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Aug 11, 2014 9:42 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ann
Ottawa, ON Canada (Zone 5a)
Hostas Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Composter
Seed Starter Annuals Herbs Canning and food preservation Native Plants and Wildflowers Vegetable Grower
I was asked to provide a list of recommended hosta for the newsletter of my local horticultural society. I thought maybe you'd like to see what I came up with. I welcome your contributions below and thoughts about what else should or should not be on the list.

These hostas are based on those which I have grown successfully though there are many other hostas that do very well, particularly if you have a lot of space (I do not). My list of favourites could easily go on much longer and it might be different on another day. I have not included any which seem to be particularly bothered by pests.

I’ve started with the “Hostas of the Year” as nominated by the American Hosta Growers Association. In general these are all wonderful plants which grow well. I have a few others not listed here that just didn't make it to my top 14 list. Some of them are too large for my garden. Check out the entire list if you have space.

1999 'Paul's Glory' - Thick, chartreuse leaves, irregularly margined with dark blue-green with some streaks. Leaves are heart-shaped and corrugated. Gets lighter during the summer, but how much depends on zone and where it is situated. Medium-large.
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2001 'June' - every garden needs at least 2 ‘June’ hostas - one to be planted in a shadier spot. The leaves are a rich, powdery gold, with a very irregular blue-green margin. The centre will turn to creamy-white in bright light. In more shade, it will be more blue. Very heavy substance leaf. Medium sized. Two pics taken the same day. The second plant is a division from the first.
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2010 'First Frost' - reverse pattern of Hosta 'June'. Attractive blue leaves with a 1/2" border of creamy yellow that ages to white by season's end. Medium-sized.
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2011 'Praying Hands' - this is a very unusual plant. There’s nothing else quite like it. Each small upright clump is composed of strangely folded, lance-shaped, dark green crinkled leaves, each with a narrow cream border. Lavender flowers in August. Situate this one where it can be seen.
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Ann

Pictures of all my hostas, updated annually and tracked since 2008 begin at: https://violaann.smugmug.com/G...
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Aug 11, 2014 9:45 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ann
Ottawa, ON Canada (Zone 5a)
Hostas Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Composter
Seed Starter Annuals Herbs Canning and food preservation Native Plants and Wildflowers Vegetable Grower
2012 'Liberty' - this is the drama queen in my garden. A large hosta (though there certainly are many that are bigger), it holds itself upright. The wide yellow margins on the blue-green leaves are striking and slugs leave it alone. Pale lavender, tubular flowers on 40" scapes.
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2013 'Rainforest Sunrise' - a lovely small-medium hosta. The cupped leaves are golden and surrounded by a dramatic border of black-green. Quite distinctive. Light lavender flowers in mid-July.
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2016 'Curly Fries' - I’ve had this small hosta for 3 years and it’s become a favourite. I love the reddish petioles and the upright habit. It’s a small hosta, but it makes a statement. The lanceolate leaves get more yellow during the season. I have this one next to my driveway and I smile each time I park my car.
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Other favourites:

‘Country Mouse’ - Tiny heart-shaped, blue-green leaves are surrounded by a pure white margin, forming a nearly flat clump. Pale lavender bell-shaped flowers mid-summer on 15" scape. A true mini hosta, but grows well.
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‘Pixie Vamp’ - a registered mini that could hold its own in the garden. Dense, petite mound of neat heart-shaped leaves. Mid-green centers with distinct, yellow margins that change to creamy white.
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Ann

Pictures of all my hostas, updated annually and tracked since 2008 begin at: https://violaann.smugmug.com/G...
Image
Aug 11, 2014 9:51 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ann
Ottawa, ON Canada (Zone 5a)
Hostas Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Composter
Seed Starter Annuals Herbs Canning and food preservation Native Plants and Wildflowers Vegetable Grower
‘Peppermint Ice’ - Shiny leaves with white centres and green margins of various shades. Small-medium. Mine appears to have rhizomatous tendencies. Bright lavender flowers in late July. There appear to be two plants on the market with this name. Ensure that you get the correct one.
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‘Rainbow’s End’ has yellow to creamy white streaks through leaves with medium and dark green margins. This one is very shiny and tough as nails. As close to a slug-proof hosta as anything in my garden. Small (21"w x 12"h)
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‘Lakeside Mom’ - my favourite streaked plant - ovate leaves streaked with light green, greenish yellow, yellow and creamy white. Medium lavender flowers mid-summer.
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Every garden needs some solid green (or blue or yellow) hostas to calm the eye in a sea of variegated plants. A couple of my favourite green hostas are:

‘Marilyn Monroe’ - medium-large size, wavy-edged, grey-green leaves with dramatic, waxy-white backs. Lavender flowers in late August or September.
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‘Restless Sea’ - small-medium size. The gray-green leaves of 'Restless Sea' seem to be in a state of constant motion. Wedge-shaped leaves have a slightly serrated edge and undulating leaf margin, white backs and are cupped at the leaf base. Pale lavender flowers in late summer.
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For other selections, just about anything in the ‘Halcyon/’June’ family of sports grows well and holds up well during the season and none of them get too large. I especially like ‘High Society’, ‘Remember Me’, ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘Bulletproof’ (solid blue) as well as ‘Halcyon’.
Ann

Pictures of all my hostas, updated annually and tracked since 2008 begin at: https://violaann.smugmug.com/G...
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