Shady Ladies At My House

Tips for growing red dragon wing begonias

Pictured~ Patriot Hostas plants in my rock garden with Praying Hands Hosta in the middle & a potted Dragon Begonia plant.

Did You Know? Begonias are my favorite annual plant, and they too bloom at their best as a "Shady Lady"!

Pictured~Transplanting hostas in my garden (Left to Right) Golden Tiara Hosta, Patriot Hosta, & Sun Power Hosta

Pictured~ (Left to Right) Sun Power Hosta, Dragon Wing Begonia, & Patriot Hosta | Front of my rock garden: Praying Hands Hosta| In the grass: Golden Tiara Hosta

One of my favorite outdoor plants are hosta varieties. In fact, after moving, planting hostas, specifically has been an item on my to do list for my new home. (See my previous post HERE.) Over the years I have found them so easy to plant, grow and maintain. I have planted hostas in the ground, in rock gardens and even in pots, and they are always such a breeze to take care of and will reward your efforts with the most beautiful foliage. Don't be fooled by the robust look and magnificence of these garden beauties. They require very little effort on your part. It's as simple as consistent watering and an area that offers at least partial shade during the day; and that's pretty much it!

Hostas are perennial blooms; gifts that keep on giving. Perennials lie dormant in the fall and winter months, and return to bloom again and again each spring season. Hostas originated as a plant variety with about 40 species from China, Japan and South Korea. Today there are over 8,000 crosses of this incredible plant; definitely one to please any gardener! Hosta plants offer foliage that spreads wide, along with miniature types that scale small. Mature species can grow as giant as 96" across and 60" tall, with smaller versions that can be as tiny as 2" tall and 4" to 6" wide. Miniature hostas plants are great for walkways and paths, rock gardens and container planting. The larger species in rows can completely fill a flower bed, or even offer a replacement for shrubbery during their season. Both the small and the large varieties offer clues to their size by their names. Some of the larger hosta names include Bigga Luigi (as big as 25" H x 80" W), Big Daddy (as big as 25" H x 66" W), King Size (as big as 48" H x 84" W) and my favorite, Empress Wu (as big as 60" H x 96" W), with leaves can than can span as large as 25" across! Smaller plants include names such as Baby Booties (as small as 5" H x 19" W), Bitsy Gold (as small as 8" H x 21" W) and Blue Mouse Ears (as small as 8" H x 12" W).

Tips for growing epress wu hostas plants monrovia

Pictured~ (large) Empress Wu Hosta

Photo Cred: Monrovia.com

Pictured~ My (medium) Sun Power Hosta

This one has been with me for over four years and was transplanted from my old house as a container plant.

She was previously planted in full sun. This year she is planted in a part shady area where she has experienced her largest blooms thus far, and it's only May!

Pictured~ My (medium) Patriot Hosta

I split this one to yield two in my garden.

Pictured~ My (small) Praying Hands Hosta.

This one was transplanted from my old house as a container plant.

Pictured~ My (small) Golden Tiara Hosta

I have three of these in my garden.

Hostas are also differentiated by their leaf color and thickness. Snails and slugs are common perpetrators to the leaves of this plant. The thicker and more blue-color the leaves, the more texture and resistance to these little predators. I've used this pet-safe bait HERE to ward off these damaging leaf eaters. Hostas leaf colors are available in shades of blue, gold, chartreuse, streaked and multi-color patterns. There’s even a white leaf hosta known as Feather White. Some hostas produce a long stem of purple or lavender blooms during their season. I've been rewarded with as many as 3-4 blooms from my plants during the spring and summer months each year. It's definitely worth a trip to your local garden store to discover the vast array of hostas plants available. My local garden store of choice is McDonald Garden Center (HERE), where I can even find hostas that produce fragrant flowers!

3 Tips to Get Pesky Snails & Slugs to "Go Away"!

1. Treat for snails (product details HERE) and slugs throughout spring & summer and into the fall when their egg-laying season is occurring

2. Bury an empty tuna or cat food can filled with beer, attracting the pests to the beer instead of your plants

3. Create a circle of crushed egg shells around your hostas to deter snails & slugs

Pictured~ My Golden Tiara (small) Hosta Plant with Lavender Blooms.

This picture was taken this May 2017. Only this one of the three Golden Tiara's I have is currently producing blooms.

If you have a shady place in your garden and can commit to providing a daily dose of hydration, it will be hard to beat the easy personality and low maintenance of a hosta plant.