"SPRING"

Eyes of March will be here soon!

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'The Lion Grotto at Dewstow' UK. 1877.
My new back yard project for 2007 I need a cool place to grow ferns.

I have a Question, If any one looks at these posts other than myself. Ok, then the three plants are Hosta 'Striptease' and the center of one always stays white, is this plant now 'Risky Business'? The margin is a bit darker and bluer or is it a new plant with no name?

'Be happy for a life time have a garden'

HOSTA
My Top 10 List

1 Galaxy
2 Sun Kissed
3 Dance with Me
4 Summer Breeze
5 Satisfaction
6 Merry Sunshine
7 Olive Branch
8 Sum and Substance
9 Risky Business
10 Striptease

(subject to change at the drop of a hat)

'Shade Master'
'Summer Music' Group
('White Vision' x 'Gold Regal')
Hosta 'Dance with Me'
I think this is one of the prettiest hostas that has come out in the last 3 years. The leaf size is about 6 x 6 inches ,1-2 inch margin, that has a almost transparent green that just shimmers over the soft yellow center. In the evening around sunset ,the garden walk and a cup of coffee of course this plant is glowing like a beak-en in the garden saying 'Look at Me'. A good grower also, from t/c to a nice size plant in two to three seasons. 'Dance with Me' is a reverse of 'Last Dance'.


Hosta 'Stitch in Time
A new hosta that has a great look registered in 04 and in 07 ,$50-$60. Well for me it will be a wait and see, a sport of 'Last Dance' or 'Summer Breeze', I have read both. A good look from a good group

Hosta 'Mango Tango' 08

This is a reverse of 'Stitch in time' I have one ordered for spring 08.I will let you know how it grows for me.

Hosta 'Summer Music'
One of my first 3 colored hostas I put in my garden and I have had a hard time getting it to grow or I was too impatience to give the time needed so it could grow. It is a slow grower for me! An with age the yellow between the green margin and white center fades to a greenish, not really yellow at all. Age is not kind even to some plants, but 'Summer Music' is a very attractive and delightful sized hosta


Hosta 'Lakeside Meter Maid'
I picked this plant up last year (06) from Mary a good grower, sorry if I'm wrong, I think Meter Maid is a sport of Summer Music with the same wide margin and leaf size but a mid-tone green to dark. A nice plant but a disappointment in looks kinda standard plain Jane. All of the lakeside's seam to me to be robust growers maybe it's that southern heat.


Hosta 'Last Dance'
Last Dance is a odd colored plant almost translucent sheen of green and a thin margin greene cream. A slow grower for me 5 year old plant 2-3 crowns. I look at it every year and like it a little more as time goes bye, it is a distinctive variety and a odd visual of shinny transparent layers of green and cream.


Hosta 'Summer Breeze'
'Summer Breeze and 'Dance with Me' are my favorite hostas for the past two years running now. If I had to chose two, these are it because they just shine in the garden the size of the plant and the leaf and good growers, nice flowers to boot. They look great with ferns ,creeping jenny, yellow daylilies, and I could go on an on. So far in this group these are my picks. So if you don't have either of these you can't go wrong, a great addition to the mid-west shade garden.
'A garden brings happiness for a life time'.

Hosta 'Shade Master' and 'Summer Music' Group.

This group of plants has sparked a deep interest in me over the past year. Because of the size of plant strong growth ,thick leaves and all are quality plants for the mid-west shade garden. I will be showing pictures and talking more about New variety in this group when they become available.


*UPDATE 3/15/2007
'SUMMER LOVIN'
Here is a up date to another plant in this group Mark Zilis, Hosta 'Summer Lovin' reg.2004 ,will be in the market place in 2008. Information as the look of the plant I have not had the opportunity to see it myself a wide margin and a much darker green center than Hosta 'Summer Breeze'.

Hosta 'Warwick Comet'
Large cuped leaves very wide dark green margin with small white feather shape in the center. A one of a kind will never be confused with any other plant in the garden. 

Hosta 'Marilyn Monroe'
New hosta 06/07 a small mounding plant about 12 x 12 inches , a very lovely shade of green very waive leaf edge and white back. A great choice for that small spot that needs to be filled. It has that oriental feel to it, a striking addition.

Crocosmia 'Lucifer'
This is a great plant blooms late mid-season in the gradern when you need a splash of color and nice green foliage,purple stems, red-orange flowers up to 3 feet tall croms will increase year after year. Needs some sun and well drained soil.I live in a area of about 12 inches of top soil and then there is hard pan clay (my yard has not been dug up in 60 +years so If you home is less than 20 years old check your soil my be only a few inches of top soil) . I add compost, leaves, wood chips, pine bark in my soil 2 feet deep and 2 to 3 feet wide and mix it up good with the clay. Now plant something. 

'My Garden'

If you want to be happy for a hour have a cocktail.
If you want to be happy for a week get married.
If you want to be happy for a life time have a garden!
(unknown)