Top 10 small hosta for border areas....

[Shenandoah]

Well hello again everyone. So.....I am looking for everyone's top 10 SMALL hosta list. I want good growers for the front areas of my gardens. I am sure you all have plenty to say about this!

Thanks,
Robert

[paul_in_mn]

A few for you to consider-

Allegan Fog - (S/M)twisted and misted
Baby Bunting - blue heart-shaped, nice clump
Blue Mouse Ears - blue, cupped, nice proportion of flower to plant (also other mouse clan - Frosted Mouse Ears, Holy Mouse Ears, Mighty Mouse, Pure Heart, and others)
Cameo - variegated
Feather Boa - yellow wavy
Heatwave - (S/M) had just a short time, but nice yellow center and dark blue-green border
Little Treasure - newer
Marrakesh - newer ripples, pointy, yellow
Pandora's Box
Radiant Star - Hallson intro
Silver Threads and Golden Needles - had a short time and look forward to it maturing
Teaspoon - cupped leaves, nice clump
Tick Tock

[redcrx]

Maybe some of the Tiaras - Grand Tiara or Golden or Touchstone - Glen Tiara is nice also.
Lakeside Zinger
Hope and Cherish - Paul already mentioned the others in this line
Lemon Frost
Paradise Sunset
Wylde Green Cream
Pilgrim
Stiletto
Hacksaw

[viktoria]

Blue Mouse Ears and some of its sports (only the obsessed need all of them)
Little Treasure
Pandora's Box
Teaspoon
Lemon Lime/Lemon Frost/Lemon Delight
Glen Tiara
Country Mouse

Viktoria

[ViolaAnn]

My all time favourite for use as a border is
Kifukurin Ko Mame. Grows fast and is easy to divide. I'll get a pic later.

I've also used Allan P. McConnell and if you want a slightly larger plant, Ginko Craig. In one of my gardens I have a 3-rowed border with KKM in front, APM behind it and then GC. In other gardens I'm starting to use Lemon Frost for a border with a bit of Twist of Lime mixed in. Both also grow fast and divide easily.

Ann

[flowerchild59]

I would say
allen p. mcconnell
feather boa
little white lines
lemon lime
little treasue
kabitan
blue mouse ears
green kabitan
craig's temptation
and some of the tiaras

[thy]

You hostas are in the L to XL class, so what is small to you ?

How tall do you want them to be ?

Pia

[redcrx]

What is a "small" hosta. By spread, by height, by leaf size - long thin leaves (Hacksaw) or round leaves (Bright Lights maybe). I was at a hosta club meeting where Warren Pollock was discussing the difference between Miniature (under 6 inches - <2X3 or <1X6 in area) and Small (from 6 to 25 inches - 2X3 to 5 by 5 or 3 by 8.33). That's going to be a huge difference in look. To me, the "Mouse" family is Miniature. Propably the Baby Bunting is Miniature also.

[Tigger]

Ed, I keep forgetting to chat with you during DVHS meetings. I agree that many on the lists above are minis which might or might not fare well as border hostas in a garden setting. (at the least, Robert will spend a fortune filling in with minis!)

Going with the AHS definition of "small" (leaf size from 3x2 up to 6x4, more or less), but thinking of border plants rather than specimen plants, so some of these may be minis (more vigorous ones):
Feather Boa ("gold")
Allen P. McConnell (medium green with near-white edge)
Little Wonder (similar to Allen P McC, with wider, creamier edge)
Kabitan ("gold" with green edge, but a slug magnet)
Twist of Lime ("gold" with green edge) or Lemon Lime (without green edge)
Gracillima (all green, ripply)
Stiletto (ripply with cream edge)

On the larger side of "small" are Blue Cadet and Gold Drop, which I use for our front border. See the pic in my Member Journal.

(I'm sure I could come up with more, but it's lunch time!)
David

[kaylyred]

I don't have a great many small hostas, but I wanted to second the Tiara hostas and 'Blue Mouse Ears.' I have 'Dragon Tails' going into its second year and coming on well so far, but since I haven't had it long I can't really comment other than that.

[ViolaAnn]

I promised you some pics.

The front border - Kifukurin Ko Mame in front with Allan P. McConnell behind it. Some Ginko Craig behind that.

A border of Allan P. McConnell along my driveway.

Part of a border of Lemon Frost. I have about 6 clumps of this size. Were divided only in autumn 2009. It's such a fast grower that I think it will fill in quickly.

[redcrx]

Hi Ann, I always enjoy the little bonus First Frost gives your with the few "odd" leaves - and multiple flowering - and the last flowers in my garden last year.

Hey Tigger, that was an interesting talk about leaf size but there are so many variables. I'll look you up at the next meeting.

[thy]

Viola Ann love the KKM border. it is a great little hosta

[ViolaAnn]

thy - it is my favourite. I have it in 4 different places in my yard, although I'm having a hosta sale (benefits my church renovation fund) and will likely sell off one of those borders this year. Is it available where you are? Quite impossible to find commercially in Canada.

[thy]

A whole border

Had to check, and yes Marco Fransen still have it

Pia

[ViolaAnn]

Well maybe not a WHOLE border, but the equivalent of one - taking a bit here and there.