I have several beds of Hostas in various places in my yard but here are pictures of my favorite.....east of my house under a large oak tree. I can see them from my living room window, my kitchen window, and each time I leave the house or come home.

Beautiful gardens, I can't really tell in the pictures, are those beds level or built up toward the back?

Thanks Seedfork. Part of the bed is on a gradual slope.

Paul, what is the largest hosta you have. Sum and Substance perhaps. Or Jurrasic? I have a west facing bed that is in shade til 3 in the afternoon then one side gets sun, then the other side does. Well, I is between the house and fence with a 30" bed on one side (10 feet long) and 24 to 40" wide on the other about 20' long, so the sun switches from one side to the other as it progresses to sundown. I have bleeding heart against the house which will bend and cover half the larger width bed despite restraining cages. I want to fill in the rest with something. Hosta and astilbe are good candidates. Thinking columbine but they like more sun that I think this spot will get. Soil stays fairly moist all the time. The narrower side has moss type problems with astilbe, solomon seal, japanese iris, leopard's bane. All do well. Plus two huechera - a little iffy there due to moisture content on that side. I can go a zone 4 easily or have even pushed 5 but rarely. Has to be just the right spot.

My largest Hosta is Victory, Check out the pictures on the data base. Another good one is Winter Snow, a white margined sport of Sum and Substance which is growing well for me. I also have pictures of it on the data base.

I can see why that would be a favorite hosta bed! I'd be standing in the window enjoying the view a lot if I had beds that nice looking.

Beautiful, Paul. So well grown.
What is the tall hosta next to the birdbath?
And the smaller ripply one that is to the frog's right, a couple of hosta over?
Which is your favorite?
Which would you suggest everyone grow?

Thanks everyone...Cindi...the one left of the bird bath is Liberty, one of my favorites. I see the frog in several pictures so I'm not certain which one you mean but it could be Curly Fries. Let me know which picture and I may be able to narrow it down. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite but several that I especially like are Queen Josephine, Minuteman, Patriot. Emerald Ruff Cut, Lakeside Paisley Print, Bridal Falls, Wheee!, Beyond Borders, Broad Band, Island Breeze, Niagara Falls......I could go on and on......

Nice pictures, Paul. In the 9th one, I think, is that 'Blue Ivory'? If so, it's nice to see one with more than 1 eye. I had 2 pips this year, but one of them vanished and didn't open up.

Mary Stella - I was in Anchorage for a conference last year - end of June, beginning of July. Together with my sister, who lives in Palmer, I got to the Botanical garden there and the hostas didn't seem to grow very large, unlike just about everything else in Anchorage. I wondered if that's typical or a function of the slow spring you had last year.

Ann.......it is Blue Ivory. I have 2 plants, one plant I have had for several years is two divisions and has never grown. I saw some nice plants at Hosta House in SLC last summer. Each had 3-5 divisions so I decided to try another one in a different spot in the garden. It emerged early and suffered some frost damage in the white portions. I have been cutting the damaged leaves off and it is sending up new ones and looks pretty good. Another one that remained tiny for several years was Popcorn so I got a second one last summer that is looking good,

That's a good idea, if you like a hosta, but it's growing slowly - get another. Sometimes, they are just slow or duds, I guess.

Some more pictures from this morning.........

I live in zone 9B...Hostas are so attractive...but, it looks like my zone it too hot for them. Any sugesstions!?

There is probably info some where about Hostas that will grow in the south. Sorry that I am not familiar with it......

OrlandoBill the problem you are likely to encounter is that hostas need about 40 days of cool temperatures each year for a dormant period. Often hostas will grow in zones like yours for awhile, but then die because they don't get the dormancy. Of course, you could always treat them like annuals like we do some of your perennials, but they might never gain the mature size. Having said all that, I would still Google for hostas that will grow in warmer zones and you may well find some. Good luck.

ViriginiaRose grows Hostas in Zone 8a. She might have some suggestions.

Thanks, but...I may just pass for now...sort of reminds me here in Central Florida when the Citrus Crops were frozen and tilled under...their were those who thought Florida could become a Wine Growing Industry. NOT!!! They need to be nearly frozen before they can produce, ie, France, Northern California, etc.
Cheers!

Paul, what do you mulch with? Beautiful hostas, but I would expect nothing less from you.

Thanks Diann......early this spring I went to a Dairy Farm that has been shut down for several years and got some well aged manure/shavings. I banded the emerging Hostas with a little well balanced fertilizer and then some of the aged manure. I wondered if there might be a few weeds germinate but none did. Hostas loved it.