advice on hostas please

Hi there, I just purchased some hostas that I intend to make a border with. The problem is, while choosing where exactly to plant which variety, i discovered that my front garden which I always thought of as very shady and gloomy, happens to only be so in winter! Now it's summer, the border bit would actually get a fair bit of sunlight Well, I'd say certainly more than 6 hours a day! It's north-west facing but the sun just gets in from round the corner...

My original idea was to plant some alstroemerias with the hostas, now alstroemerias come in different sizes. There are ones that frow to 50-60 cm tall, then there are 90-100 cm tall ones, and some dwarf forms of under 40 cm. Obviously there's no point getting the smallest ones as they'd be about the same height as the hostas (mine are all medium size, e.g. June, Hanky Panky, Lacy Belle). The tallest ones would provide the best shade, but I'm worried that a meter-tall plants might look a bit ugly in a border. Would the ones that are only 20-30 cm taller than the hostas provide any shade?

I'm also going to plant some taller plants but they are unlikely to be tall enough in the next year or two. Whereas I think the hostas would be at their most vulnerable while young (like any plant).

I did look at a neighbour's garden before purchasing the hostas, the neighbour's garden is north-west as well, AND their house isn't as tall as mine so casts a shorter shadow. They have 4 hostas and all are doing great, despite the fact that 3 or them are blue which are apparently not very sun tolerant. Theirs are mature plants tho.

Any ideas?

 

And the question is?

 

As I am really a shade gardner I had to look up alstroemerias, and I read they like a sunny place to grow. As I am a shade gardener, and of course feature many varieties of hosta around my property in shade. I am confused you would want to mix them???????? Even if you thought there was enough shade for the hosta, there would not be enought sun for the alstroemerias. Your thought process needs revamping. Find a shaded location for your hostas, and plant the alstroemerias in a sunny location.

 

Thats true Shiney, there are certain types of hostas that can handle sun. However, does IDIG know the types he has that can handle sun????
Or did he just get a grouping etc.

 

Well the question really was, can alstroemeria and hosta go together and would it be best to have the taller alstroemeria in the hope that it might filter the sun for the hostas?

Alstroemerias do fine in semi-shade from what I read, their native habitat is grasslands up to the line of trees. One report says they do best in 20-40% shade. As I don't have anything in my front garden at mo, it's full sun with full shade from the house at the back. Depending on time of day the shadow from the house extends to cover some of where the border will be. But for hostas to thrive, I'd need to plant something taller than them to filter the sun. Or else I'd have to stick them all next to the house wall which wasn't my original intention.

There are reports that hostas actually do best in dappled shade as opposed to either full sun or solid shade because their native habitat is forest edge and meadow. Also if watered well they should do better in sun apparently.

Basically I was hoping that the alstroemerias would get most of the sun and then cast a bit of shade on to the hostas? I'm going to plant some bushy stuff in 2-3 locations as well, so in a few years' time those would provide some dappled shade. If by that stage the shade will be too much for the alstroemerias I could always dig them up and move them somewhere, no?
but maybe I do need to rethink my planting ideas

I really really must have alstroemerias AND hostas in the front garden as I really really want to have both, and my back garden is reserved for useful and edible stuff.

I'll try and update you with a photo later today.

I have hostas with different shade preferences, I have 2 June which are meant to be very sun tolerant, 2 Hanky Panky which are reported to like "partial sun to moderate shade", and these are the ones I was gonna stick in the border. There's also 1 Lacy Belle and 1 Sleeping Beauty which are meant to like partial shade, but the Lacy Belle has lived in about as much sun as that border for a month now and it's fine. I also have a Lakeside Dragonfly, a Hyuga Urajiro and a Remember Me, all of which want as much shade as they can get. They are all going in the corner which is in solid shade and only gets a couple of hours low sun in late afternoon.

 

Go for it IDIG, being a gardener is sometimes about taking that chance.
Will be interested in seeing your results in the future.

Have you seen vidio's & slides of my gardens. Look up the thread Redstar's gardens here.