Big and Beautiful Hostas
- Subject: Big and Beautiful Hostas
- From: g*@vermontel.net (Glen Williams)
- Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 10:02:55 -0400
Lane Bryant and King Size... Plain Hostas
After a couple hours of weeding my large hostas this morning I want to make
a new list and create a new aesthetic. In a really big hosta the shape of
the clump is everything. In smaller plants the leaf pattern can save a
hosta from sculptural oblivion. Symmetry seems almost a prerequisite for
the big plain ones. I don't grow a lot of hostas to size because I don't
have all that much space. But the following large hostas are so wonderful
in their shape that I would gladly sacrifice dozens of smaller hostas with
gorgeous leaves just so that I could grow these. In order of "wonder" this
morning:
H. 'Jade Cascade' a "bush" hosta with a narrow base. Wonderful cascading
leaves. 4 1/2 feet high now. The flowers barely make it out above the
leaves. 3 feet in diam.
H. 'Lakeside Surf Rider'.......just buy it and give it a couple of years. A
spectacular plant. One of Mary's best
H. 'Mikado' second to H. 'Jade Cascade' but wonderful in its own right.
3x3' now.
H. 'Granary Gold' a giant 1/2 dome of a hosta (one of Smith's that people
don't pay much attention to). It goes from gold to green by the end of
summer and makes that classic mound of overlapping leaves. 2 1/2 ' high
this year...down a foot from last year. 4 ot 5 feet across.
H. 'Silver Anniversary' A big open beauty with beautiful veins.
H. 'Tutu'...one of K. Vaughn's best.
H. sieboldiana 'Mira' just because most people don't grow it and the size
and leaves are simply awe inspiring.
Notably missing from my list of big plain beauties are H. 'Sum & Substance'
(ugly color and ugly growing patterns...but some of the variegated sports
may redeem this ugly duckling), H. 'Nigrescens' with its 6-7' phallic
flower scape, and H. 'Blue Angel' with its reputation as something very
special. Hah!
"Did you lock he door?" From the movie "The Thing". The one with James Arness.
Glen Williams
20 Dewey St.
Springfield , Vermont
05156
Tel: 802-885-2839
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