Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Size matters?

Many years ago (oh, 10 years or more when I was still at the old house) a friend and I attended a plant sale at Stan Hywett Hall in Akron. I brought home what was then touted as the largest of all hostas, a "Sum & Substance". Since then it's been the show-off plant of my back border bed with it's lush display of chartreuse leaves and lots of flower stalks.

A couple of years ago I picked up an end-of-year sale plant at Lowes. It was a Bressingham blue and I was totally unfamiliar with it. It had no pic or tag, just the name scrawled on the plastic pot. I like the blue color so brought it home. As with many impulse purchases, I had no idea where to plant it so just stuck it in a far-too-sunny spot for a hosta - right under my sunroom bay window.

It grew quietly for a couple of years, mostly neglected. But it seemed to be able to handle the sun so I put off moving it.


This year it's like something out of a SciFi movie, or like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction: "I won't be ignored!"

It is gigantic. Big and blue and pushing aside the hardy hibiscus trying to come up next to it.

Well, Glenn, I'm not ignoring you anymore. And no way am I moving you from what must obviously be the perfect place for you. So, sorry hibiscus. I'm getting a shovel. You guys are so outta there.

And, lucky me, I'd let a stalk of it go to seed last year. Now I have a WS container chock full of Bressingham blue seedlings. Hmmm. Now where the heck are those babies gonna go?

I do love my many hostas. Not only do they give a lush display, but the flowers are great bee magnets. Even the hummers come 'round now and then.

Meanwhile, nice news on the tomato front. Check out the Veg Page!

5 comments:

  1. I don't have room for any more hosta, but save me some seeds, please! LOL.

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  2. No prob, Tom. I'll also include seeds for "Sun Power" - a really cool, wavy leaved golden yellow hosta.

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  3. That is a big hosta! Hostas wouldn't much like my yard, at least not for several more years...my poor dog can barely get a little shade beside one little evergreen tree out back and only early in the morning!

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  4. Hi Amy. Yeah, it is big - almost 4' wide and over 2' tall. I think it's making it's own shade these days. heh

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  5. So wait, the yellowish-green one on the LEFT is supposed to be "the biggest of all hostas"?? LOL Just make sure you don't cut down the rhoda or whatever's in between the two - if it sees the blue one, it's going to get a complex!

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