since 2009 but aparently it's been in the wrong spot. I now know it needs sun to color. It was in a place with morning sun and always stayed kind of blaa and greenish. I moved it to a west facing hot spot. It was the plant that knocked me out. It seemed to glow from within. It is domed shaped vs Golden Gate's upright look. Unfortunately I will have to move it again next year. It loved the sun but later in the summer bleached to almost white so location is probably the key to this one's best location.

    You asked about placement. That is an individual choice. I think what looks good to you will work. There are places I have reverses of the same plant to show off similarity and contrast. Abiqua Recluse with Paradigm and Academy Blushing Recluse for instance. I also have Satisfaction next to Summer Serenade.

    When I moved King Tut this year I put a duplicate of Grand Prize in its place in the shadier garden. Grand Prize grows so well and in the shade keeps the yellow border. I realized what a difference the smaller plant made in that garden. King Tut was the same basic size as most of the hostas around it. The smaller Grand Prize showed everybody up much better. I'm now conscious of keeping from having a 'sea' of similar sized hostas where they all blend together.

    Again, it's just a matter of personal preference. Go with what pleases you.

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    10 years ago

    WOW! Gorgeous hosta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I'm determined to ensure I have at least a few Olga Petryszyn's 'biggies' among my hosta collection. :-)

    zKathy, I'd be interested in the outcome of your quest!

    Jo

  • zkathy z7a NC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you, mctavish. There was an image of your King Tut in a recent post that made me happy I had already ordered it. It's beautiful!! Now to find a Golden Gate to order. I have two sunny beds to work with in the spring, so I'll have all winter to figure it out. And to research the gardenweb forum for ideas. What a wealth of information y'all provide for us newbies! And I'll also figure out how to post right side up pictures.
    Kathy

  • User
    10 years ago

    McTavish, I noticed on Flickr that you displayed the "opposite" of some hosta. The blue middle, the yellow margin against its opposite, a yellow middle with a blue margin, etc. I don't know where they are on GWeb, but all those photos are great and very informative.

    I'm very fond of the golden leafed hosta, but have focused primarily on the medium sized ones like August Moon and Midas Touch. Now I have Key West, the Olga large gold.

    Seems King Tut is a large too, and maybe Golden Gate. I have a hard time turning away from a good gold. Knowing how you think about placement is good to know too, McT.

  • User
    10 years ago

    Forgot to add a link here to the plant comparison feature which lets you show one hosta on half the page and another hosta alongside it. They use the Hosta Library images, so you can see the comparisons side by side.

    It is hosted at the same site as Don Rawson's Hosta Lists.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Compare Hosta Library images

  • zkathy z7a NC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Mocc, thanks for the link. Do you know which URL I'm supposed to enter in the box? Where do I find it?
    Kathy

  • Steve Massachusetts
    10 years ago

    Kathy

    You don't need the URL box. Just use the drop down box below that to find the plant you want. A faster way than scrolling through the entire alphabet is to put your curser in the drop down box and type the first letter or two of the cultivar name. Then scroll down to find what you want.

    The URL box is there in case you are comparing another photo to a library one.

    Steve

  • zkathy z7a NC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks, Steve. My DH built our first PC in 1990 from a Heath Kit. The 'zkathy' came so my documents would be at the bottom of xtree which organized the files alphabetically. I know my way around a PC but this iPad is my first Apple product and apparently is not as "intuitive" for me as for some. But it's very seductive. It's like having a computer experience in a magazine format.

    I can't put a cursor in the drop down box. The good news is I can get that list spinning fast. Maybe someone else using an iPad has figured out a way to work it and will share the info with me.
    Kathy

  • don_in_colorado
    10 years ago

    'Key West', what a beautiful plant. 'Big' is an understatement. This winner should be in the 'GIANT' category.

    Don B.

  • User
    10 years ago

    Steve, I did not realize the second box could lead outside the Host a Library.... That makes it simply perfect.

    Then if the library has NO picture of a host a, is it possible to insert two different URL? Like my Flickr pic compared to Mickfield or even another's photo albums?