Intro

Hi, My name is Carolyn Hamilton.  I retired from U.S.West eight years ago
and really got the "hosta" bug a few years ago.  I live in Bettendorf, Iowa
on a double city lot.  I have a lot of shade, but am learning the wrong kind
- one maple (from Massachusetts that we transplanted), three huge silver
maples  and two birch.  My next door neighbor has a big oak tree in front
and guess what - a silver maple in back and the other next door neighbor
also has a silver maple.  They all look the same size, so am assuming they
all got a package deal for fast growing trees......I've planted hostas and a
lot of companion plants under the maples and birches and altho the old
fashioned green hostas  and green and white hostas  do well all of the
others are very slow growing.  I try to compensate by giving them a lot of
water in the summer and altho I haven't fertilized much, am going to get a
load of compost from the city compost yard this summer and spread a layer of
that to see what it does.  I'm getting more hostas (seem to need just one or
two more) and its difficult to find a place where there isn't a big tree
root.    I do the newsletter for our Mississippi Valley Hosta Society so if
anyone ever sees a nice article on shade gardening, please let me know as
I'm always on the lookout for articles for my paper.  I'm on the Hosta Robin
also and am seeing a lot of familiar names - hello to everyone.  Yesterday
it was 65 degrees here and today its 19 degrees and snowing.    Yesterday,
in making the rounds around the house, saw some  green leaves poking their
heads out....Boy are they going to be sorry!     Carolyn Hamilton
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