I am beginning to see the edges of some of my hosta gardens appear as the snow starts to melt and the days are getting longer.  The anticipation of spring fills the air.

Hosta are still one of the most popular perennial plants.  This season we have over 100 different varieties available for sale and included in this number are over 15 new varieties. 

The “mouse ears” line of hosta has been around for many years with Blue Mouse Ears probably being the most recognizable.   New for us this year are Mouse Madness and Mouse on the Moon.  Both are miniature hosta – Mouse Madness being slightly larger.  Mouse Madness is a variegated  plant and Mouse on the Moon is blue/green in color. 

New varieties also available in late May will be ‘Doubled-Up’; ‘Glossy Ruffles’; ‘Road Rage’ (this one is definitely funky – puckered and crinkled leaves); ‘Royal Crest’; ‘Sunny Day’; ‘Yippie’; ‘Hovercraft’; ‘Let’s Twist Again’; ‘Parthenon’; ‘X-cellent’; ‘Bulletproof’; ‘Forbidden Fruit’; ‘Sorbet’; and ‘White Feather’.   We’re excited to be offering Hosta White Feather  as we always get requests for a white leafed hosta.  

The Hosta of the Year for 2020 is Hosta Dancing Queen.  Each year the American Hosta Society names a hosta for this honor.  To be named Hosta of the Year, the plant has to have done well in all areas of the country, be readily available and moderately priced.   Hosta Dancing Queen is certainly going to light up your shade garden with the bright yellow leaves.   This medium sized hosta will stay yellow almost the entire season.   Plant it as a specimen plant and match it up with some blue/green hosta for great contrast or other shade perennials.

We have a handout available in our hosta sales area that lists all of the hosta that have been named Hosta of the Year for the last 24 years.  Check it out and see just how many you have in your garden!