What turned out to be your best newer hostas this year?

[Chris_W]

I have to ask, what were your best newer hostas this year? You know, the one that keeps catching your eye, keeps growing and/or looking good into August? I'm always looking for new hostas to add to my own list, as we all are, so can you come up with about 5 newer ones that you really love?

For me, I was really taken by American Icon and Journey's End. Although I'd been growing them for a couple years they really started to shine this year and show those great ruffled edges they can get. These are the green centered and green edged forms of Choo Choo Train and I liked them both.

Another that I really liked last year that looked even better this year was Ann Kulpa. It takes a little while for the center to finally turn white, but that probably helps it to maintain its vigor longer, and prevents it from melting out too.

Blaze of Glory is one we will have next year that surprised me. It started out a parchment yellow and I expected it to just turn green quickly, but it has surprised me by turning a brighter golden-yellow into the summer. I'll have a few of these for sale next year but I think it is worth keeping an eye out for it.

Picking a 5th one could be tougher than I thought, only because there are so many I'm enjoying right now. I guess it would have to be Americana. It is a sport of Loyalist that, from pictures, is basically the same as Clifford's Stingray. I really need to get a picture of it tomorrow because they are still picture perfect.

So what newer plants are you growing that really stood out for you this year?

[jobranch]

For me, Lakeside Dragonfly, Regal Splendor and Dragon Tails (my first mini hosta) all from Hallson. I also bought a Pee Dee Gold Flash for my mom that is pretty cool.

[ViolaAnn]

I've got 30 or so new ones. Of those, many still look spindly or with the amount of rain we've had, have been munched by slugs in spite of slug control.

The ones that are looking really good are:

Fireworks
Gemini Moon
Illicit Affair
Lonesome Dove
Ghost Spirit
Rootin Tootin

Ann

Fireworks

Gemini Moon

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Illicit Affair

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Lonesome Dove

Lonesome_Dove-0801.jpg (39.1 KiB) Viewed 3943 times

Ghost Spirit

Ghost_Spirit-0801.jpg (50.37 KiB) Viewed 3940 times

[renaldo75]

I have gotten a bunch of new [to me] hostas this summer. Some are newer in the trade. They're all still in pots of course.

I'd say I've been most impressed by one that a lot of people have had for several years - Lakeside Elfin Fire. It always looked nice, but it wasn't really near the top of my gottahaveit list. But it was the 1st hosta I bought this spring from a nursery in Omaha. And it looked nice in its pot all spring so I took a few leaves as an afterthought to enter in the leaf show at the Midwest convention. And to my amazement the leaf I used ended up on the head table winning best of class & best of section. I think. Anyway LEF has impressed me far more than I expected it would & it still looks great in its pot.

A couple of others I really like were purchased at the Midwest convention from Naylor Creek. Mourning Dove I'd looked at in pics & thought I liked it, but it looks a lot better than the pics I think. And I'd never have selected Bedford Blue from its description, but the chalky blue color is really nice & it's still holding nicely after being in Iowa's hot summer for the last month. It's on the north side of the house & only gets some morning sun, but still the color looks a lot like it did when I bought it so I've been pleased with it. Gary told me that they weren't too impressed with it last year [the 1st they had it], but it looked a lot better this year for them. I can't remember for sure who's plant it is [Bond maybe - ??], but it originated in England.

Another that's looking good is High Society that came from Lee Coates/noxtra. I wanted it after the discussion about it earlier this spring on here. Lee also brought me Orange Marmalade & I'm finally seeing the appeal of this one. And I found White Dove [a fairly rare Benedict plant] in a shopping expedition to a place Marlys & Jackie/hostaaddict have been telling me about for years. It's a small one, but looks like it'll be really nice.

Another that really caught my eye & came home with me was Bob Solberg's Spinach Souffle. He had a bunch of very nice looking plants. The color is really sharp on them.

[ViolaAnn]

When I first posted pics above, they all seemed to post. But the last one didn't. So, here is Rootin Tootin.

[Chris_W]

Those do look good Ann!

Keep us posted as to how your Lonesome Dove turns out. I've started that one twice now, 12 plants each in 2006 and 2007 and neither batch grew any decent plants. I have a few stragglers hanging on, but I don't ever expect anything from them

On the other hand Mourning Dove has been a wonderful plant for me (thanks for the reminder Renaldo). When it was young I thought it was just going to look like a yellow/cream edged halcyon type, but this year (the 3rd season for me) I am really amazed how much I like it.

Here is a picture of it, still looking nice.

[Joe]

Chris,

Couldn't agree with you more about Journey's End. There isn't one negative thing to say about it, and it's quickly turning into my favorite hosta. Other newer ones that I'm very impressed with are Ann Kulpa, Pewterware, Shazaam, Heatwave and Sweet Innocence. Ebb Tide, Summer Warrior and Rain Forest have also become outstanding as they've matured.

Joe in CT

[ViolaAnn]

Joe - Sweet Innocence was new for me last year. This year, moved to a new garden, it's quickly showing signs of becoming an outstanding Hosta. got Rainforest Sunrise (is that the same as you mentioned?) this year and look forward to seeing it grow.

Ann

[Hostahaveum]

Of my "newer" ones, I really am enjoying this year I think Neptune , Hacksaw, Orange Marmalade, Montana Moonshine.&Emerald Ruff Cut are the real eye catchers in the gardens right now. For outstanding growth Key Lime Pie & Earth Angel these two grow so fast , its like the old saying "water & jump back" !

[Joe]

Ann -- Rain Forest and Rainforest Sunrise are 2 totally different hostas although both are very nice. There is a good picture of Rain Forest in the Hosta Library site.

[Roxanne]

Chris, my newest Hostas have yet to impress me, but a few newer ones I will say are must-haves are:

Skylight
Atlantis
Cathedral Windows
Key Lime Pie
Emarald Ruff Cut
Lady Guinevere
Journey's End
American Icon

Rox

[Carol W]

Chris due to this thread I was shocked at how many new hosta's I added this year!

Four (4) of the ones I added shall I say didn't come in the best shape so I'll list these first as it amaze me they are coming back with venegful:

Hanky Panky, Silver Thread and Golden Needles and Judy Rocco -All three (3) came with dried out roots and leaves, I soaked, planted, kept watered and hoped for the best! All 3 are sending out new strong growth.

Remember Me picked up at the local nursery leaves looked awful big brown dried spots and fungus on some of the leaves, only picked it up because GD wanted to put it on her dogs grave. Unbelievable growth not one bad looking leave on this baby now!

Raspberry Sorbet is my 5th choice which came healthy and is one I received from Chris as a bonus! Thanks Chris I don't know how you knew I was planning on getting one on my next order in the fall from you? This one has added new growth since it came and looks more like it's been in the ground a couple of years and love those shiny and wavy leaves!

All of the others I've gotten have added growth, two (Fire Island and Cold Heart) even flowered this year but those above are the ones that have amazed me the most!

[dmi188]

I have added very few new hostas this year. Over half of what I've purchased, I got at the Hallsons get together, so they are just a few weeks old.

After next weekend, my last child will be married, wedding expenses over. I can "play" a little more next year!

[Diana]

Denise-

Congrats on getting your last one married. That is a wonderful feeling. But don't put that checkbook away...next year your "play money" might be going for baby stuff, and the real fun begins.

-Diana

[dmi188]

Denise-

Congrats on getting your last one married. That is a wonderful feeling. But don't put that checkbook away...next year your "play money" might be going for baby stuff, and the real fun begins.

-Diana

NOOO! Not yet, please! DD "plans" to wait about 5 yrs, and DS's bride is only 19. I am hoping both wait!!! Being a grandma may be fun, but I am in no hurry!

[Maureen_Ottawa]

Ebb Tide wins hands down. Great foliage and blooms. And even with all the rain, not much slug damage.

Others that I am impressed with this year are Paradise Power, Frosted Dimples, Ooh La La, and Earth Angel.

And I have to make special mention of Island Fantasy. It was looking gorgeous this spring. Then we had the foundation to repair. Despite the barriers that they put up around the garden that wasn't dug up, the workers managed to dump several inches of soil and gravel on some plants, including Island Fantasy. Was I ever mad when they finished! But Island Fantasy has put out a new flush of growth and should be looking great again in a couple of weeks.

[sugar]

The ones I would pick

- Rainbow's End : very good substance, fast grower, variegation
- Violetta : nice shape, very lovelly flowers (I posted pics of them in another topic)
- Essence of Summer : a fragrant hosta with superb substance, flowers close to plantanginea
- Rosedale Misty Pathways : colour of the variegation is really special

[Marlys]

Ann Kulpa is the best!!! She grows quickly without any fuss!

Cliffords's Stingray - outstanding plant & the flower show is magnificent too with flowers all around the the stalk. Awesome!

Thunderbolt - outstanding plant!

Popcorn - wonderful little plant!

Kiwi Full Monty - perfect plant!!!

Harry Van Trier - wonderful little green guy!!!

Greg Johnson's H 'Tequila Sunrise' = emerges early with spectacular color. Holds the yellow all summer & then performs a spectacular contrasting flower display.

Praying Hands / wonderful / fun!

Purple Lady Fingers - fun little plant with fabulous flower power!

I think my list is endless but what do you call newer???

Galaxy!!!

LOL!!!

MM

[Lessadragon]

Maureen, do you mean Fantasy Island? I am liking that one too.

Some of my newer ones that are impressing me so far are:
Cajun Sunrise
Arc de Triomphe
Yesterday's Memories
First Mate
rectifolia Kinbuchi Tachi
Fort Knox

There may be more, but these are the ones I can think of right now.

Lynn

[jgh]

Ok... I'm going to say something radical here

big surprise for those who know me as the mild-mannered peacemaker

I keep buying new hostas even though I have 700 or 800 cultivars and probably 2500 plants around the place. And, frankly... I'm getting a little tired of it. The catalog descriptions are so lovely... but, really, how many medium sized yellow plants do I need? How many green-with-yellow-margin sports of Sum and Substance do I need to grow? How many big blue sieboldiana types does one garden need - and are they actually better than the big blue sieboldiana-type seedlings I have in the "back forty" that Phyllis gave me back about 10 years ago.

There are probably 20 or 40 good green-with-yellow-margin large hostas that would serve about the same purpose in the landscape and I just noticed my big Fortunei Aureomarginata holding its own with the top 10 in that category - a hosta that wholesales for about a buck bare root!

Yet I keep getting beguiled by the catalogs during the long cold winter here on the tundra... and I keep going for the next best thing.

So... my favorite "new" hostas this year??? The unnamed seedlings popping up around my garden since I've been too busy and too cheap to spread Preen around my established plants. I've got big blues and medium greens and small yellows. I just noticed two that look like they are seedlings from nearby Abba Dabba Do - they look like green copies of their parent - very nice. I could replace many of the named solid-colored hostas around the gardens with these seedlings and be equally happy - maybe even more happy because they are nature's gifts to my garden.

Actually, I've become resolved as I write this. I had a goal of starting to actually cut down on my list... pull out some named ho-hums and sell them next spring. I'm going to start tomorrow, identifying solid ones I can live without and replacing them with seedlings.