Several years ago we had all the old farmyard tarmac removed from the front of our south facing house to reveal the old cobbled road that had been laid with small 3" to 4" granite pavers at the turn of the 1900s. Between that and the house was a mix of larger cobbles dating back 250 years and some sandy gaps where we made a 7m x 4 metre raised bed which we filled with imported soil and a truck load of farmyard manure form our riding school neighbours.
I then toddled off to visit Diana Grenfell's nursery to buy a whole load of hostas that can cope with sun and some grasses for contrast. They did so well I ended up taking the whole lot out 3 years later and putting them in pots or the back garden and selling spare divisions at charity sales. The labels are long gone but I know I have Sum and Substance, Naegato and Gold Edger in there along with a dozen others bought at thesame time and newer ones added since.
They are all now in shade or semi shade with full sun for just a part of the day. I find the white and cream variegations are stable but the yellow/gold ones change each year depending on how sunny and dry a spring we have.
I love them all anyway for their form, colour and texture from all the different shapes and sizes and thicknesses of their leaves. The trick is to be vigilant with bio friendly slug pellets from early spring to catch the perishers as they emerge from hibernation or hatch from eggs and before they feast and breed on my treasures.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Just reporting back - a couple of weeks of having been moved into a sunnier spot (sun all morning until just after midday) Hosta Stained Glass is getting the yellow variegation back - it's not really distinctive yet, but we're definitely on the right track. Thanks folks
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
New to me last year hostas and I have a blue (quite a thick one) and a cream and green one. They seem to love the North East border and hate the S/W/N location where we had some of the blue at the front of the house. I had to move them, they looked like lace, the slugs had dessicated them so I dug up and threw them on the heap. When the lump started sprouting to my surprise in Spring, I took pity and planted divisions in the NE border and they're looking fabulous now.
Posts
Right, my other yellow one (H. June Fever) has joined H. Stained Glass in the sunnier part of the terrace.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Several years ago we had all the old farmyard tarmac removed from the front of our south facing house to reveal the old cobbled road that had been laid with small 3" to 4" granite pavers at the turn of the 1900s. Between that and the house was a mix of larger cobbles dating back 250 years and some sandy gaps where we made a 7m x 4 metre raised bed which we filled with imported soil and a truck load of farmyard manure form our riding school neighbours.
I then toddled off to visit Diana Grenfell's nursery to buy a whole load of hostas that can cope with sun and some grasses for contrast. They did so well I ended up taking the whole lot out 3 years later and putting them in pots or the back garden and selling spare divisions at charity sales. The labels are long gone but I know I have Sum and Substance, Naegato and Gold Edger in there along with a dozen others bought at thesame time and newer ones added since.
They are all now in shade or semi shade with full sun for just a part of the day. I find the white and cream variegations are stable but the yellow/gold ones change each year depending on how sunny and dry a spring we have.
I love them all anyway for their form, colour and texture from all the different shapes and sizes and thicknesses of their leaves. The trick is to be vigilant with bio friendly slug pellets from early spring to catch the perishers as they emerge from hibernation or hatch from eggs and before they feast and breed on my treasures.
Just reporting back - a couple of weeks of having been moved into a sunnier spot (sun all morning until just after midday) Hosta Stained Glass is getting the yellow variegation back - it's not really distinctive yet, but we're definitely on the right track. Thanks folks
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
hurraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
I do know that when handling hosta's I have to wear gloves, as my skin is alergic to them
never head of anyone allergic to them before. Mercifully I'm not.
Yes, it is planton I am alergic and Hosta's are from the planton family see
Plantain (got the name wrong sorry
New to me last year hostas and I have a blue (quite a thick one) and a cream and green one. They seem to love the North East border and hate the S/W/N location where we had some of the blue at the front of the house. I had to move them, they looked like lace, the slugs had dessicated them so I dug up and threw them on the heap. When the lump started sprouting to my surprise in Spring, I took pity and planted divisions in the NE border and they're looking fabulous now.