The Other Handful of Hosta

Jean and I have safely made it to the Upper Peninsula and are set up for the Wild Blueberry Festival which opens in the morning. I'll begin showing you nice UP pix tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I was hoping to show you all the rest of my hosta, but I think I still missed one.

Here is one I've had a long, long time, but have no idea what variety. It was a freebie from Ester. It has never bloomed before, and I noticed just yesterday that it is getting buds. The sun was too bright when I took the picture. It's really more blue.

I really wanted to see this one bloom, and it's close, but only a stalk full of buds so far. It never has bloomed before. In fact, it's never been happy before. This is 'Krossa Regal.' It's the only variety I have that will get really big. I hope it won't outgrow this space. Look how tall that flower stalk is! I think it stays more vase-shaped rather than spreading wide, so maybe it will be OK.

This is the one I've identified as 'Blueberry Tart,' blooming.

This is Vulcan. It continues to struggle, but I suspect it will be fine in another year. I must have hit it with a tool in the early spring because it was fine last year. But as you can see, I've now marked where it is.

This is a success story only in that it has survived. I have no idea what kind it is, and don't much care because it's just plain green. But I stepped on it last year, more than once, so the fact that it's alive is good.

It's kind of a joke that several varieties of hosta I bought way back in the 1990s have completely disappeared, while some that wandered here attached to rootballs of other plants I was given have survived. That little green one isn't any of the ones I bought, and I also had a large green and white one I liked called 'Northern Exposure,' but the deer must have even eaten the root. It's totally gone.

Meanwhile, here's the other happy hosta story of the season. This is 'Loyalist' which was deformed in the spring because it was underneath a piece of wire fencing. But it's pretty much straightened out now.

I do have one other one and it's blooming, but apparently I didn't take its picture. Nothing special. Slim green leaves with a very narrow white margin. The flower is just a regular pale purple hosta flower.

So, that's 12 different varieties of Hosta, and I haven't really been trying. I think the only one in that collection that I bought for full price was the 'Loyalist.' It's also the one survivor from long ago.

I checked all the fences, and closed up my "gates" for while I'm away. Dumped fresh repellant granules in the chipmunk holes. Hopefully things will be in pretty good condition when I return home.

Let the adventure begin!

See A Handful of Hosta