My passion in the garden is my hosta.  Hosta are such an easy plant to grow and are low maintenance.  A shade garden plant, you love hosta because of the size, foliage, uniqueness of the leaves, and the many different colors.  Some green, some gold, others in many types of variegation of the leaves.  The hosta will produce a flower stem and flowers each summer, but the hosta lover thinks of the flowers just as an added bonus.

Each year, I try to find some new and exciting varieties and this year we will again have many new ones!  Some will be quite limited in numbers and others readily available.  We will also continue to have the more commonly available varieties.  These are excellent plants to plant in mass plantings or where you need a plant of a certain size in the shade.  Hosta collectors on the other hand will search high and low for new varieties, match colors and textures much as you would do in decorating your living room.    If you are new to hosta – it is an exciting time.  If you are a seasoned hosta gardener – stop in and check out my new varieties to keep your collection growing!

Highlighted in this blog are three small hosta – two of which are new to our garden center this year!

Curly Fries – 2016 Hosta of the Year!

Each year, the American Hosta Growers Association

choose a hosta that represents a good garden plant in all  regions of the country, is widely available and in sufficient supply and retail for about $15.00 in the year of selection.

For 2016, this award goes to Hosta ‘Curly Fries’. A small hosta with an arching mound of shiny yellow-green foliage, curly and twisty looking narrow leaves.  Lavender flowers will appear in mid-summer.

Raspberry Sundae   The small unusual raspberry red stems, flower stalks and buds help give this hosta its name.  The leaves have irregular green edges and cream centers.  The flowers will be a deep lavender.

 

 

Lakeside Banana Bay – another small hosta which sports very shiny, broad folded leaves with bright yellow centers and an apple green edge.  Flowers in late summer are light lavender.