The flowers, which appear in summer, are held on long, thin stalks that rise above the foliage. While pretty, these flowers play second-fiddle to the leaves. In fact, some gardeners cut the flowers off their hostas entirely to maintain the clean look of the leaves. Hostas are the queens of the shade gardens. Member Josephine Forkner, of Durham, North Carolina, grew these beautiful specimens.
Hosta foliage ranges in color from nearly yellow to a deep blue-green.
Unfortunately, these and other wonderful shade plants are loved by slugs. Most hostas are hardy to Zone 4. They do best in well-drained soil, and prefer partial shade. Another standby of the shade garden is the fern. There are hundreds of species of ferns available, and varieties can be grown anywhere from Zones 3 to 11.