Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Hosta Hangouts. .

So I mentioned last week that we had been in the middle of wheat harvest. .
We don't help with harvest. .but Jeremy's people grow and harvest wheat for a living. .as well as my family. .and all my boys have grown up working and loving harvest! This year Devin got to shine on the combine. .it's his 3rd year to drive it-but the 1st that was completely on his own. Because it is also his first year to be able to drive anywhere by himself. .I have been provoked to wait up on him each night until he gets home.
The other night I chose to look around on Pinterest for a bit after my studying was done. .I saw this amazing hosta plant. HOSTA's I have always been able to grow without problems. .and this year, several are finally mature and are making my flower bed look GREAT! They really make a great addition to my north flower bed.
north garden. .the end that needs more plants!
Wish I had thought to take a photo of the end that has great hosta activity and flowers!
So I found myself looking this hosta up. .and ended up browsing through hostasdirect.com
They had so many different varieties. .at great prices.
Which, led me to some late night shopping!
(They also had plants other than hostas. .but hostas were what I was in the market for.)
I ordered 4 new ones. .and received them a few days after I ordered. The root systems were great. .and they have transplanted well, despite the fact that it is June in Kansas!! I wanted to document for myself, which variety is where. .so that is the reason for my post today!
Here is the section of the garden near my bedroom window. .
Prairie Moon is the lime green hosta to the east or left hand side of this photo. I have mostly dark green or bluish hostas. .so I am excited about this pop of color.
Apparently, the starts they send are what they sell to wholesalers who then pot them up and grow them for a bit before selling! I thought they were really nice starts! They already have new little leaves appearing. It will be 16 inches tall by 31 inches wide at maturity.
THIS is the hosta that had caught my eye in the photo depicting it's mature form.
It's called Bridal Falls. .and it has a great wavy leaf with green on green colors. I bought a bigger starter plant vs the small starters that I ordered the others in. .and I can't wait to see how it matures!!
It will be 28 inches tall by 48 inches wide at maturity.
I have always wanted to do little or mini hostas--since they have become their own "thing" in the world of gardening. But I have always been afraid that they would get dwarfed and wouldn't look right or thrive. I bit the bullet anyway and ordered one to see. I have always loved this variety-called "Praying hands." It has such a unique shape of leaf. .
It was the 2011 "hosta of the year" and will get about 18 inches tall and 16 inches wide.
 I also chose another hosta variety called Victory. .I like the green leaf with yellow.
It was the hosta of the year in 2015 and will get to be 33 inches tall by 48 inches wide. .Classified as a giant variety.
I thought and thought about a container I could stick them in for the summer, while deciding whether to put them in the ground. .(some people overwinter hostas in pots. .I haven't tried it yet. .but I am considering it!)
I came up with this self watering planter that Cami planted with a leftover-repotted Foxtail fern and a couple of petunias. You see that they fit absolutely perfectly in there. .and they just happen to be fairly well shaded on this covered deck.
Victory will likely outgrow my pot by the end of the summer.  .but you can see, the leaves were pretty tiny yet. .so I will take the chance.
That planter is stationed behind this picnic table. .
But I couldn't resist adding this photo of the cool succulents that I found a few weeks ago. .These will overwinter in the greenhouse or my north sunny sitting room. .I hope to do some cuttings this winter. Due to the intense hot Kansas sun on the west side of my house-even under the covered deck. .not many plants do well without twice a day water. .something I am not able or willing to do!! But THESE. .make fabulous planters full of interesting texture and color. .for only a couple waterings per week!! I'm so glad that succulents have been the recent craze! It means a lot of interesting choices!
 
That's it for today!! I hope to be back soon with more happenings and the current goings-on around the yard!! We also have an incredible experience coming soon that will involve our whole family. .
Stay tuned!!

2 comments:

  1. Amazing to put in hostas in June. They look great. So much more rain this year has really made things grow and thrive! I'm still harvesting lettuce and had to move some containers because the in ground plants are getting so tall they were shading them too much this year. Nice to see what you're up to. We have already started planning the next front garden project. The lawn is coming out! My hubby got to use his laser level and measure slopes and stuff last night. Hope he's up to moving a lot of rocks! Take care!

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  2. I have never been able to grow Hostas. I planted some last year, and only one came back up. It was gone a week later. Diane can't keep them either. The deer eat hers and I'm thinking that is what happened to mine.

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