What a difference in 2 days. I took a few pictures on Sunday and they are much more advance today, though many are still just pips. Also very interesting, the different micro-climates in my yard. June on the east side of my house is up and unfurled. A division that came from the same plant on the west side of my house is still pips only.

At any rate, the annual hosta "kneel and feel" is complete. 214 on my list (including duplicates of several plants, a few seedlings and some weedlings). 209 are accounted for. 2 are confirmed dead, 1 is suspected dead, but I didn't get a chance to dig it, 1 is always the last up in the spring and I forgot to look for 1 small weedling. A few others may not make it as the growth is extremely small and weak.

Here are a few pics from today. I love the fresh colour.

'Baby Bunting'


'Blue Wedgwood'


'Cherry Tart'


'Chinese Sunrise'


'Dragon Tails'

Part of my 'Cracker Crumbs' border


'Cutting Edge'


'First Frost'


'Fire Island'


'Harpoon' - love the red

Nice to see after a long winter!

Got the rest of my pics cropped; s here are some more.

'June' - the division east of my house


'Liberty' - not yet unfurled, but dramatic at every stage


'Lakeside Reflecting Glass' - doing well for a plant I got 2 years ago.


'Moonstruck' - looks good now, but I find it a temperamental, prissy little thing.


'Nancy' was new last year and is still in a pot, but I love the colour.

'Raspberries and Cream'


'Red October'


'Revolution'


'Wheee!' shows her ruffles even before she's unfurled


'White Christmas'

This is just a test and I'll likely take it down, but I'm trying to get rid of the BIG watermark in the pics. I thought I had my preference for the small one and I changed the preferences again, but the big one is still there. Does anyone know - is it retroactive when I make changes or will I need to reload all the pics to change it?

This is 'Emerald Ruff Cut'


Well, it's obviously NOT retroactive, but I'll gradually reload the pics.

Send Dave a tree-mail. He is going to be out of town tomorrow. He changed my pictures retroactively and all mine now are creative commons. I personally feel that the All Things Plants across the picture is very distracting and for me spoils a good picture.

Ann ... Your Hostas are beautiful.

I was out of town for a couple of days. Just got back and did the hostas ever pop while I was away. Haven't done much since we've been back, but I took a new round of garden pics which I'll start editing after dinner.

I changed mine to the watermark, I found out that people can crop out the small writing at the bottom. To me the water mark was not that noticeable. What bothers me is that some of my pictures have neither one and I have always had something checked, so how could this happen? I went back and looked at some older pictures and the old mark is still there, only the newer pictures have the large writing across the page.

@ViolaAnn, I was thinking about getting Harpoon but 'Lakeside Reflecting Glass' really has my attention!

Here are some new pics-

'Allegan Fog' may have a bit more green than usual. We'll she when it gets fully leafed out.


'Allan P. McConnell' border - an older variety and one that, while not a mini, still stays small and is very easy to divide.


'Blue Ice' is very small, but I seem to have 8 eyes this year


'Blue Ivory' has unfurled earlier than anything around it. Not much blue in this one leaf. But, for the first time in a 4 yr-old plant, I've got a second eye, not yet unfurled.


'Christmas Pageant' - was just intrigued by these eyes


This is an unknown hosta rescued from the garden at my church last year and grown in a pot. I found several small sections of a smaller hosta underneath it too. I doubt it's anything special since the only really good plants in the church garden were put there by me, but I'd welcome guesses as to what it might be. Not enough veins for 'Frances Williams'.

'Curly Fries' - still in a pot - 3rd season in my garden. I'm trying to decide where to put it permanently. It will be the 2016 Hosta of the Year!


'Cutting Edge' - still not fully unfurled, but still striking. This is a hosta with attitude.


'Dorset Clown' - a small streaker just starting its 3rd season with me


'Emerald Ruff Cut' unfurled


'First Frost' unfurled


'Frisian Pride' was given a location in the garden this year. Just starting its 3rd season with me.


'Great Expectations' is another of which I like the look before it unfurls. This is one of my oldest plants and it's still not very large.


'Harpoon' - another showing the red base of the plant.


'Katsuragawa Beni' - I go back and forth on this one. Was going to get rid of it, but still rather like it; so I kept a division, but for now, it's in a pot.


'Kifukurin Ko Mame' - an older mini hosta. This is, without doubt, the best tiny edger I have. Fast growing, easy to divide. I have borders in 4 locations. I think it's hard to find now unless you know someone who has it. Too bad. Look carefully to find it amongst the crocus foliage.

'Korean Snow' is one of my favourites and I love the fresh spring colour.


'Liberty' - not yet fully unfurled, but getting there and dramatic at every stage.


'Lakeside Reflecting Glass' needs to be moved. I think the torn leaves come from branches falling off the tree above it.


'Loyalist' - not unfurled, but attractive at this stage


'My Claire' is, IMHO, underused as a hosta. Stays small and is always attractive.


'Punky' is a sport of 'Blue Wedgwood' and the centre of the leaves gets progressively whiter through the season.


'Rainbow's End' is a close as one can get to a slug-proof hosta.

'Rainforest Sunrise'


'Red October' - 'Fire Island' - two red-legged plants next to each other.


'Remember Me' with it's spring colour - yellow in the leaf centre.


'Roller Coaster Ride' - a very small ruffled plant with several new eyes this year.


A seedling from last year. Chris from Hallson's sent me some seeds from 'Neat Splash'. I had two streaked seedlings, but just one made it through the winter.


Another seedling - one I'm watching from 'Touch of Class'. It stayed yellow all season last year.

'Silver Threads and Golden Needles' in its spring colours


'Spilt Milk' amongst the crocus foliage


'Stand By Me' is just starting its 3rd year in my garden and was just given a garden location instead of a pot.

Final pics for now.
'Stiletto'


'Summer Breeze'


'The Razor's Edge'


'Touch of Class' doesn't appear to have any 'Bulletproof' in it this year.


'Undulata Albomarginata' - the old fashioned one which grandma grew and which is still really pretty early in the season. Later, it will become slug bait.


A streaked seedling given to me several years ago when my garden was included on an Ottawa area Ontario Hosta Society bus tour. I've just decided to name it after myself for a change instead of after grandkids and I'm calling it 'Viola Ann'.


This Weedling has been in my garden for several years, but I'm quite happy with it this year. Can't remember how long it holds the gold colour. If it does, I think it's a winner.


'White Christmas' - the last one for now. Looks really pretty at this time of year, but the slugs have been feasting on it later in the season.

Wow Ann, I am impressed by the amount and variety of your Hosta collection

I love all those Ann! Need to come back when I have time to write things down, I would love to have several of those. First of all Curly Fries, that is really cute! I have been wanting White Christmas for a long time but every time I go to order one they are out.

Stand by me is one beautiful Hosta! >>'Red October' - 'Fire Island' - two red-legged plants next to each other.
Those two really look good together, I have been wanting Red October and Rainbows End for a long time and I think I already have FI. I am getting those and My Claire for sure!!

'Curly Fries IS cute and later in the season it seems to be more than one colour of foliage. It will be Hosta of the Year in 2016.

Good to know!

'Stand By Me' is in the 'June' family too and like most of that family holds up well.
'White Christmas' can be finicky. Your climate may be a bit warm for growing it well. Up here it does well with morning sun, but I was lucky in where I placed it. Might be a good one to grow in a pot so that you can move it around to find the right location.