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[SHADEGARDENS] THE Hostas to Plant

Friends,

The hostas I'd plant first in a shade garden are:

1) H. 'Gold Standard' - vigorous, light chartreuse center with dark
blue/green margin, beautiful clump shape of medium to largish size, not
expensive.  H. 'Janet' is smaller and colors more gold in shade.

2) H. 'Frosted Jade' - very large and stately.  Green leaves with wide
white borders.  In the shade, this plant makes a real statement.  Not too
expensive.  H. 'Francee' and H. 'Antioch' are alternatives that are not as
large and upright, but very nice nonetheless.

3) H. 'Sea Fire' - a medium-sized hosta with the most extraordinarily
bright yellow emerging shoots.  For the first month, the leaves are so
brightly colored, they light up the spring woodland garden like a beacon.  H.
'Granary Gold' or H. 'Golden Oriole' are alternatives.

4) H. 'Hadspen Blue' - blue, cupped, heart-shaped leaves--looks like blue
hostas are supposed to look.  Makes a medium-sized clump.  H. 'Halcyon'
would be a good alternative.

5) H. 'Sum and Substance' - this is a very lustrous, chartreuse, large
plant in the shade.  The color is not as nice as some cultivars, but in
shade with lots of dark green or blue green plants around it, it makes a
fantastic statement.  It is vigorous and slug resistant and not expensive.

6) H. 'Frances Williams' - my personal favorite hosta of all.  Grown in
full shade and shielded from early spring frosts, the gold margins show
little or no marginal necrosis.  The leaves are glorious large glaucous blue
extravaganzas with a wide gold margin.  H. 'Samurai' is very similar.

7) H. 'Joseph' - this hosta has the shiniest (wettest looking) leaves of
any green hosta I grow.  I just love what it looks like.  H. 'Devon Green'
or H. 'Potomac Pride' are good alternatives for green leaves that are
almost as shiny.

8) H. 'Sagae' - frosty blue-green leaves with a bright gold margin.  This
hosta comes up like gangbusters and makes a very impressive statement
when grown in full shade.  The large leaves have very heavy substance and
hold themselves very upright.  I keep buying more and more of these because
the larger each clump gets, the more my mind gets blown away.  H. 'Regal
Splendor' is a good alternative with more grey-blue leaves and a creamier
white margin.

9) H. 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' - seriously cupped, rugose, blue leaves
making a medium-sized clump.  This plant is so seriously interesting looking,
I stop and contemplate it virtually every time I walk in the garden.  h.
'Love Pat' is an alternative whose leaves are just not quite as cupped.  I
like Love Pat, but I adore Abiqua Drinking Gourd.

10) H. ventricosa - the leaves of this species have an iridescence when
grown in full shade that beckons me to come take a closer look.  The
variegated forms H. ventricosa 'Aureomarginata' and H. ventricosa
'Aureomaculata' are spectacular in their own right, but the species is really special.
The leaf shape, clump shape, surface color and iridescence and the deep
purple blooms are all wonderful.

Note that I've not emphasized gold or gold centered hostas because most
of them need more sun to grow really well and look their best, and the
above recommendations are for Shade Gardens!

Enjoy,
Steve Chamberlain
Manlius, NY Zone 5-
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