Garden Bed #12 - page 4

This plant is touted as being a fantastic hosta specimen. It supposedly likes some sunshine, grows like crazy, & has fragrant blossoms. I do love it's parent plant 'Fragrant Bouquet' but in my garden, Guacamole has been disappointing. However, it does survive full-sun & our terrible hard clay soil. Photos @ the Hosta Library depict how it's grows for others. Photo below "Shady Oaks".

H - 'Guacamole' still not a favorite but I'm at least, sort of starting to like it. I see it in other gardens and it is beautiful. Maybe it just doesn't like me.

Hosta 'Spinach Patch'

Large very round dark green leaves / heavily corrugated - have the look & color of spinach leaves / nice lg white flowers. Interesting, fun plant. Hasn't grown very large in my garden / may be due to tree root competition. Tolerates a fair amount of sunshine. Enjoyable plant.

Hosta 'Golden Teacup'

'Golden Teacup' is one of my very favorite little yellow plants in the garden. It makes my heart smile! However, it is a most challenging little creature to grow, very slow & all 11 of it's baby brother & sister tc plants died. This sole survivor is therefore all the more special. Not just an any Average Joe's hosta. Needs pampered until it decides to actually live.

"Excellent substance but slow growing. Leaves are "teacup size".
This introduction (H. 'Aspen Gold x 'Gold Regal') from the fabulous breeding program of AHS president, Jim Wilkins, makes an 18" wide clump of heavily corrugated thick round foliage. The foliage emerges bright gold in spring, then changes to chartreuse as the season progresses. In late spring, the clump is topped with 1' scapes of pure white flowers. Cupped and corrugated golden leaves have heavy substance and form a small clump. The classic upright shape is topped with white flowers in July.
A small clump of deeply cupped and puckered medium gold leaves.
Leaves are "teacup" size with excellent substance.
It has white flowers in July. Classic upright form.
Bright yellow, rounded, cupped. Almost folded at the mid rip. Heavily rugose."

Comments / Hosta Library

Hosta 'Lakeside Main Man'

AHS National Convention Plant Auction 2004 - I won Mary Chastain's donation, never previously released - hosta 'Main Man'. It was exciting!

The name did it for me as my grandson was told by Nana, that he is her 'Main Man' ever since he was a baby. Yeah, it's that emotionally attached thing again. Coupled with the fact that any plant with the Lakeside label has gotta be good, made this plant irresistible to me.

Oh, yeah, they describe it silver/blue but in its sunny spot in my garden, LS Main Man is just the nicest color of plain green. Good thing I have come to appreciate the fact that GREEN is a COLOR. The form, texture, & structure LS Main Man adds to the garden demands attention. Add the fact he grows front & center in Bed #12B, next to hosta 'June' which totally compliments her blue/green essence, endears this hardy lad even deeper into my heart!

Following description - Hosta Library http://myhostas.net/db/view/Lakeside+Main+Man

"H. 'Lakeside Main Man' (Chastain pending 02) Need an anchor for a garden? This one's for you! 'Lakeside Main Man' makes a statement in pure SIZE. Its growth habit presents a very regular, smooth, silvery blue mass. A spectacular visage in its own right, this guy makes its partners look better than they do alone."

Hosta 'Fantasy Island'

"Better substance, more sun tolerance and much better vigor than its parent, H. 'Island Charm'. Tetraploid 'Island Charm'. White center, wide green margin. Vigorous, sun-tolerant and a good multiplier. Lavender flowers on pink scapes in mid-summer.

Bob Solberg's sport of 'Island Charm' with much wider dark green margins, making it a much better grower; differs from 'Xanadu' for its tendency of the green margin to streak into the white leaf center."

Comments "Hosta Library" MyHosta database: Hosta 'Fantasy Island'

Hosta 'Fantasy Island' came to my garden as a direct result of peer pressure. Do we ever out grow that? Hosta entrepreneur, Bob Solberg offered a special deal to the membership of the ROHS (Russ O'Hara Hosta Society) the year before hosta 'Fantasy Island' would 'go public'. Members could be the first to have this little plant in their gardens. It was heavily promoted as a 'have to have' little hosta, especially if it's parent plant Island Charm was all ready included in your garden.

Well, to tell the truth, I wasn't very impressed with the hosta 'Island Charm' it was sort of wimpy & had a tendency to melt-out as it has thin leaves with lots of white. It is an impressive little fellow if it is properly grown but in my compacted clay soil 'Island Charm' struggled to reach its full potential. Any way, I was maybe, the only one who did not sign up to buy the improved version of 'Island Charm' dubbed 'Fantasy Island' & yes, partially because of the TV series & the boss & Tattoo & "The plane, the plane".

But then I felt left out of the loop so when the price went down from $40.00 to $14.00 just a year or so later, I brought an 'Fantasy Island' home with me. I did not plant it in the same garden bed with Island Charm. To my surprise, the little guy took right off growing strong into a perfect little specimen of what a little hosta is all about. It was a good thing & I liked it! You know, "Try it, you'll like it!"

I was pleasantly surprised by this little charmer, no that's the term to describe its parent plant. Oh, the hosta kingdom can be so confusing!

Anyway, I liked 'Fantasy Island' so much that it made me take a second look at 'Island Charm' in garden bed #6. I moved 'Island Charm' to garden bed #12 where 'Fantasy Island' was flourishing. And guess what! Yep, the little 'Island Charm' looks great there too. It grows stronger & does not melt out. Hmm! again, I learn about soil & moisture & sunlight / shade requirements. But still, of the two, I would choose 'Fantasy Island' over 'Island Charm' as which is the best plant! Also note the reference to hosta 'Xanadu' in the MyHosta database info. Again, beginner - beware! There are allot of hostas out there that look just alike, but have a different name and (maybe) technically are a different plant ??? However, to the naked eye there isn't much difference (if any). So with that being said, what should be a deciding factor in choosing great plants for your garden? Performance! Choose plants that love to grow & look great out in the garden! JMHO!

Hosta 'June'

Perhaps there is nothing left to be told about hosta 'June'. She is the one hosta, that should always be included in every shade garden. 'June' is a perfect plant. She is so versatile; she will not only grow great in shade, but will grow great in part to nearly full-sun. Of course, she will look quite different when grown in sunnier spots than when she is grown in part-shade or mostly shade.

My poor June has been moved 3 times. Her first home was quite sunny for a hosta bed. There was a little tree that nicely protected her from the hottest afternoon sunrays until a wind storm destroyed it. June had to be moved from Bed #3 to Bed #5 which was a lot of shade. She was pretty there but didn't really even look like the same plant. I missed her brighter coloration so moved her again to Bed #12B where I can see her from my kitchen window. June's colors are brighter again and she never missed a beat with all that moving. She is such a great plant. June's leaves are such thick substance that slugs don't bite her.

June is always at the very top of the Hosta Popularity Polls / Hosta of the Year - 2001
Recipient of the Alex J. Summers Distinguished Merit Award

Hosta 'June'

Also see Bed #5 & Bed #17 for previous photos / info - 'June'

New Junes now in the trade do not appear to be exactly the same plant as older version plants. I love the new Junes too but nothing compares to the real thing. See Bed #18

Comments from The Hosta Library:

'June' is a 'Halcyon' sport and has lovely gold centered leaves with wide blue-green margins and excellent pest resistance and substance. The plant was discovered in TC and introduced by the British company Neo Plants in 1991. It is more apt to hold its color in cooler climates but may fade where it is warmer. It is one of the last hostas to go into dormancy. Flowers are lavender. The sports from 'June' include: 'Kiwi Gold Star', 'May', 'English Sunrise' (Prev. all gold). 'Remember Me' (white-centered), and 'Touch of Class' (tetraploid form). There is some debate about whether there is more than one sport being sold under the 'June' name. Certainly the plant responds to the season and to the prevailing light conditions very readily.