The
World's best perennial for shaded and semi-shaded areas:
Hostas are natives of the Far East, with their centre of distribution being Japan. Outlying species occur in China and Korea. Since their introduction to West in the late 1700's, their popularity has grown in leaps and bounds. There are now over 7,000 hosta names out there, if not the hosta plants themselves. Hos-Tas aims to offer the best of the old and new varieties. Currently we have close to 400 cultivars growing in large shade houses.
Gardeners all over the world are discovering the joys
of growing hostas
These shade tolerant perennials remain attractive from when they emerge in spring until the autumn frosts. The spectrum of gold, yellow, green and blue are spectacular. They will grow in nearly all soil conditions, but the better the conditions the better your hostas will be. Scapes sway with flowers coloured, from dark purple shades through to white from early summer.
Some Hosta flowers have stripes, but only some are fragrant, especially in the evening, when the scent will be stronger. Most find the scent, somewhere a cross between a daffodil and a lily and quite sweet but not overbearing.
Hos-Tas is continually adding and upgrading our Hosta range. We do not sell immature plants or tissue-culture plants. Nor do we import them.
For best performance:
* It is a misconception that they are shade loving, this is not true; Hostas tolerate and grow in the shade. But all plants require some sun whether it is full, mottled or some morning sun.
* A couple of hours of morning or late afternoon sun will encourage better colour, especially with the gold colours. A good rule of thumb is no more than 20% full sun in a given day.
* Free draining, slightly acid soil that is high in organic matter.
* Adequate water in summer months is necessary for proper growth. Hostas do not tolerate drought or extreme heat and will go into heat dormancy if grown in hot climates.
* Feed in spring with slow release high nitrogen fertiliser.
* Can be transplanted at any time of the year, but keep as much soil medium on root system (ball) while actively growing and keep plants well watered.
* Slugs and snail are the major insect problem; keep these under control with snail bait (dry saw dust is an environmentally friendly way of repelling the slugs and snails).
The longer Hostas are left undivided the better they will look, although some do require regular division. Division can be done at any time provided adequate water is provided. |
