Some people who are unfamiliar with growing hostas, and think of them as slug bait and not worth the hassle, might not know the full beauty of them. For example,
Hosta sagae has wonderful shoots in spring, followed by striking blue-green leaves, then the lilac-coloured flowers appear, and finally, when the hosta leaves begin to die they can turn this glorious autumn colour. I grow hostas quite successfully by keeping them well off ground level in heavy terracotta pots, without a lip around the rim under which slugs and snails can hide away, and the neck of the hosta itself is surrounded by sharp gravel. Yes, I get damage to leaves sometimes but not much.
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| Hosta Sagae autumn leaf - image contrast increased to emphasise detail |
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| Hosta Sagae autumn leaf |
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| Hosta Sagae autumn leaf - image contrast increased to emphasise detail |
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| Hosta Sagae autumn leaf - image contrast increased to emphasise detail |
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| Hosta Sagae leaf in summer |
Below,
Hosta Gold Edger beginning to flower. As this particular hosta is grown in a large, shallow, bottomless terracotta pot, and thus closer to the ground, it does come under attack by slugs but it survives such attacks very well and re-emerges each spring, all fresh and anew.
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| Hosta Gold Edger |
Sagai, Patriot, and Brimcup
hostas bordering a shady path
Below,
Hosta Reverse Patriot a.k.a. Hosta Fire and Ice. Even high on a window bottom, something has managed to attack one of the leaves but, even so, you can see how beautiful it is. This Hosta is eye-catching with its off-white leaf centres contrasting sharply with the dark green edges. The flower is pretty too.
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| Hosta Reverse Patriot a.k.a. Fire and Ice in summer |
