This is always a fun question. Mentally walking around the garden (and trying to ignore the hail damage)... I think 'Arctic Blast' is the up-and-comer this year. Definitely its leap year.
Would love to see a photo of your Gentle Giant; sounds wonderful. For me an oldie but goodie...Guacamole. It is great this year...first time looking fabulous.
Thanks,
Donna
~PIM~
°`°º¤ø,¸¸Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life¸¸,ø¤º°`°
I think mine this year would have to be Golden Meadows, but World Cup is a close second. Both of those are fairly slow growers, but both have really come in to their own this year. By the time GM starts to lose the bold spring color, WC will likely jump to the top. I'll try to get a pic soon.
I am still waiting for my Gentle Ben to make that leap, and may move it this year to help that along. It's in a big too much shade and it got pretty dry under there in the last 2 years of drought periods.
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
Algernon Charles Swinburne
An interesting background story on World Cup: I was at the national hosta convention last week, touring the gardens. One of the stops was a hosta nursery, and we were walking through the growing beds when I spotted World Cup, and was telling my friend what a great hosta it was. I turned around, and the couple behind me were Doug and Mardy Beilstein, who hybridized World Cup. Doug said it was 'the one that got away'. Early in his hybridizing efforts, he had offered choice of a group of seedlings he was not planning to keep on a hosta auction. Mark Zilis won the bid and chose World Cup. He introduced it, giving the Beilsteins credit as originators, and off it went into the world. It's one of those slow growing plants, and takes a while before you realize how great it is. Unfortunately, in the whirlwind world of hosta sales these days, some of those kind of plants are hard to find down the road 8 or 10 years after they are introduced.
Oh, and speaking of those 'when will it ever get there' plants, Victory is stunning this year.
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
Algernon Charles Swinburne
I have always loved my Komodo Dragon. I have been patiently waiting for it to take off. Well this is the year. Its over 5 ft across and just beautiful.
Linda
I know I am past the point of no return but what a way to go.
I would say mine is Blue Umbellas-Only had it since last fall and it is a real meaty Hosta and I love vase shaped Hosta's the best. This year my Blue Angel's have really took a leap this year too.
Mockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
... I have to pick one? So many of them are jumping like crazy this year!!!!!! 
