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December 1998
Hosta & Ornamental Grass Enthusiasts Newsletter
AAA Ornamentals @ http://www.hostas.com
Vol. 1, No. 10, December, 1998
Greetings from hosta, grass, and now daylily land! It's been two
months since a newsletter, but major things have been done on the web-site. The most
important change is that we are now on a much faster server so your response time should
be much improved. Thanks for sticking with us! I hope that you found the new grass
comparision information useful on your ornamental grass quest!
What's New on our Web-Site??
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o All new 1999 hosta, ornamental grass, and now daylily plant selections available on
our online store http://www.hostas.com/retail/index-retail.html. A large number of hostas have had their prices reduced 10% or
more from last year.
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o We now sell daylilies!!! Daylily specific pages will be designed in the future.
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o We now accept VISA and MC purchases along with check or money order payments!
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o Our cataloge and price list is now available in several forms. Online-store, web-page
print, Adobe format downloads, and via mail. With mail, our price list is gladly mailed
out, but our 48 page cataloge with full descriptions from our web-site has a $2 charge
refundable with an order. Click on the following link to get directly to our cataloge and
price list page http://www.hostas.com/retail/index-retail.html.
The Adobe format versions are exactly what will be mailed if requested.
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o I have just added 161 new hosta pictures (over 420 pictures now) to our other garden
gallary of pictures! http://www.hostas.com/other-gardens/index-other-gardens.html All new pictures have the NEW icon showing before their name so you can easily pick out
the new cultivars. All new images are around 20k so viewing should be quick and easy. I
still have another 200 pictures to add over the next few months!
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o A new Public Calendar has been added off our our front page. Here anyone can add their
own garden events so that those in your area can be advised when something big is going to
happen! http://www.hostas.com/cgi-bin/Calendar/calendar.pl?calendar=Events
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o You can now send E-mail Postcards to your friends. This is a free service we provide
which is available on our front page. http://www.hostas.com/card/card.html
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Hostas
One thing which I have never had time to play with is raising hostas from seed to see
what 'new' cultivars will emerge. I hope that this year I can develop an out of the way
garden bed to raise a few crosses to see if Hosta 'AAA' is a winner.
One important concept to keep in mind when planting hostas is their ultimate size and
whether or not you want other hostas to grow into them. I have purposely planted hostas
close with the intention to eventually split and move them when overcrowding takes place.
But, if you are desiring a more stable garden area, make sure you leave enough space.
The following are new varieties offered this year:
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Hosta 'Antioch' ($7.95)
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Hosta 'Blond Elf' ($4.95)
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Hosta 'Blue Angel' ($11.95)
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Hosta 'Blue Wedgewood' ($9.95)
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Hosta 'Brim Cup' ($14.95)
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Hosta 'Chartreuse Wiggles' ($7.95)
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Hosta 'Frances Williams' ($9.95)
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Hosta 'Guacamole' ($14.95)
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Hosta 'Leather Sheen' ($9.95)
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Hosta 'Little Aurora' ($7.95)
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Hosta 'Masquerade' ($9.95)
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Hosta 'Midwest Magic' ($11.95)
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Hosta 'Minute Man' ($11.95)
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Hosta montana 'Aureo-Marginata' ($11.95)
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Hosta nakaiana ($6.95)
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Hosta nigrescens 'Elatior' ($11.95)
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Hosta 'Piedmont Gold' ($9.95)
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Hosta 'Queen Josephine' ($11.95)
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Hosta 'Radiant Edger' ($11.95)
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Hosta 'Snow White' ($11.95)
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Hosta 'Yellow Splash Rim' ($7.95)
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Grasses
For those folks with wet land problems, it is not exactly a problem anymore. Miscanthus
grass naturally grows along stream and rivers in their native Japan and China. Now you can
add the beauty of ornamental grasses to areas that before was left to the wilds!
I cut and left hanging in the garage sample plume cuttings from many of my grasses this
fall. When the foliage is cut green, any varigation to the leaf is still visible even
after they are dried. The Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus' with it's horizontal yellow
banding is especially beautiful. The miscanthus plumes have fluffed out magnificantly and
make a fine display. I hope you were brave enough to cut your plumes to enjoy their beauty
indoors!
The following are new varieties offered this year:
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Andropogon scoparius "The Blues" ($7.95)
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Arrhenatherum bulbosum 'Variegatum' ($7.95)
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Deschampsia cespitosa 'Schottland' ($7.95)
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Helictotrichon sempervirens 'Sapphire' ($7.95)
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Miscanthus sinensis 'Autumn Light' ($7.95)
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Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus' ($7.95)
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Miscanthus sinensis 'Nippon' ($7.95)
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Miscanthus sinensis 'Puenktchen' ($7.95)
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Miscanthus sinensis 'Sarabande' ($7.95)
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Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus' ($7.95)
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Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' ($9.95)
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Daylilies
We are offering 51 different daylily cultivars this year. Our on-line store has many
pictured.
Hosta Pick of the Month
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o Formal Name: Hosta 'Little Aurora'
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o Pronounced: n/a
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o Picture: http://www.hostas.com/images/hostas/laurora.jpg
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o Incorrect Names: n/a
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o Comments: Unfortunately, the picture noted above was taken early in the season
with an immature plant. You should have seen it this year! It glowed a perfect
golden/yellow because of the higher end sun requirements that it received. At three years
old, it was no wider than 8 inches. Expect the 12 inch width with a much more mature
plant. This is one of my favoriate dwarf yellows. Needs 1/4 sun for color up to 3/4 sun.
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o Width/Height: 12x8 (Dwarf < 10)
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o Color of Flowers: Whitish.
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Ornamental Grass Pick of the Month
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o Formal Name: Saccharum ravennae (Formally named Erianthus ravennae)
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o Family: Poaceae
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o Common Name: Hardy Pampas Grass
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o Picture: http://www.hostas.com/images/grasses/saccharum-ravennae.jpg
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o Name Meaning: n/a
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o Description/Comments: I have this grass growing in the front yard. It is a
neighbor stopper when the plumes reach up to 14 feet high. The foliage grows 4-5 feet and
as wide. The tropical looking leaves are extremely long compared to other ornamental
grasses growing up to 5 feet long and 3/4 inch wide. Fall foliage color can be orange,
beighe, tan, brown, and purple. The hugh, fluffy, silvery flowers with purple hues are
worth the wait during the summer.
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o Native: The origin of this particular variety is not known.
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o Zone: 5
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o Sun: Full sun to 1/2 shade.
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o Size: Blade 3/4 x 62, Foliage 60 x 60, Plume 7170 x 26.00 x 12.00
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o Plume: Bloom time is early September.
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o Propagation: By division.
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Wisdom from the Garden
Winters are bleak except for those with springtime anticipation!
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