Tag Archives: Hosta ‘?’

North Bed Up & Growing…

Viola sororia (Common Blue Violet) on 4-5-26, #1085-5.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I’ve been working on this post since March 28, but the plants in the north bed have been growing so fast I had to re-take photos three times. This spring has been weird with temps up and down, not to mention the wind and rain. The plants inside want to go out, so that is coming up soon. The grass is growing and I need to fix the riding mower very soon.

The above photo is of a clump of Viola sororia (Common Blue Violet) I photographed in the back of the farm on 4-5-26. I originally photographed a clump from the north bed for this post, but I really liked the way the plants looked at the back of the farm better. Common Blue Violets grow in abundance in several areas on the farm and are always a welcome sight in the spring. There are several other species of Viola here, and I noticed a lot of Viola rafinesquei (American Field Pansy) in the woods next to the old lane that goes to the back of the farm. I rarely get into those trees so I didn’t know they were there in such abundance.

I’m planning on an adventure to my friends secluded woods very soon… You know, one of my favorite spots. I have also decided to go to several native prairies in the area at some point.

Before the photos for this post get out of date, I’ll get started with the bed along the north side of the house…

Achillea millefolium cv. ‘?’ on 4-4-26, #1084-1.

First, in alphabetical order, is the Achillea millefolium cv. ‘?’ (Yarrow) that has made its home next to the steps. It is a descendent of plants given to me by my friend Mary Botler when I lived in Mississippi. She gave me a start in 2011 and I have since transplanted them in a few places. It was first closer to the house where it received too much shade so it moved all by itself. This clump has been in this spot for several years, so I guess it has found its home.

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Aegopodium podagraria (Snow-On-The-Mountain) on 4-4-26, #1084-2.

Hmmm… I’m not sure what to say about the Aegopodium podagraria (Snow-On-The-Mountain) except that I was warned about it being rather pushy after I put one plant in the north bed in 2024. I know some perfect places where it could run rampant, but perhaps not where it is… It seems it has somehow spread underground over the winter when its neighbors were sleeping. They woke up to an invasion! Well, it’s not bad yet, but I think it has its own agenda to explore new territory. I don’t have a page for this one yet…

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Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’ on 4-4-26, #1084-3.

The Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’ seems to be getting off to a good start. I had to move it over a few feet last spring (I think) because it was next to the ever growing Hosta ‘Empress Wu’. It didn’t seem to appreciate it at the time since it didn’t get very large last summer. I hope it has realized now it was for its own good and will do better this year. I have had this plant since 2018 and have enjoyed its foliage and flowers. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 1993.

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Geranium pratense ‘Boom Chocolatta’ on 4-4-26, #1084-4.

I was very glad to see the Geranium pratense ‘Boom Chocolatta’ had returned for 2026. I brought this plant home from Muddy Creek Greenhouse in 2024 and it has been a great performer, especially last year. I finally have its page finished…

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Geranium pratense ‘Johnson’s Blue’ on 4-4-26, #1084-5.

I was equally glad to see the Geranium pratense ‘Johnson’s Blue’ return on the other side of the steps. I’m happy its clump has gotten bigger, too! Although I just brought it home from Wagler’s Greenhouse in 2024, this cultivar has been popular since it was released somewhere around 1950. It has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit and is frequently cited as a top performer. It has a new page, too.

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Hosta ‘?’ on 4-4-26, #1084-10.

The Hosta ‘?’ is coming up once again. I brought it home from one of the garden club’s plant sales several years ago and it has done great. It is undoubtedly one of the more popular blue-leaved cultivars, I just don’t know which one since it was unlabeled. Yeah, it was one of those “rule-breakers” where I always say not to bring home plants without labels. There are many blue-leaved cultivars that look so much alike figuring it out would be nearly impossible. I’ve grown several in the past and this one looks like all of them! It grows into a good-sized clump with nice big, puckered leaves and produces bright while flowers. It is just weird it doesn’t have a name… Well, it has one for sure, I just don’t know what it is…

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Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ on 4-4-26, #1084-11.

The Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ is working on its 10th season. It didn’t do all that great last summer, and has emerged with only one shoot this spring (so far). I really like its puckered, cup-shaped leaves… The American Hosta Society awarded it with the 1996 Lucille Simpler Award and the Best Green Hosta Award also in 1996. It was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society of Garden Merit in 2012 and the American Hosta Growers Association Hosta of the Year in 2014.

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Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ on 4-4-26, #1084-12.

It seems like the Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ only one or two tiny sprouts a few days ago, now it is really going! I always liked this cultivar for its bright chartreuse leaves that seem to glow. Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ was introduced in 2005. The American Hosta Society awarded it with the Benedict Garden Performance Honorable Mention in 2014 and the Benedict Garden Performance Award of Merit in 2015. It was awarded the 2020 Hosta of the Year by the American Hosta Growers Association.

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Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ on 4-4-26, #1084-13.

The Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ is up and growing and covering a larger space than before. It didn’t grow as large last year, so maybe it is a sign I should give them all a little food… Sometime the soil runs out of ZIP, you know… Working on its 10th season. I think it is still claiming to the largest Hosta cultivar… In 2023, it was awarded the Proven Winners Hosta of the Year as well as the Hosta Growers Association Hosta of the Year.

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Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’ on 4-4-26, #1084-14.

The Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’ is always one of the first to come up in the spring and it has really shot up in the past few days. It has always been one of my favorite and always a great performer. Its leaves are nicely variegated and slug and snail resistant. At some point, it was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society of Garden Merit. Even though it hasn’t won that many awards, it is an award winner to me. It is working on its 10th season.

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Hosta ‘Guacamole’ on 4-4-26, #1084-14.

It is always great to see the Hosta ‘Guacamole’ coming up in the spring. I always liked its leaves in various shades of green. Always a top performer! It was introduced by Bob Solberg of Green Hills Farm in North Carolina in 1994. It is a reverse sport of Hosta ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ and a descendant of Hosta plantaginea. It was the 2002 American Hosta Growers Association Hosta of the Year. In 2006, the American Hosta Society awarded it with the Benedict Garden Performance Honorable Mention Award, and in 2009 their Benedict Garden Performance Award of Merit. It was also awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit.

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Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ on 4-4-26, #1084-16.

Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ has been one of my favorite Hosta cultivars since I first grew it in the 1980’s when I lived here after my grandfather passed away. I purchased my second one in 2009 when I lived in Mississippi and brought it with me in 2013. It did well until the deer kept eating the Hosta leaves in 2021 and it didn’t do so well in 2022. In 2023, only one sprout came up and I moved the Hosta to the north side of the house. I put it in a pot but it barely grew over the summer. It didn’t return in the spring of 2024 but fortunately I found a replacement at Wagler’s Greenhouse. I always liked this cultivars vase-shaped growth habit and chalky blue-green leaves. Last year, one of its flower stems grew to 60″ tall! It is a multiple award winner receiving the Eunice Fisher Award in 1974. The American Hosta Society awarded it with the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Hosta Award in 2001, the Benedict Garden Performance Honorable Mention Award in 2006, and the Benedict Garden Performance Award of Merit in 2008.

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Hosta ‘Patriot’ on 4-4-26, #1084-17.

I was happy to see the Hosta ‘Patriot’ emerging with its lavender sprouts. This one is working on its third season and is sure to be a stunner. It was registered by John Machen, Jr. in 1991 and has become one of of the most popular Hosta cultivars of all time and was the first recognized tetraploid Hosta sport. It was named the Hosta of the Year in 1997 by the American Hosta Growers Association and received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. It is claimed to be the most popular white-margined Hosta.

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Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ on 4-4-26, #1084-18.

The Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ is the oldest cultivar in my small collection. I believe I ordered it from a seller on Ebay in 2009 when I lived in Mississippi, although I have no photos of it until 2010. I moved it to Missouri with me in 2013 and it has done great! Despite the deer nibbling on its leaves nearly every spring in the old shade bed, it continued to grow and thrive. I divided it when I moved it to the north bed along the house in the spring of 2023 and it has continued to do great. It was always one of the first to emerge in the spring and 2026 was no exception. This cultivar was developed by Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery and registered with the American Hosta Society in 1995. It was selected as the AHS Convention Plant in the same year. It is a great Hosta with nice dark green leaves and a great performer. It is working on its 18th season!

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Hosta ‘Whirlwind’ on 4-4-26, #1084-19.

The Hosta ‘Whirlwind’ is looking great so far with several sprouts. I always like this one with its medium and dark green variegated, kind of twisted leaves. They are thick textured so they are slug and snail resistant. I brought this one home in 2018, so it is working on its 9th season. It won the America Hosta Society Benedict Garden Performance Award in 2007 and the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit.

Well, I’ll close for now.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, always be thankful AND, as always… GET DIRTY!

 

North Bed End Of June Update

Partial North Bed on 6-19-25.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. We’ve had a hot few days then it started raining and cooled things off a bit. The bed along the north side of the house has been looking GREAT, so I thought I would take a few photos and write a post. Umm… It took longer than expected because photos would get out-of-date fairly quickly. Then, I would take more photos. Time goes by, you know.

So, here we go, in alphabetical order… As always, you can click on the name of the plant to go to their own page (if they have one). Oh, and I’m not using Grammarly right now, so please excuse any goofs. 🙂

Aegopodium podagraria (Snow-On-The-Mountain) on 6-20-25, #1062-2.

The Aegopodium podagraria (Snow-On-The-Mountain) has been behaving itself so far. I had idea I could just keep it growing along the foundation… Maybe if I ignore it. 🙂 It doesn’t help when it is the first on the list in alphabetical order… No page yet.

Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’ on 6-20-25, #1062-3.

I don’t think the Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’ liked me moving it forward in the spring of 2024 because it has certainly showed its disapproval. It was in front of the Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ which was getting so large it started covering the Astilbe within no time. So, I moved where I thought it was halfway between the ‘Empress Wu’ and the Achillea millefolium. Apparently, the Achillea moved again… Closer to the Astilbe… I really like this plant, so I hope it snaps out of it.

Geranium pratense ‘Boom Chocolatta’ with 32″ tall flower stems on 6-20-25, #1062-4.

The Geranium pratense ‘Boom Chocolatta’ has grown beyond my expectations. It has become rather bored with the Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) next to it, though. It complained somewhat, but I said it was there first. Actually, I didn’t put the Achillea in that spot. I put it closer to the house several years ago and it just traveled to where it liked the light much better.

The plant without the flowering stems was around 22″ tall x 30″ wide when the above photo was taken on 6-20-25. The top of the tallest flowering stem was 32″!

Geranium pratense ‘Boom Chocolatta’ with 8 1/4″ wide leaf on 6-20-25, #1062-5.

I looked for the largest leaf and found this whopper that measured 8 1/4″ wide…

Geranium pratense ‘Johnson’s Blue’ on 6-19-25, #1061-4.

The Geranium pratense ‘Johnson’s Blue’ on the other side of the step has also done great. Although not as robust as ‘Boom Chocolatta’, it is well suited for a front of the border or stand-alone plant without taking up a lot of room. ‘Johnson’s Blue’ is a very old cultivar that is still available.

The mound measured around 14″ tall x 18-20″ wide, while the tip of the tallest flowering stem was 21″ tall on 6-19-25. It is a bit sprawly on one side, so I had to hold the flowering stem up to get the measurement…

Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Cranesbill) on 6-20-25, #1062-8.

After flowering up a storm, the Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Cranesbill) is still looking great. I always have to mention I bought the ancestors of the plants in this bed in the early 1980’s when I was living in my grandparents old house (across the driveway). When my parents moved into the new house and the old house was torn down, dad moved them here to this spot.

Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Cranesbill) leaves on 6-20-25, #1062-10.

The leaves are a nice dark green…

Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ on 6-20-25, #1062-11.

The Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ has done quite well and has been flowering for a couple of weeks. The dark leaves of this plant and chartreuse leaves from the Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ look very good together.

Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ on 6-12-25, #1056-6.

Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ has 32″ stems!

Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ on 6-20-25, #1062-12.

How’s that for a dark leaf

Heuchera ‘Venus’ on 6-20-25, #1062-13.

The Heuchera ‘Venus’ has been an attention grabber with its size and the color of its leaves. It’s flowers aren’t much to talk about and its tall stems lay down on the job. Well, heck, some of them were over 50″ tall! Soon, I will remove the stems and tidy ‘Venus’ up a bit.

Heuchera ‘Venus’ on 6-20-25, #1062-14.

‘Venus’ is very proud of her leaves…

Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ on 6-20-25, #1062-15.

The Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ continues to do very well. I measured its flower stems a while back at 51″ tall! Umm… The flowers in the photo definitely do not belong to this plant… No page published yet.

Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ leaf on 6-20-25, #1062-16.

The Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ definitely has colorful leaves. NICE!

Heuchera sanguinea ‘Coral Forest’ on 6-20-25, #1062-17.

While not a large plant by any means, the Heuchera sanguinea ‘Coral Forest’ has made up for it with its continual show of bright flowers.

Heuchera sanguinea ‘Coral Forest’ on 6-12-25, #1056-10.

It is STILL producing bright flowers and they last A LONG TIME. The flowers are the WOW factor for this plant. It likes sharing them with nearby plants, too (stems won’t stand up straight).

Heuchera sanguinea ‘Coral Forest’ on 6-20-25, #1062-18.

It has smaller marbled leaves that are somewhat fuzzy… No page published for this one either. I’m working on it…

Now for the Hosta…

Hosta ‘?’ on 6-20-25, #1062-19.

This Hosta ‘?’ has been a great performer for several years after bringing it home from a local garden club plant sale. It wasn’t labeled, but I wanted it anyway. I’m not even sure what year it was and the first photo I took of it was in 2024. To me, it looks exactly like the former outstanding cultivar I had called Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ that succumbed to mole issues in the shade bed and didn’t return in 2020. Click the link and have a look and tell me what you think. There are a lot of cultivars that look similar, especially when H. sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ is a parent to many other great cultivars.

Hosta ‘?’ with 34″ stems on 6-20-25, #1062-20.

I measured the flower stem at 34″ on 6-20-25. Like H. sieboldiana ‘Elegans’, it has white flowers.

Hosta ‘?’ leaf on 6-25-25, #1064-2.

NICE LEAF! Look at the puckering!

Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ on 6-20-25, #1062-22.

The Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ is doing much better now, but still a far cry from what it was several years ago in the old shade bed. It’s a survivor, so I know it will continue to do better.

Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ on 6-20-25, #1062-23.

The leaves of the Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ are very “puckered” and kind of cup-shaped. I haven’t seen any slugs for MANY years, but they are also snail resistant.

Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ on 6-20-25, #1062-24.

The Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ has been doing great adding its bright color to the bed. The one that fizzled out in the shade bed usually flowered in June. One year it started sending up a bud the end of May. This one is doing great, so I guess it will bloom when it gets ready. I only took two photos of it in 2024, one when I brought it home and the other in July. The July photo doesn’t show any signs of a flower stem. Hmmm… I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if it decides to bloom or not.

Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ on 6-20-25, #1062-25.

It’s leaves are fairly thin so they do have a few holes…

Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ on 6-20-25, #1062-26.

The Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ is a magnificent plant and is still growing… I am usually speechless when it comes to this plant. Imagine that!

Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ on 6-20-25, #1062-27.

It has several flower spikes and this one was 42″ tall when I took the photo.

Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ on 6-20-26, #1062-28.

The leaves are getting larger, too. They have a good thickness, but sometimes a critter still likes to have a nibble.

Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’ on 6-20-25, #1062-29.

The Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’ is one of the nicest Hosta in the bed. I like its dark green margins and the bright centers. The plant has a very good shape!

Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’ on 6-25-25, #1064-3.

I took a couple of updated photos on the 25th. It is really strutting with its new flowers!

Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’ leaf on 6-25-25, #1064-4.

I forgot to take a photo of its leaf before, so I looked under some of the leaves to see if I could find a bigger one. I think they just keep growing as the summer progresses. It appears to be more green in the center, perhaps because it has been out of the sun… Hmmm… Well, I may have to do a re-take…

Hosta ‘Guacamole’ on 6-20-25, #1062-31.

The Hosta ‘Guacamole’ has been its always AWESOME self and grabs a lot of attention. It’s a great performer no matter what! I know you may think there are weeds on its right side, but they are Commelina communis var. ludens (Asiatic Dayflower). OK, so maybe they are weeds in some respect, but I kind of like them…

Hosta ‘Guacamole’ on 6-20-25, #1062-32.

How’s that for a leaf. The specks on the leaves are grass clippings from mowing… I mowed the area in front of the bed with the push mower, but a friend mowed it again while my riding mower was broke down… He didn’t know the “rules” about getting grass clippings in the bed…

Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ on 6-20-25, #1062-33.

This Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ has been doing quite well, but isn’t exactly like the last one. It’s leaves don’t have the “silvery glow” for some odd reason… OK, so maybe the “silvery glow” is called bloom…

Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ on 6-20-25, #1062-34.

It’s leaves are very nice with a thick substance making it pretty snail resistant.

Hosta ‘Patriot’ on 6-20-25, #1062-35.

The Hosta ‘Patriot’ is a brightly colored plant nestled among the Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Cranesbill). Both have done quite well… I have noticed that, while not a large plant, ‘Patriot’ likes to spread out.

Hosta ‘Patriot’ on 6-20-25, #1062-36.

The leaves of ‘Patriot’ have nice dark green centers with a bright white margin. I’m not finished with its page yet…

Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ on 6-19-25, #1061-10.

The Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ has been doing GREAT in spite of the Ostrich Fern’s advances. It doesn’t believe in boundaries. ‘Potomac Pride’ has been an impressive companion since 2009 in Mississippi, being moved here to the shade bed in 2013, and to the north side of the house in the spring of 2023. It is very glad to be safe from nibbling deer, too. At least so far…

Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ on 6-19-25, #1061-11.

It has had a new bud starting when the above photo was taken.

Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ on 6-20-25, #1062-37.

I really like the large dark green, puckered leaves of the ‘Potomac Pride’.

Hosta ‘Whirlwind’ on 6-20-25, #1062-38.

The Hosta ‘Whirlwind’ is doing quite well now, but for a while was hidden by surrounding plants. Actually, it was slow to come up and I had problems finding it. It seems to think I forgot about it, but the truth is I forgot where I put it because I couldn’t find it. I had to look at photos from 2024 to figure it out… I really like this plant, but sometimes I think I put it in the wrong place, but the Heuchera‘s ‘Dale’s Strain’ and ‘Coral Forest’ were added last spring and weren’t as prolific. OK, so I’m trying to find words to pacify ‘Whirlwind’ so it won’t feel so left out. After all, in alphabetical order, it is last on the list. I’m off the hook for that argument since I didn’t name the plant…

Hosta ‘Whirlwind’ on 6-20-25, #1062-39.

I always compliment if for having such nice leaves, though. Makes it smile…

Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ (Creeping Jenny) on 6-20-25, #1062-40.

I really enjoy the way the Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ (Creeping Jenny) creeps around in the bed. Sometimes I accidentally pull it up when I am weeding. but I just stick it back in the soil and it continues growing like nothing happened. It is certainly a happy are carefree plant. It does creep out into the grass, but that’s OK…

Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern) on 6-20-25, #1062-41.

Hmmm… I think I may have planted a monster when I put this Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern) in the bed. It has grown by leaps and bounds! I guess all I have to do is move some it to another spot or two.

Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern) on 6-20-25, #1062-42.

I really like the leaves!

I started this post several days ago and it is finally finished. We have had plenty of rain so far, but soon that will likely change. We have had a few hot days with hot wind, then it rained again and cooled off. Soon, that will change and it will get hot and the rain will stop for a while. It always does, but for now we will enjoy the break.

So, what will I write about next? Well, let me see… I did repot several of the cactus and succulents that may make a good discussion. I took plenty of photos and they aren’t likely to grow so fast to make them out of date like the plants in the north bed. I kept taking photos, then more, because they kept growing, then started flowering, so I would have to take more. GEEZ! Well, now this post is finished, so I better hit the publish button.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, stay well, always be thankful, and GET DIRTY!