Garden Bed #5 - page 2

Registered 1988 by Walters Gardens / sport of Golden Scepter which sported from Golden Tiara. Mark Zilis "Hosta Handbook" ranks it as one of the best in the "Tiara" series. Dense, medium size mound - 17" tall. Unique, fun, easy to grow little hosta.

Hosta 'Emerald Tiara' - 2007

'Emerald Tiara' boasts yellow centered leaves becoming chartreuse with age, contrasting narrow dark green margins. It is said to be a reversed variegation of 'Golden Tiara'. It is a fast growing fun little mounding plant. It's nice in mass plantings and really fun in containers.

Hosta 'Flame Stitch'

This is the only one surviving for me out of 12 tc plants purchased 3 years ago. It's now a favorite. I'm so excited it set tons of seeds this season. Might make really nice hosta babies.

Hosta 'Flame Stitch' 2007

'Flame Stitch' was picture perfect in the garden until one day I noticed she just didn't look right. My heart sank as I'd seen the symptoms before. The plant was under attack by 'Crown Rot'. What do you do? Well, with heavy heart & a sick feeling in my stomach, I dug the plant up discarded the rotten eyes & leaves into the burn pile to be destroyed. There was one eye with one reaming leaf that wasn't infected. It soaked in a bleach-water solution, then I put it in a pot away from other plants. Miraculously that single eye began to show signs of healthy new growth. Near the end of the growing season I put it back into the garden far away from its previous home. That area was decontaminated thoroughly. Soil from the immediate area was discarded then the area was soaked with bleach solution & left empty. All my tools were treated with bleach water also. I had lost another hosta to Crown Rot in the same area the year before. This was a painful repeat performance. So Sad! And this can happen to you!

'Crown Rot' used to known as 'Southern Blight'. Hot, humid weather promote perfect conditions for the disease to invade the garden, damaging & killing plants. This fungal disease used to a problem only in southern states but has migrated north in recent years. It is devastating! See the following link for additional information.

www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/SUL8.pdf

This plant really surprised me in its 4th year suddenly becoming very streaked with nicely substanced, puckering leaves. It kept its yellow color casting throughout the season too. Now a favorite.

My garden friend, Jan Van Weelden shared her 'Red Mittens' with me. She brought me a nice sized clump from her cutting gardens. She said if you want a pair of red mittens you can split this in two. So I did. Now I tell other people the same thing when I share this prolific little fellow with them.

The past 2 growing seasons it has set lots of seed & many prolifs. It demonstrates a prolonged blooming period too. I have several baby prolif 'Red Mittens' growing in my boxed holding beds. I shared several with my Master Gardener group at our plant exchange this fall '05.

It's so FUN!

"A sport of the ever popular 'Candy Hearts'; Medium-green, heart shaped leaves with streaked butterscotch pattern in the leaf center; lots of white flowers in mid-summer. Unique coloration - Striking golden olive fleur-de-lis pattern in the center." www.hostalibrary.org

Once, at Stark Gardens I saw a mature hosta, 'Last Dance'. It was one of the loveliest plants my eyes have ever seen; pure elegance in simple motion; an absolute perfect testimonial to the species - Hosta. I couldn't take my eyes off it and I think I was drooling. I may have even thought about begging Dean Stark to share an eye or two with me.

Hosta 'Last Dance' - 2007 Marlys' Garden

Intriguing young, new plant in Marlys' Gardens this spring. Sky Dancer came home with me from In the Country Garden this spring. I told Josh not to let me buy any hostas. But somehow, 2 new ones followed me home. I'm a hosta magnet!

Fun little plant that is easily grown & really quite lovely with flowing leaves & a profusion of pure while blooms in late summer. Fast becoming another favorite with unique veining of the leaves & red petioles. Red Neck Heaven exhibits all the sought after attributes of the Modern Day Hosta. Very graceful in a pot where the red stems can be seen.

Plant description from Hosta Library Data Base:

"Medium green with thick white wax on back of leaves. Petioles are brilliant reddish violet in spring. Unique white flowers on scapes which emerge sideways making a ring of white around the clump in late summer."

Hosta 'Red Neck Heaven' - 2007