A Hosta Lover’s Garden

Enjoying the ultimate shade perennial

Today we ’re call with Lonna and Jon in Williamsport , Pennsylvania . They are avid gardeners and particularly lovers ofhostas . Lonna start collect hostas in 2016 and now has well over 800 different varieties . Yes , EIGHT HUNDRED !

The big genus Hosta in the centre with the long blue leaves is one of Lonna ’s favorites , Hosta‘Tidewater ’ . Standing marvelous behind it is a new addition to the garden , a dappled willow ( Salix‘Hakuro Nishiki ’ , Zones 5–7 ) .

We all have intercourse hostas have beautiful foliation , but the flowers can be somewhat nice too , blooming at many different times of yr . This is ‘ Marilyn Monroe ’ , a former bloomer , fall in at the end ofSeptemberwith these graceful arc flower stems and attractive creamy bract below each empurpled bloom .

Not contented with over 800 refer hostas , Lonna also care growing her own hostaseedlingsand has over 200 of them so far . This image shows how to harvest hostaseeds . The green cod develop after the flowers slice , and once they turn brown they ’re ready to plunk .

Here ’s what hosta cum look like . If you just have the seeds develop naturally , you ’ll get whatever hybrids thebeesmade as they went from flower to blossom . Most of your seedling will have green leave , but growing from germ can be a fun way to explore hostas and get flashy plants to fill up your garden .

As much as Lonna and Jon beloved genus Hosta , their garden does n’t only feature hostas . Here an impatiens ( Impatienshawkeri , Zones 10–11 or as an annual ) blooms next to a gardenpond .

Many hosta varieties can deepen their look a fortune during the grow season . This is‘Empress Wu’and ‘ Dancing Queen ’ inearly summertime .

And here is a snap of the same two plants in mid - September , after the promising colour have faded a bit . Many jaundiced - leaved hostas will pass to green as the season march on . Theblue coloron a hosta leaf is develop by a layer of wax , and summer heat induce it to lose the blue color and shift to a smooth , calendered look .

The hosta garden look lush after a pelting inAugust , a reminder from Lonna to keep hostas water flop through the summer . Though most Funka do n’t grow fresh leaves after their first flush in spring , later in the summer they are grow the roots and buds that will be next twelvemonth ’s plants , so keeping them well cared for all summer will give you liberal industrial plant next year .

Lonna bewilder withHosta‘Niagara Falls ’ . This huge , beautiful plant started as a littledivisionwith two leaves that Lonna ’s champion place her in the mail . Clearly Lonna knows how to make hostas very happy in her garden !

If you are interested in learning more about hostas , Lonna recommend join theAmerican Hosta Societyor checking out theHosta Library . And be sure visit Lonna ’s Instagram:@paintedleafhostagarden

Have photos to share ? We ’d love to see your garden , a particular solicitation of plants you bang , or a wonderful garden you had the probability to visit !

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