How To Plant Hostas & Hosta Varieties In Sun & Shade
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Transplanting hostas in my garden.
In the front of my rock garden are Praying Hands Hostas and in the grass, Golden Tiara Hostas.
All you need is consistent watering and partial shade during the day
Hostas are one of my favorite outdoor plant varieties.
Since our move, planting hostas has been at the top of my to do list.
Over the years I have found hostas so easy to plant, grow and maintain.
I’ve 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!
Outdoor yard decorations
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Hostas are perennial blooms— the gift that keeps on giving
Begonias are my favorite annual plant. They bloom at their best as a shady lady, but do not return season after season.
Hostas, however, are perennials. They lie dormant in the fall and winter months, and return to bloom again and again each spring.
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!
Wide foliage
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.
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Both the small and large hostas 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).
The hosta plant pictured above 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!
I have three Golden Tiara Hostas in my garden (pictured above).
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, where I can even find hostas that produce fragrant flowers!
3 tips to get pesky snails and slugs to go away!
1. Treat for snails and slugs (product details HERE) 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.
The above picture was taken this May 2017. At this time, only one of the three Golden Tiara Hostas in my garden are 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.
5 tips for growing hostas
1. Water every other day in the spring & daily in the summer months.
2. Feed every two weeks (my favorite plant feed HERE).
3. Plant in a place where there is full to partial shade.
4. Trim all the way down during the fall months (buds return in the spring).
5. During more sever winter weather, cover each trimmed away, vacant hosta space with hay.
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This article was first published on iPersonalShop.com on May 30, 2017.
The Begonias are really pretty. I didn’t know they are called “Shady Lady.”
Thank You! Begonias thrive best in warm climates with a good amount of “shade” throughout the day!
Informative!
I’ve always loved hastas
Same here, Carrie! They’re beautiful in any space and easy to care for.
I am a hosta lover. Mine are so big now I have to separate every spring~
Yeah, I had to separate one in this post. Mine seem to also get larger each season!
love the hosta don;t have any righ now but sure would love to get some
Wendy, I hope you do. Hostas are so easy to maintain and reward you with such beautiful foliage!
I love hostas. So easy to grow!
You’re right! So easy and so beautiful.
Gardening is so rewarding, whether it flowers or fruit and vegetables.
I totally agree, Ronnell!
nice garden
Thanks! It’s my pride and joy 😉
Hostas are a favorite of mine. There are many beautiful varieties.
Yaasss, and each variety is so beautiful!
We bought our house a year ago and the porch is surrounded by huge hostas. I love them. But im not too good are planting around them. Anti green thumb over here.
Just water them on a regular and they will reward you! They often get bigger by the season and make the perfect ground cover. You may not need to plant anything else around them.
These plants look so great!
Thanks! Hostas are an easy favorite!
I’m so bad with plants. I just bought one from Aldi, and I’m hoping these tips will help me keep it alive.
These tips will help. 😉
I have so many plants, very useful tips, thanks.
You’re welcome!
I love hostas, too. I also find that tiger lillies and day lillies are easy to grow.
Lillies are so beautiful, too!
Hostas are my fave! Your yard looks gorgeous! I’ve never thought of using rocks in place of mulch, I don’t like the look of mulch or the upkeep. Rocks are genius! Thanks for the idea!!
You’re welcome! Mulch has to be replaced season after season. The rocks are forever!
I definitely need all the tips, thanks for sharing
You’re welcome!
I seem to kill every plant I buy. My husband brought me home a big Hosta and I Accidentally left it outside on my porch and now it’s bleached and dying. So sad. Hoping it magically revives lol.
No worries, Brittany. Your Hosta should return again next year. Just water daily in the summer, starting this year, and it may return before the summer ends (fingers crossed).
love the way you set up the garden it looks like a low maintenance way
Thank you, Phyllis! The rocks help to reduce the weeds and Hostas are very easy to care for.
It looks beautiful!
Thanks, Jess!
Some inspiring ideas here to get started!
Totally! I hope they help you get started!
wow your plants are so beautiful. Thank you for all the tips,
You’re welcome! I’m all about gardening with ease!
Love this! I’m all about low maintenance plants and perennials! I need to look into getting some hostas!
Hostas are so easy and soooo beautiful in the yard!
I love hosta as it is so easy to control, however, the solid green hosta does become hard to control.
The leaves are a little thicker as they get greener. Maybe more water + trimming off dead foliage.
This gives me so many ideas. I love adding fun plants to our yard.
I do too, Tina!
Amazing how many different kinds of Hostas there is.
I know right- & I just love them all!
I’m a new homeowner, and I am so glad I found this blog post! Thank you for all the useful info!
Congrats, Nicole on your new home! I’m happy to found your way here!
I need low maintenance plants! I suck at growing things.
Barrie, then Hostas are for you- just add water!
I love the photos, and I like the Outdoor yard decorations.
So glad you love the yard, Shirley!
What a great article! I still struggle with house plants though
Thank you, Brittany! Sometimes outdoor plants are easier because of the sun’s help.
Great info on gardening and plants. Thanks so much
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found this article helpful.
I love hostas.such a great plant.
They’re my favorite, too, Francine. 😉 So easy to take care of and so beautiful!
Hostas would be a great addition to my yard. I love the Empress Wu variety!
Isn’t the Empress beautiful!!
I’ve never heard of Hostas before, they are so pretty! I love your whole rock area it looks so beautiful and your dog is adorable ????
Thanks so much, Sarah! Rock gardens are the best- so easy to keep weeds at bay. And thanks so much for complimenting my baby-doggy, Prince George!
Wow everything looks amazing! I love the rocks, function and they look good! Also, adorable dog!!
Thanks, Lisa! That’s my puppy making an appearance, Prince George!
I love how low maintenance hostas are! They’re so pretty too!
Both reasons exactly why they’re my favorite!
Thanks for all this great info.. It really helps a lot..
You’re welcome!
Great tips! I just bought a new home and I am looking forward to making my yard a happy place for me and my dog to relax.
Congrats on your new home! Hostas are a great addition to your yard.
The Dragon Begonia plant is very pretty. I need a low maintenance plant as I tend to for get to water them.
Isn’t the Begonia a beauty! She does require water, tho 😉
I love hostas, after reading this, I will be getting some.
I’d love to see them when you add them to your yard!
You have some great ideas. So pretty! And I love that frog 🙂
So glad you love the ideas here! I don’t even like frogs, yet I was compelled to share this one, LOL!
I really enjoy planting and maintaining a flower garden but I think it is time for more perennials with a few annuals thrown in. I love hostas and there are so many different to choose from.
My favorite annuals to add are begonias.
There are some pretty hostas here that I want in my yard!
Yes, hostas are beautiful and easy to add to most any yard!
Hostas are great for shady areas.
Yes, they are— perfect!
You did a great job. I am new to gardening, but I really do enjoy it so much.
Thank you kindly, Audrey! I hope this post inspires you to add a few plants to your yard.
These are some great gardening ideas. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
I need to talk my aunt into these. Right now our garden is far too high maintenance.
Hostas will be very low maintenance for you!
These sound like great plants.
I think so- beautiful and low maintenance!
wow I love these ideas!
So glad you do!
Thanks for all of the really great tips and ideas.
You’re welcome!
Such pretty begonias.
Thanks, Leela! Begonias are one of the best parts of summer!