Newsletter 02/98

Colossians 1:15-16 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.

February 1998

Hosta & Ornamental Grass Enthusiasts Newsletter
AAA Ornamentals @ http://www.hostas.com
Vol. 1, No. 2, February, 1998

I want to thank you one and all for making our web-site a popular site! As you probably noticed I do not post a hit count. These are usually inaccurate because the counter includes reloads, repeated hits by the same person on the same day etc. I keep separate real-time statistics (see http://www.hitbox.com if you are interested how). I currently have 45-60 unique visitors a day! Thanks for visiting!!!!!

I hope that the ever changing content will keep you interested in hostas and ornamental grasses. I feel like the mad rush is on for spring already! Once mid March hits, I am very busy in my gardens already preparing for the new year. Hosta dividing starts for me when the hostas just start popping up out of their winter dormancy sometime at the end of April. Maybe with old 'El nino' this year, we will have an early and warm spring. What a change that will be from the last 4-5 years.

What's New on our Web-Site??
bullet 'Other Gardens' accessible via our home page is a new area where pictures submitted by other gardeners are displayed. There are currently 150+ pictures of hostas and hosta gardeners submitted by a great gardener Clyde Crockett of Indianapolis, Indiana. All pictures can be optionally viewed via frames for easier viewing. I recently met Clyde at the 1998 Winter Hosta Scientific Meeting on January 31st. He personally has 550 different hostas in his gardens! http://www.hostas.com/other-gardens/index-other-gardens.html
bullet 'Hosta Descriptions' are now available on about 50 of the 128 hostas that I have in my collection. My collection is now indexed by name, color group and height. Plant, flower bud, and flower pictures are now accessible if exist on one page with the descriptions. The new pages are accessed via our home page under Plants & Pictures, Hostas. My ornamental grass collection will also be redone by the end of February along with descriptions. http://www.hostas.com/hostas/index-hostas.html
bullet 'Question & Answers' accessible via our home page is new area dedicated to 'your' gardening questions regarding hostas and ornamental grasses. There is not much content yet, but will be developed over the next few months. End of April is coming too fast. That's when I start dividing my hostas for retail sale.

1998 Winter Hosta Scientific Meeting Report

The 1998 Winter Hosta Scientific Meeting was a smash hit. It was held in Palatine, IL this past January 31st. I was there from 7am to 9pm and was busy in gardening conversations the complete time! I am ready for spring!! Instead of a blow by blow, I will list some of the more interesting new points that I learned.
bullet Do you wonder how much water to keep on your hostas? Consider the fact that the native hosta lands in Japan receive 61 inches of rain during the hosta's growing season (May through August/Early Sept). How much rain does your area get during the growing season of the hosta? Normally a hosta will receive in Japan 1 1/2 inches of rain a week. Use this a guide in your supplemental watering program.
bullet A wife was commenting about husband to another gardener: "My husband said he would leave me if I buy one more hosta. I said that I would miss him."
bullet Penn State University has developed a strain of nematodes that last the full growing season of the hosta and effectively kill slugs.
bullet The top two layers of hosta tissue determine the hosta color (L1 and L2). The two layers can be different shades of white, green, yellow. The blue color is developed by the L1 layer producing wax. Blue color can also be produced by a white L1 layer over a green L2 layer. The bluer the color, the deeper the green color of the L2 layer.
bullet Hosta flowers generally have not been popular because the initial varieties available in the USA were the undulatas and lancifolias (two of the most common hostas grown). These particular cultivars only have 2-3 open flowers per scape at any one time and the flower only lasts 1 day. Unfertile flowers give rise to scapes that quickly brown out and become an eyesore. But the hosta flowers are much more than this today! Instead of describing them here, review the pictures of hosta flowers available from my homepage at http://www.hostas.com/hostas/index-hostas.html. See the section 'Hostas close-up' for a view of hosta flowers and flower buds. Many of the hostas today have 7-13 flowers open at the same time!.
bullet Hosta plantaginea is also the only true night blooming hosta. All other hostas open in the morning or afternoon. H. plantaginea opens after sundown and remains open during the next day. I cannot forget to mention that it is the largest and most fragrant hosta flower. It is also pictured at the preceding reference regarding my pages with hosta flower pictures. All fragrant hostas have H. plantaginea in their lineage.
bullet Hostas with great flowers: H. ventricosa, H. plantaginea, H. 'Royal Standard', H. 'Honeybells', H. montana, H. 'Blue Angel', H. 'Blue Wedgewood', H. 'Lemon Lime', H. decorata, and the list goes on!
bullet Regarding the blue colored hostas: 1) Blue is determined by wax generation, 2) Was is reflective, so reduces photosynthesis, protects against heat or UV light, protects against small insects. 3) Too much sun melts wax away, 4) Overhead watering can also remove some waxes, 5) Darker green L2 layer gives bluer color, 6) Large amount of wax (like the back of H hypoleuca) will produce a white color.

Other Notes of Interest

My friend Rudi recently has remodeled his ornamental grass site at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ruda/. Check is out for a large listing of ornamental grasses of the world.

New members are being added to my WebRing. Visit other sites dedicated to hostas and ornamental grasses by hitting the 'Next' in the WebRing banner on my homepage. If you have a site with information regarding hostas or ornamental grasses, considering joining our WebRing for additional exposure!

Hosta Pick of the Month

Formal Name: Hosta 'White Christmas'

Picture: http://www.hostas.com/images/hostas/wxmas.jpg

Name Meaning: N/A

Incorrect Names: N/A

Description: Plant is a selection of H. 'Undulata' with large white areas that stay white longer than the typical form. Plant 20 inches diameter, by 12 inches high. Leaves are small being 5 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide. There is a green margin (needs someplace where photosynthesis takes place), the leaf can also become wavy and twisted. The flower scape will stand about 28 inches, holding up medium size, funnel-shaped lavender flowers around July 1.

Comments: This hosta shines out like a beacon in the darkest places. I can personally attest to the fact that every visitor to my gardens has their eye caught on this one! Some report that slugs like to munch on this one, but I have not had any problem. Keep this one out of a lot of sun will keep it white most of the summer. Some greening up of the white center is expected late in the season if cared for properly.

Native: N/A

Height: 20 inches

Color of Flowers: Purple

Next month will be featuring Hosta 'Paul's Glory'.

Ornamental Grass Pick of the Month

Formal Name: calamagrostis arundinacea brachytricha

Common Name: Korean Feather Reed Grass (or, my favorite) Achy Breaky Heart Grass, (or) Fall Blooming Reed Grass

Picture: http://www.hostas.com/images/grasses/korean1.jpg

Name Meaning: c. = "reed of the field"

Description: This medium green clump former, foliage being 2' tall x 2' wide is a rather tidy plant. In late August/September, dozens of 3' tall refined looking pink plumes top the clump. The pink color gives way to a bronze tone that remains through the fall.

Comments: Visitors who see this in flower can't leave without one. This calamagrostis tolerates hot summers much better than C. acutiflora. Feather reed grass is an awesome accent plant, or great for fried arrangements…one of the best and least known! As you read above, one of the common names for this grass if 'Fall Blooming Reed Grass'. Last month we talked about 'Karl Foerster' which is another reed grass but blooms in June.

Native: Europe

Zone: Tested officially to zone 4a in a six year study by the department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota.

Sun: Full sun.

Size: 3-4 feet tall, 2 feet wide, mounding habit.

Plume: One of the shortest extremely striking plumes. This one is definitely in my top 10.

Next month will be featuring helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass).

Gardening Tidbit

Although hostas survive through drought (with distress), your hostas will be the best looking if you adjust your watering program so that they receive at least 1 1/2 inches a week.

 

Free Catalog ~ Hostas ~ Grasses ~ Perennials ~ Hanging Baskets ~ Succulents
AAA Ornamentals, 8S953 Jericho Road, P.O. Box 277 ~ Big Rock ~ Illinois
WeBLOG ~ Send Us an Email ~ Retail Office: 630-556-4507 Jesus Believer