Hallson Gardens

Hi
I live in a very small mostly French speaking town in Northern Ontario, about 150 miles south of James Bay.

I moved up here in 1983 when I met my sweetie Gary at Seeing Eye in Morristown, Nj. I was there for my first Seeing Eye dog and originally from Toronto and Gary was there for his 2nd dog. When Gary told me where he was from I had no idea where it was. *L* I'm still not too sure where I am either...*L* Now that I don't drive, I really don't know where anything is anymore...*LOL*

Gary and I have been together for 22 years and we have one 21 year old son who will soon be leaving the town and moving down south, but that is another story and very sad for us so I won't go into it now.

I became a diabetic at the age of 6 and started losing my sight from diabetes at the age of 21 and had a heart attack at the age of 35. I figure after 42 years of being a diabetic I'm very lucky to still be breathing and very blessed to still have the eye sight that I do. *S* We don't complain about our sight as it is just how we are and after over 22 years of it,,,,we are use to it. It's like having a bad back,,,,u just work thru it. *S*

I started collecting hostas in 2000 (but had been gardening since 1984.) I wish I could buy a bigger property so I could have lots more. I just love them. I love the neat tidy mounds they make and how they change colour and leaf shape as they mature.

I have mostly large hostas and I am going to have to get into small ones as I am out of space and am thinking some of the large ones are going to have to go especially as they get bigger. I didn't think that hostas would grow as quickly up here as they do down south, but they do pretty well.

Last summer we had many new raised beds built and we redid the whole front rose garden, bringing hostas from the back and side yards and transplanting them to the new beds so that I can enjoy them and covering over existing gardens. We worked on it every day last summer but it really looks good and I can hardly wait to see the hostas poking up again this year, hopefully they won't outgrow the garden boxes. *L*

Here is a list of hostas that I have, like I said I would like to start collecting hostas that don't spread out much. The ones I have get pretty wide and I don't have space for the wide ones anymore. I have also found that I don't care too much for the solid green hostas. I don't have much shade around the house as I have had to plant all the trees on our property and I wasn't growing hostas when I planted the trees, so the trees are not in good spots. *L*

Hosta List:
1. Abba Dabba Do.. 2001
2. Abiqua Moonbeam.2001
3. Albo Picta.2001
4. Albomarginata
5 Allen P. McConnell 2004
6. Antioch 2001
7. Aqua Velva 2001
8. August Moon... 2000
9. Big daddy; 2000..
10. Blue Angel; 2000
11. Bressingham Blue 2001
12. Bright Lights. 2001
13. Cherry Berry.. 2001
14 Christmas Tree 2004,
15. Color Glory.. 2000
16. Elegans (sieboldiana)
17. Elizabeth Campbell 2001
18. Fan dance 2001
19. Fire & Ice. 2004
20.fortunei aureo marginata;
21. Fragrant Bouquet. 2001
22. Frances Williams;2000;
23. Francee.2001
24. Honeybells
25. Gold Standard,2000
26. Golden Tiara, 2000
27. Great Expectations;2000; 2004
28. Guacamole; 2001
29. Hadspen Blue 2001
30. Halcyon;2000;
31. Heartache. 2001
32. Hyacynthia 2001
33. Inniswood;2000
34.June 2004
35. Krossa Regal; 2001
36. Lakeside Black Satin 2001
37. Little Aurora; 2001
38. Loyalist; 2001
39.Medio Picta 2000
40. Mildred Seaver. 2001
41. Minuteman, 2001
42.Montreal 2000
43.Moonlight..2000
44. Montana Aureo-marginata 2001
45. Night Before Christmas 2000
46. Patriot 2001
47. Paul's Glory 2000 and 2001.
48. Pearl Lake 2001
49. Pizzazz; 2001
50. Potomac Pride 2001
51. Queen Josephine 2001
52.Regal Splendour 2000
53. Royal Standard 2001
54. Sagae 2001
55. Salute;2 under crabapple
56. September Sun 2001
57. Shade Fanfare 2001
58. Sharmon 2001
59. Serendipity 2005
60. So Sweet 2001
61. Strip Tease 2001
62. Sum & Substance 2001
63. Summer Music 2001
64. Aureonebulosa (Tokudama) 2001
65. Tokudama Flavocircinalis 2001
66.undulata albo marginata;
67. undulata unvatatta1; 2000
68. undulata variegated;
69. White Christmas 2001
70. Wide Brim
71. Daybreak...2002,
72. Whirlwind...2002
73. Let's Streak...2002
74. Ginko Craig 2005
75. Lemon Lime 2005
76. Crusader 2005
77. Golden Prayers 2005
78. Jade Cascade, 2001
79. Lakeside Masterpiece 2005

Wow Debbie, that's a big list for a small garden!!

I remember those AWESOME beds you did last summer, be sure to post pictures of them this year all planted out and blooming!!!

Looking forwards to see your raised bed this summer, I just loved what you had done and it sure gave you some space.
Think you can grow your hostas without shade, we are more or less at the same latitude.
Pia

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Debbie. I can't wait to see how those raised beds look this year also. I'll bet they'll be awesome!!
Btw....Do you speak French? Just curious I suppose.

Thanks Jane and Pia. Jane, I have the hostas planted very close, that is why I have to stop collecting big hostas cause they are now growing on top of each other.

Joan, no I don't speak French, I'm originally from Toronto, our son speaks French though.

Debbie

Hi

Thanks for sharing your story and nice to meet you.
Anita

O.C. has diabetes and had a fit with his sugar for a long time, but has now FINALLY gotten it under control (most of the time) The thing that has surprised him is tha the more yard work he does the lower his suger drops. He used to take insulin monring and night, but sincse being inthe yard so much, had to stop taking it in the morning and wait until he came in at noon. Dr. said exercise would help. I told her, I don't exercise, I "yarden-Garden". She laughed and said, RIGHT !! Oh, what kind of doggies do you all have ??

John says hang in there. All us survivors do that ......with God's help every day.

Thank you Anita and O.C.

OC, we just have one dog now. She is a yellow lab/golden retriever mix, her name is Tegan and she is 3 years old. She looks like a lab though. She is Gary's 4th Seeing Eye dog. And we have one cat named Wilbur, but he's not a Seeing Eye cat though... *G*

I have found that when I'm gardening I don't take as much of my evening needle as my sugar will drop. Gardening is the only exercise I do too.

Debbie

OOOPS I forgot to attach Tegan's pic, she is out on the patio enjoying herself and helping mommy in the yard.

Labs have to be the sweetest dogs in the world. Glad you got a GOOD one....John

Nice story 22 years, wow! Great journey together. Yes, we need to see those raised beds you put in! I can't believe either how big your hosta grow up north, kowabungas!