I cannot say that my love of hostas is new. It's more a case that my love of hostas has been revived with my idea, perhaps not very innovative, of growing them as specimen plants in containers. Many years ago I grew them in a damp, shady border in a big garden and it was a battle fighting off the slugs to keep them looking beautiful. There is nothing lovely about a hosta that has been neglected by a gardener but had much attention paid to it by slugs and snails. They end up leaves riddled with holes. I've planted two hostas recently (
Brimcup and
Gold Edger) in big terracotta
Yorkshire Flowerpots by Naylor . The lovely thing about container growing is that you can easily just move things around (weight permitting) if a plant is not happy in its present position. The third hosta that I have added to my small collection is Patriot. It's quite magnificent.
 |
| Hosta 'Patriot' |
 |
| Hosta 'Patriot' |
The label says that Hosta 'Patriot' is a vigorous clump-forming hardy perennial with attractively puckered, olive-green, heart-shaped leaves, irregularly margined white. It has upright spikes of lavender-blue, funnel-shaped flowers which appear in summer. It requires good, moist but well-drained soil, in part or light shade. Size 50cm x 1m (20in x 36in). In a container, I put a layer of grit around the hosta. Seems slugs don't like their bellies scratched!
 |
| My previous garden (1983-1995) with hostas round the lawn. |