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Pond and bog type plants for water gardening ... introducing you to HOSTA
Heaven
Hosta fortunei a long time familiar species unknown in the wild ... The
Hosta, once referred to as the Funkia, commonly called the Plantain Lily is a
truly oriental plant in origin.Japan is the host to most of the 20 species,
which can be found virtually everywhere, showing their amazing adaptability to
grow anywhere from damp woodland shade in rich soil, or in open in boggy sites
in ‘snow-melt meadows’, or growing in shale clinging to mist-cloaked
mountainsides.
Hostas fit so easily into the a scheme of Japanese design because they are
such a familiar part of the Japanese landscape Their ability to grow in
virtually any climate zone in the United States, from Southern Georgia to
Anchorage in Alaska, has made them the most popular plants by far in the United
States.
They fit in with the American style of gardening in the large open plan style of
the suburbs.
the numbers seem ceaseless That is when hostas can get tiresome; in collections
of huge swathes of plants with no dramatic relief in height or leaf shape.
However, if you want a ground cover plant to add colour or light to dappled
woodland shade, or you need some reliable edging plant to create a margin
between pool and bog garden, or to display some permanent interesting foliage
through the drab times in the perennial border, hostas have got to be included
in the very small contingent of really suitable and useful plants.
Maidenhair Spleenwort and Hosta sieboldiana work together in shade that few
other plants could tolerate.
Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans' helps visually hold an informal planting scheme
together on a pool edge and the species plant Hosta crispula brightens up the
shade in a leafy perennial border in late summer Being a good sport in the Hosta
world Hostas are easy to grow in the right conditions but it is impossible to
grow them from seed true-to-type, and so they have to be propagated by division.
All the species and new varieties are excessively promiscuous and it is
difficult to avoid them crossing with one another.
Hosta 'Elvis Lives' in amongst some of the more popular American hybrids at the
Tatton Park flower show this year.
Regarded by many as the doyen of hosta hybridisers, he has introduced such
popular varieties as the large leafed Hosta 'Sum and Substance' and the blues
Hosta 'Blue Angel' and 'Love Pat'.
Here in British Isles they grow bigger, and in varieties like Hosta 'Halcyon',
the flowers are more colourful and stay in bloom for longer.
Giving Hostas with yellow in them less of the shade and plenty of sun,
particularly in the afternoon, will burnish up the hues a bit.
You will usually find that the true hosta lover will quite uninhibitedly resort
to every possible deterrent and pest control available and all at the same time.
Certain thick leaved varieties like 'Sum and Substance' or 'Frances Williams'
are fairly slug resistant which is enough to supply the traditional herbaceous
perennial border with the necessary foliage effects.
Mulch well in autumn If you want to propagate hostas in early autumn or in March
as the new growth appears. Handful size divisions showing some root can be
potted into ½ litre pots or planted out into position.
hosta plants varieties slug flowers shade gardening
popular "hosta sieboldiana" species British American Substance propagate Elegans
click the link to read full article
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