Favorite Shady Genera Part 2 - Hosta

Hostas get a bad rap, most probably because of the overuse of a few frankly boring cultivars. Most people are familiar with plain green hostas and the white-edged ones. At the other end of the spectrum are the collector fiends who buy every new introduction regardless of how similar it is to something already on the market. I'll get my opinion on that out of the way so I can end on a positive note: It's painfully easy to register a hosta cultivar and way too many growers, professional and amateur alike, have done so with a mania. Consequently, there are many, many plants available, not all of which have been sufficiently field-tested for desirable characteristics beyond appearance. I suspect growers are propagating and releasing nearly any plant that shows a color or form variation from its parent(s) whether a seedling or sport. I've even grown a few new cultivars from seed but you won't see them in the local garden centers. One has the most beautiful ,round, clear Granny Smith-apple-green leaves with just the right amount of puckering. It doesn't increase, however. I would never ship that one off to the lab to be tissue cultured and marketed as 'Shady's Apple' just for the quick buck off a new plant. I'm not sure all growers feel the same way and consequently it will be years before the true stars of the the current flood of introductions are sorted out.

Having said that, I'll just mention a couple of my four score or so hostas that I find particularly worthy. The one pictured above is 'Sagae.' It is a variegated form of Hosta fluctuans and is still sometimes sold under some variation of that name. It's a large, somewhat upright plant with nice, strong leaves edged in a creamy white. The second plant I'll mention is 'Chartreuse Wiggles' shown right. I've tried this plant in several places in my garden and only now when I've got it in one of the brightest spots available where it gets some sun for part of the day has it really grown much. It's a small plant with a cute but appropriate name.

Favorite Shady Genera Part 1 - Trillium

Spring is a bit behind us now. But, few woodland plants characterize it quite like the members of Trillium. I've known trilliums all my life having been virtually surrounded by the lovely white Trillium grandiflorum as a kid. I was excited when I started gardening to learn that there are more species in this genus, each with their own beauty. I now have eight different trilliums in my garden and every year I'm happy to see them bloom. I've found all the ones I've attempted easy to grow when I start with firm, healthy rhizomes. I select species that are native to my area or nearby and shy away from ones like the painted trillium, Trillium undulatum. It may have the most striking flower of the species, but it also has a rather strict requirement for acidic soil.

Should you decide to try growing trilliums yourself, I highly recommend Frederick W. Case's monograph published by Timber Press. As far as I can tell it is out of print. Fortunately copies appear to be available through used book dealers. Bookfinder is your friend. My experience is that Timber Press books are outstanding in all respects.