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What's happened to me!, by Glen Pether Up until this time last year I'd never really taken much notice of hostas. You see over the previous couple of seasons, I had redesigned and planted our small south facing back garden and bearing in mind the sun, used plants such as euphorbias, kniphofias, agapanthus etc. Then last autumn we decided to replant the area at the front of our house which is rather shady so hostas came to mind. I purchased Diana Grenfell's book 'Gardeners Guide To Growing Hostas' and I was captivated by pictures of H.'Snowden' and H.'Sagae' at one end of the scale and H.'Grand Tiara' and H.'Blue Moon' at the other. I read the book continually during the winter leaving all the other gardening books on the shelf gathering dust. In spring armed with a list of favorite hostas my wife Gill and I along with our three children set out for Sandra Bond's Goldbrook Plants. As soon as I looked into the first poly tunnel I was hooked and I'll never forget what my five year old daughter said "WOW look dad, thousands of HOSTAS!!" During that visit Sandra kindly or wisely let my have a peek at her show plants and we left there with twice as many plants than we originally went for, and a couple of weeks later I went back for more. The obsession had begun! Suddenly the shadier and cooler end of our garden became the main attraction. I found myself ignoring the rest of the plants in our garden caring solely for the hostas, all other plants suddenly became judged on their ability to be companions to hostas. Chelsea Flower Show arrived, Gill and I were waiting at the gates at 8 o'clock and headed straight for the marquee to see the three hosta stands. Gill had to virtually drag me around the rest of the show. There I met Ann and Roger Bowden and soon after, I visited them at Cleave House and wondered at the mature specimens in their national collection. A week later I was at Apple Court ignoring the day lilies (sorry 'HEM' people) but admiring the hostas and all the time our collection was GROWING!! Soon after I joined the BHHS and on a Saturday in July, I met up with the group attending the summer weekend in Somerset. It was good to meet other hostaholics and I managed to get a couple of new plants in the auction H.'Red Salamander' (unregistered) and H.'Whirlwind' with H.'Second Wind' sporting/reverting from it. Having brought more hosta books and borrowing back issues of the American Hosta Society Journal from Mike Shadrack, I decided to start hybridising (yes I'm moving forward quickly). I spent a rewarding afternoon with Ian Chrystal at his home in Bedford and I am very grateful for the help and encouragement he gave me. Yes Ian, pods have appeared on most of the crosses I made and seed is currently being harvested! Fearing withdrawal symptoms during the forthcoming winter months, I joined the American Hosta Society and as we have a computer at home was able to join the AHS international email Robin, which enables a group of about 165 members from America, Canada and Europe to swap comments, observations, ask and answer questions or just chat about hostas via the internet. I can generally ask a question and have an answer within hours sent to me via email from thousands of miles away! I haven't so far given many answers but have asked lots of questions and made new hosta friends. My mother thinks I'm crackers!!!!! So you see, the outlook of my gardening efforts and enjoyment of plants has changed dramatically this year ..... "Why Hostas?" ..... What other plant could evoke a name such as 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' (Abiqua being the old Indian name of the river that flows alongside the American Nursery from where it was introduced. Drinking Gourd for the rounded cupped blue - green leaves.) What other plant if given the correct requirements, give a garden outstanding sculptured foliage like that from H. Nigrescens and what about the cascading, wavy edged, green mound of H. 'Green Piecrust'. Not forgetting the variegated masterpieces such as H.'Striptease'. The main point being that hostas are there for us to enjoy for over six months a year, unlike many other perennials that simply flower for a few weeks and then go and drop all over my hostas!! Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people whose gardens I have visited this year including Peggy Hadfield amongst others, for their time, hospitality and kindness but mostly my wife for putting up with my shenanigans this year (my behaviour, not the Hosta named 'Shenanigans'). Gill has offered to stand in a pot and hold some leaves on her head on numerous occasions and I think she would look lovely next to a H.''Sagae'!! |
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AAA Ornamentals,
8S953 Jericho Road, P.O. Box 277 ~ Big Rock ~ Illinois |