Hosta's which and where?

Hi all, I have finally caved in and admitted defeat :rolleyes: the front garden is my own personal Chernobyl - nothing will grow there :(

I have wasted a good few hundred over the last seven years on it...................but I have had a brainwave and don't know why I didn't think of it before..........HOSTA's :D

So many out there but so few places that sell the unusual ones!

Any idea's my friends? Which are your personal favourites?

I can't afford to waste money like i used to so any advice would be appreciated

Slugs are not a problem as they know they are on ASBO's :D

 

I used to grow hostas in a large container in the old garden (to much sun in the garden itself). My favourite was "Halcyon" (in my avatar). Very clean shape and glamourous grey blue colour.

But snails got at it and ate it all before I became a fierce snail killer (I am now).

 

Hello Paula,
Although hosta's are easy to grow and they increase in size very quickly and are very easy to propagate, they are expensive to buy, fom growers or garden centres for some reason.
Your best bet is to try car boot sales etc, to get you started, or some one you know that grows should be able to help you!
They are as tough as old boots, their only enemy is the usual suspects, slugs and snails.
Don't try to buy a garden full all at once, it would cost a fortune, and watch out for the dark green ones,they usually look dreary in your garden.

Anyway, good hunting!

 

I like the big leaved ones such as sum and substance, Mr Big or Big Daddy.

We had a few general ones from B+Q which were in packs of 3 for a fiver. They soon bulk up with a little care and attention.

 

A big thankyou to those that have given me idea's so far :D

I will be ringing B&Q to see if they have any offers on at the mo as well.

I was hoping to get four massive growing ones to start me off and the blue ones are gorgeous

I find that coffee grounds do a good job of keeping slugs and snails away so after my couple of pints of the stuff in the mornin I sling it down and it does the trick :thumbs:

 

I love hostas and I wish you well in growing them. At my old place..the slugs used to say...wow comon lads. Bed,Breakfast and evening meal..they never stood a chance.

Managed to grow a couple tho, in large pots.:thumb:

I suppose you have done soil tests in the front garden?

 

I have quite a few hosta's in my garden.
I brought 3 kinds from a shop on ebay.
http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZnewforesthostas
They came quite small but have grown on fairly quick

 

Love hostas too - have had them for approx. 4-5 years possibly more. I bought small plants when they were available at all the usual garden centres (that way if you lose any then you haven't forked out a fortune for them as the bigger plants can be very expensive.) I decided to put them in pots (several different sizes) - I can then move them around the garden to spots where they are most happy, I must say that a good mixture of varieties makes a nice display, and because they are in pots I don't tend to get too many naughty little slugs feasting on them!

 

Thanks all of you, my friend Kay who is a gardener has suggested that I grow them through the slate chippings on one side of the garden with large purple slate blocks laid out here and there to make it look 'designer' :rolleyes:

Although she won't advise me on varieties because she says i should choose them myself :D

I think i will look on ebay and see how much i can get them for if not its up the garden centres and car boots as i have already forked out £23 for a couple of climbing roses 'compassion', salmon pinky apricot colour, will smell lovely under the window :D

 

I love hostas paula, bought a couple at B&Q a few weeks ago, £3.50, for a small one!! and £5,99, for a largish one, really expensive considering how easy it is to split them every year, i use pellets for the slugs!!! ive tried everything else and they dont work, my hostas were like lace curtains ..Dee..

 

Check these out accidental they are all from divisions from friends and friends of friends
G.man




have a few more, but no pics of them at the moment.
:thumb:

 

I have to admit I have had a love affair with the lovely Hostas ever since Bob rescued our very first one from the deadly hands of a builder long ago since then our little collection has grown slowly but surely, we have even managed to pass on these wonderful plants to friends and family.

I have to admit I never thought of growing some from seed until a month or so ago I left a old flower head on our bark chippings which I cut from the main plant last year (I lazily left them there over winter) and only saw 20 or 30 little seedling appear and I was so happy I potted most of them up!

Fair enough they are only tiny plant-lets at the moment with 2 pairs of leaves on each but at least they are happy growing.

If you want Paula I can send you some seeds if you like once the seed pods are ready for popping? Just let me know and I'll make a note of it that goes for anyone else too.Hel.xxx.

 

YEZ PLEASE Helen i will pm you :D