Wherever there’s a bit of shade and some moist soil, a hosta is an excellent choice of plant. Their lush, tropical foliage in a range of colours, textures and sizes suits all spaces and makes an attractive addition to any garden.
Table of Contents
As groundcover they are good value – coming up relatively early in the year and giving cover so dense that few weeds can compete with them. They are perennials and will return year on year, forming larger clumps over time.
As plants for shade, they are extremely useful to the garden designer, giving colour, texture and interest in the gloomier places in the garden. They give a lush feel reminiscent of tropical gardens and when planted in conjunction with other foliage plants, give excellent contrast. Planting spring bulbs to emerge before the foliage gives a practical reason to plant hostas – the foliage conceals the ‘messy’ bits left after the spring bulbs have died down.
Most hostas form a round clump of dense foliage. This makes a good ‘full stop’ to the end of a border or emphasises a collection of round pots.
There are many colours to choose from, ranging from dark green, blue-grey and into bright yellow/lime green. There are even varieties with a cream/white centre. ‘Paradise Island’ has red stems. This is an unusual colour for Hostas, quite a revelation and useful to give harmony in a colour scheme. The lime greens are excellent for brightening dark corners and for contrasting with other plants such as Ligularia. The more variegated plants such as H. ‘War Paint’ are specimens in their own right and work well in containers.
From the tiny ‘Mouse Ears’ with thumb-sized leaves to the giant ‘Big Daddy’ with enormous platters, hostas can fit into any design wherever a shade loving plant is needed.
Veined, ribbed and even leaves that spiral such as H.’Corkscrew’ are available from nurseries and garden centres. Some hostas have a soft almost fuzzy texture, others are glossy. To get the most from the foliage textures, mass planting of several varieties together is most effective.
Mass planting of hostas is the most visually satisfying. Their different foliage colours offset each other and they make a lovely full shade border, punctuated occasionally by ferns, pulmonaria, primula and ligularia varieties.
It is easy to forget all about hosta flowers but they do make quite a show. Tall spires of white, lilac and even violet and purple blooms emerge above the foliage from late June and look stunning for a few weeks. There are even scented varieties now available. Once the flowers have faded, the stems can be cut back and the plants return to their full foliaged glory.
The Hostas only failing is their deliciousness…slugs and snails love them and they can quickly be reduced to the texture of fine Belgian lace. When the plants are young, they will need some protection – sharp grit around the base or copper tape around the top of a pot to stop the slugs’ advances. Once they are established, the rule is safety in numbers – plant so many that the slugs’ inroads are barely noticeable amongst the lush vegetation.
Hostas are simple to care for once the slugs have been dealt with…The leaves turn yellow in autumn and turn to mush that can be cleared away and composted or left in-situ to rot down. If they are becoming too large, they can be lifted and divided like other perennials (if you can get a fork through them).
They may need watering during a dry summer but overall, for a great looking, good value plant that will give years of lush foliage and slug fodder, the hosta can’t be beaten.
Hostas are best bought in pots. Some can be acquired very cheaply…particularly if you have an eye for a bargain towards the end of the season when the foliage is beginning to die down. The newer varieties can be pricey though, but are hard to resist!
Most homeowners have probably spent hours looking at the different types of garden seeders. You may have even come across…
When it comes to vehicle lovers, cleaning their cars on a regular basis is essential to maintaining the paint job's…
Gas chainsaws are the perfect tool for a variety of outdoor tasks, including chopping up logs for firewood, clearing brush…
A home can be a daunting project, one that takes some time and energy to maintain. With hard work, determination,…
Today ginger is grown all over tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, in parts of Africa and South America, and…
Onions are one of the most popular vegetables in the world, and growing onions is a snap in the home…