Out
On A Limb / June 2006
Say it With Hosta
A luxuriantly leafed perennial with deliciously fragrant flowers and distinctive attractive foliage, hostas are prized by gardeners in the east and west. Hardy and versatile, there’s a hosta perfectly suited for some place in every garden. From the diminutive species with leaves no bigger than a thumbnail to the giant hostas whose leaves reach six feet across, hostas offer an amazingly diverse selection in size, shape and growing characteristics.
Natives of the Far East, some hostas will even grow as epiphytes on mossy tree trunks, others perch on rocks, trailing their roots in the water and some form extensive colonies in wet sphagnum bogs. Deeply appreciated for their shade tolerance, hostas will also thrive in sunshine in freely draining, moisture retentive soils. They tolerate a wide range of soil types, growing best in a pH of about 6, but they enjoy humidity and like to have their roots covered with mulch.
The first hostas from China arrived in Europe in the 1780’s. Forty years later, hostas from Japan were also welcomed to European gardens, ultimately making their way across the Atlantic to America.
Hosta flowers may be white, lavender or deep purple. The shape of a host plant is a result of its root type. Hosta with compact root systems create rounded mounds of foliage. Those with running rootstock will gradually spread.
Hosta leaves are classified as giant, large, medium, small, miniature or dwarf. The leaf shapes may be oval, round, elliptical or lance-like. Some appear heart shaped or wedged. The leaf blades may be flat, curled, twisted or cupped, smooth, dimpled, puckered or ridged. They may have thick or thin skins, with a matte or shiny finish, but most are in between and rather satiny.
The wildly diverse colors and patterns of hosta leaves are the result of minute changes in replication by the plants chloroplasts. Hostas seem unusually prone to slipping from one color to another, delighting gardeners the world over with bold and subtle variations.
Their gold, yellow, chartreuse, bright green, light green, dark green, olive green and blue-green leaves, brushed with cream or white, may be streaked, stippled, marbled, misted and unusually marked in an endless variety that has given rise to creative nomenclature.
Victorians spoke volumes with flowers. Contemporary gardens can say even more with hostas.
A valentine’s garden might feature Eye Catcher, Candy Hearts, Cupid’s Arrow, Enchantment, Hearts Content, Love Light or Happy Hearts. A wedding gift of hostas could include Bridegroom, Niagara Falls, Honeymoon, Faithful Heart, Heart and Soul, Cherish and Everlasting Love. Gardeners who walk on the wild side might enjoy Afternoon Delight, Hot Lips, Soft Shoulders, Stolen Kiss, Brazen Hussy, Illicit Affair or Unforgettable.
Send congratulations with Standing Ovation, Great Expectations, Brass Ring or Sitting Pretty. Offer Golden Prayers or a message of Hope. Send an accountant Bottom Line, a crafter, Quilting Bee or Cross Stich, Guardian Angel (or Neat and Tidy) to the college bound or Fringe Benefit to a job seeker.
There’s a hosta for every appetite- Squash Casserole, Spinach Patch, Crepes Suzette, Fried Bananas, Lemon Meringue, Peppermint Cream, Cheesecake, Ice Cream and Raspberry Sorbet. Add a dollop of Orange Marmalade or High Fat Cream and a Maraschino Cherry.
Make a country couple happy with Fried Green Tomatoes and Sweet Tater Pie, washed down with Moonshine or Southern Comfort. Add the Hillbilly Blues, an Achy Breaky Heart or a Dixie Chick and know that Elvis Lives, along with Bubba, Bobbie Sue, Big Daddy and Big John. Don’t forget Blue Mouse Ears and Cat’s Eyes for the barn.
Anyone yearning for the high life might appreciate Alligator Shoes, Blue Velvet, a Cadillac, Formal Attire, Champagne and Caviar, Emeralds and Rubies, Tea And Crumpets or Sparkling Burgundy.
There’s a stellar collection of hostas for the celestially inclined–Stargazer, Galaxy Garden, Full Moon, Zodiac, Lunar Eclipse, Aurora Borealis, Jupiter, and, of course, Captain Kirk.
Celebrate America with Paul Revere, Minuteman, Liberty Bell, Independence Day, Liberty, Potomac Pride, Ulysses S. Grant and Old Glory. Or, honor a veteran with Patriot, American Glory, Medal of Honor, Dress Blues, Patriots Fire and Peace.
Hostas just have a way with words - and gardeners. PL
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