Tuesday, July 17, 2012

My Little Hosta

There are many wonderful things that we can grow in our mild climate that other parts of the country can't grow, but the reverse is also true. When I had my first home I had visions of lush green gardens filled with all kinds of hostas like the ones in all the gardening magazines. I found out the hard way that hostas just don't do well here. I sent to many mail order companies for all different kinds that ranged from huge to small, lime green to bluish green, and they all disappeared after a year or maybe two if I was lucky. Then a few years ago some "special" hostas were introduced to our area that were supposed to thrive in our climate, dry and mild. I planted this little one (that I paid a small fortune for) about three years ago and it is still here. It is a small little thing, not the lush monsters of the east coast, but nice never-the-less. I don't think I will invest in any more of these, having decided to stay within my zone for an easier and less frustrating gardening experience, and I would never suggest anyone else plant a hosta in our area when there are so many lovely things we can grow easily. Sometimes the gardener has to adjust their expectations instead of asking a plant to adjust their nature.

1 comment:

marilyn said...

I tried to do the same with peonies for many years. Finally this year there is a new variety that actually grows here! Expensive & large & beautiful. Who knows, maybe the same will be said for hostas.