Hi All--The order of the photos is actually 2007, 2002, and 2004.
Paradise Joyce is one of the more attractive, and interesting, of the varieties we added in 2002. It has the interesting characteristic of starting out the season with nearly solid colored green leaves and then developing bright, center variegation by mid-summer. The 1st pic, from 2002, shows the young plant displaying both leave color patterns. The 2nd pic, from the same time of the year in 2004, shows the coloring that holds until the end of the season. The 3rd pic was taken this year. I understand that some plant's centers become a creamy white by late summer. My plant has not done this. Growing in a spot that gets filtered afternoon sun, the growth rate for Paradise Joyce has been very good. In 2002 it was 14x11 and then went 21x8, 25x9, 32x13, 38x15, and 40x15, about right for a plant listed as "medium" sized. Slugs have not been a problem.
I have this one and to be honest - I love it but it looks EXACTLY like Katheryn Lewis to me.... remember my post "Seperated at Birth"? One of these in the pot is Paradise Joyce and the other is Katheryn Lewis. Both are 3 years in my garden.
Alexa
Spring - An experience in immortality.
- Henry D. Thoreau
Alexa--The coloring of your plants is quite different than mine. I wonder what's that all about? Most of the plants in the Library have more of the blue color but a couple are more green, like yours.
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
Try more shade to do what? Both plants are getting about 2 - 3 hours of very early morning sun then deep shade for the remainder of the day. I would suspect that is why the centers aren't lighter. If I kept them in complete shade all day I don't know what that would do for them.
As far as not having as much blue, that is probably because I accidentally sprayed them with Wilt-Pruf at the beginning of the season. I didn't know Wilt Pruf would remove ALL the glaucous coating on them.
Alexa
Spring - An experience in immortality.
- Henry D. Thoreau
Wilt-Pruf is an anti-dessicant (usually used to slow down transpiration or drying out) that is also used as a "sticker spreader" when applying various chemicals to plants - most notably it was recommended as an ingredient in Cornell Formula to prevent blackspot on roses.
I decided to mix some in to my home made Liquid Fence brew to see if it would last longer than just a few days.... that was an error. I have since learned that yes, Wilt Pruf and most anti-dessicants will strip off the glaugous coating from any plant, including conifers.
So that is a big reason I posted very few photos of blue hostas (or any glaucous ones for that matter) this year. Most had gotten the "treatment" back in June and looked pretty strange all summer. Of course, the deer haven't touched a single one all year either
Spring - An experience in immortality.
- Henry D. Thoreau
Very nice indeed!
Ut oh! Never knew that! Well, consider yourself our very own 'teacher' in the ways NOT to use it then.