Sunday, June 5, 2016

Hosta Update...Front Yard Edition

The hostas are just now starting to look good.  We've had a lack of rain in the last week or so that has slowed down the growth of the newer hostas in the back yard so I'll just show off the more mature hostas in the front yard.

Let's start with the front bed in the center of the circular driveway.  These hostas get the most sun and the least rain fall but look at them.  They look wonderful.  Hostas once they are established are really self sufficient.
I only water my established hostas when we are experiencing a drought.
Some of the stand outs in the above beds are the yellowy/orange hostas in the center of the photo.  It is called Orange Marmalade.  As the summer progresses it turns to more of a yellow.
In the above photo is a bright chartreuse green hosta called I don't know...really.  I thought it was Captain Kirk but I just looked on Hosta Library and it isn't Captain Kirk.  Might be Rain Forest Surprise.
Hanky Panky is the varigated hosta in the photo above.  It goes through several changes as the summer progresses.  My favorite phase is right now.
Your blue hosta will be this blue if you keep it in deep shade.  The blue comes from a wax coating on the leaves and if left in the sun the wax melts and the hosta will look green.
June Fever (rt) is a fave of mine because of it's thick leaves.
Jimmy Crack Corn is a large leaf yellow with a pie crust edge.
This hosta is considered a giant.  Believe it or not, there is a boulder behind that Singing in the Rain hosta.  That's Rain Forest Surprise sticking out from underneath it on the right side.
And I'll finish up with one of my all time favorites, Tom Schmid.  It's a blue with an almost white margin.

If you like yellow and blue in the same hosta then Great Expectation is another beautiful hosta.  But it works best in a shady spot with morning only sun at the most.  I have one somewhere in the yard but I currently do not have  photo.

So what do you think?  I love it when people tell me that they do not like hostas because they are all green.  I don't see all green, do you?  I do though, see a lot of weeds.  Note to self....weed the hosta beds.