I'm late. But I'm finally planning a mail order. I'm am aware that some of my choices may be sold out but this is what I'm considering. I'm mail ordering from one nursery only and I'm choosing that one because I have a credit for some free plants because of photos that I allowed them to use. I DO also have an excellent hosta nursery 15 minutes away.
This is what I'm considering. I'd be very interested in your collective experience with any of these plants.
I'd REALLY like to hear what experiences others have had with ANY of these plants. I've compared prices with my local hosta nursery and will get some locally. Have to determine whether the nursery that said I could have a couple free plants for the use of my pictures will let me choose which ones I get free.
I've eliminated 'Little Jay' and I've pushed the BME series to the bottom of the list. I already have several and after awhile they all look alike.
And then there's the appeal to ME factor. I've getting positive feedback re 'Foxfire Palm Sunday', but I'm not sure it appeals to ME.
I had 'little jay'. Note had! It is really little. Smaller that the mouse hosta. Looking forward to see what other think. I'm to new to hostas to be much help.
My Little Jay croaked, just never thrived. Mind you, I still have Tattoo growing after five or six years so it's not like I can't grow a difficult hosta.
I bought Wheee' at local nursery and think it will be nice in a couple of years. Hope the mature leaves are bordered with yellow.
Paul - I already have 'Snow Mouse'. I've decided that so many of the "mice" are unstable or like each other that I'm not gonna get any more except maybe 'Mystic Mouse' someday because it's like 'Cat and Mouse' but brighter colour. My second 'Cat and Mouse' has already reverted.
How long have you had 'Snow Mouse'? Mine looked like it was reverting the first year and I called them about it. They said that they would send me a new one, but when it came up the next year it was fine! I called them to tell them not to send the replacement, but they did anyway! Such sweet guys! You may want to call them to let them know, but it might be okay next year.
I got it in July 2 years ago. Will have to look to see how well (or not) it is doing this year. None of mine are growing very fast.
My 'Royal Mouse Ears' had two eyes that were reverting this year. Now I'm back to one eye. Where did you find a picture of 'Mystic Mouse', Ann? I tried searching, but can't find a picture. Sounds like one I will have to put on my list.
I found it at http://www.goldenbrookhostas.c... but they ship to Canada only. However, Cindy, who runs it is heading to the convention soon. She likely can't bring things across, but she might be able to ask questions on your behalf or give you suggestions where you could get it.
It takes the mouse hostas a bit to decide if they like where they are planted. My BME stayed small for the first three to four years and this year she's about tripled in size. My other Mouse Ears are all coming along, slowly, but coming just the same.
I have all of mine in a large planter and each winter, I put them into my veggie garden, I'm thinking it doesn't help them to be disturbed twice a year, though this past year, I potted each of them and sunk the pot in the garden. That way, I just slip them out of the pot in the spring and back into the planter.
Thanks Ann for the website. I'm adding 'Mystic Mouse' and 'Moon Split' to my list! Hopefully they will be available next year here. Naylor Creek may have them now, but don't even want to look again!
Of the one's you listed that I have, here are how mine are doing -- most are fairly new (last year or before)
Dancing Mouse $25 - (Still happily dancing -- waving in leaf remains and still have 1 eye this year)
Little Stiffy $15 - (had a tough go of it getting started last year -- had to provide a little tlc... seems to have rebounded this year but very little)
Last week we visited Dan Bachman’s hybridizing program in Lebanon, Ohio. This week’s hybridizer is located a short drive away in Dayton, Ohio at Pleasant Valley Gardens, the home of hybridizer Joel Thomas Polston.
Joel Thomas Polston (he prefers “Tom”) started in daylilies much like the rest of us. Looking to fill some empty spots around the yard with color, he purchased a few daylilies. The ‘’yard” is 38 acres purchased in 1996 complete with an 1843 federal style farmhouse, outbuildings and barn. What started as a few daylilies has evolved into one of the premier hybridizing programs for daylilies with teeth earning Tom the nickname “the dentist”. Tom believes you should hybridize what you like while working for good plants, bud count and branching. He starts his seedlings indoors in February then hardens them off outside before planting in April/May. With several thousand new seedlings to plant and care for each year added to the thousands already in the garden, time spent weeding became a concern. The answer was developing a system of drilling holes with a doorknob drill into several layers of black plastic. This method has become a timesaver for other daylily hybridizers as Tom freely shares his creative idea to a centuries old problem of gardeners, weed control. Along with the thousands of seedlings are display beds containing over 2000 registered cultivars and summer pasture for the resident Clydesdales.
With names like ‘Deadliest Catch’, ‘Born to Bite’,’ Interview with a Vampire’, ‘Riding a Chainsaw’, ‘Carnivore’ and ‘Swimming with Sharks’ it’s not hard to relate Tom’s main hybridizing goal of daylilies with teeth to his inspiration for names.
Only in daylilies for around 16 years, Tom’s hybridizing is being noticed not only by growers and collectors but by others looking to work with teeth and with the AHS garden judges. As of 2012 his cultivars have received 18 Junior Citations and 5 Honorable Mentions (HM). The first HM’s were in 2010 for ‘Forever Blowing Bubbles’ and ‘Raspberry Goosebumps’.
In 2011 his ‘Bob Faulkner’ received an HM and in 2012 the cultivar’s ‘Interview with a Vampire’ and ‘Lady Stephanie Victoria Redding’ were awarded HM’s.
In 2011 Joel Thomas Polston was awarded the AHS Region 2 Howard Hite Award, an award given yearly by Region 2 to a Region 2 hybridizer to honor a hybridizer’s continued efforts to improve daylilies.
I have INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE that was new last fall and did not bloom for me this year. I like many of his flowers and can't wait to see his future intros. BTW, did any of you catch what a SF of DEADLIEST CATCH sold for on the auction recently?
Thank you Debra & Betty. Tom's Wild Hair was new this year and I didn't get an image of it when it bloomed I really like the fine fringy edges rather than the thicker edge with large teeth. Would LOVE to get Deadliest Catch some day, not only for the bloom but it's one of my husband's favorite shows. Have to add a few dl's he likes so he'll help wih the tilling and mowing.
adding Neanderthal to my "want list"... I love the upright form and can't wait to see what comes out of them in the future.
Received Swimming with Sharks and Swimming with Barracudas as gifts will have to wait for next summer to see the blooms.
In 2013 Tom's 'Ruffles and Ribbons' (2003), a pretty red lightly pleated sculpted form, received an AHS Honorable Mention.
Love visiting Pleasant Valley! I try to make it there every year for Northern Mecca weekend. And I always want the seedlings he won't sell me!!!!!!
I don't have the budget for the wonderful toothy/ tendril ones ( but I do keep buying a lottery ticket and dreaming )
So glad you started a Polston thread, because he is rapidly becoming a favorite of mine. I have Red Ragamuffin coming in May.
Besides the tets, all of his diploids this season are amazing Lemon Drop Lollipops, Star Of Kryptonite
Lucky you Lisa, one of these days I will get out to Tom's and see his place. Pretty image of Sea Dragon and your son's seedling...he's got great taste! Love it
Alex, the few of Tom's that I grow do very well up here. The only toothy one I have I think is Wild Hair. Red Ragamuffin should be a good one, I almost bid on one of the listings for it on the LA over the winter. Those seedling crosses should give you some nice seedlings to work with.
Char…..It's difficult to get your hands on Polston's toothy plants. Not too many southern growers have them, and a lot of his plants are only available through his collections only. When Polston's plants show up on the LA, they are still expensive and get snapped up quickly. I was lucky with 'Red Ragamuffin'. I brought it as a reserved buy from James Hall (mljomo) last October. Since I work a lot with seeds and seedlings, the easiest way for me to get these toothy wonders, is to buy the seed crosses. But even the seeds are tres chere (expensive)! I am very excited about these seedlings, I am growing.
I don't buy many diploid plants, but am rapidly changing my mind after seeing his collections. You are correct, Char, his 'patterned' daylilies are to die for. There are several, I would like to get my hands on "Lemon Drop Lollipops", "Crimson & Clover".
I love reviews like this with the opening of boxes. Is there a reason you posted this as a blog entry instead of a Green Pages review?
Yes, I do have a reason. Three of the five plants were dormant when I received them, and I don't want to recommend the nursery until I see the quality of all the plants.
When I first moved into my old house it had Hostas out front, and ferns, in sun all day! I transplanted the ferns
to shade and a co-worker came and took the Hostas, man they were huge!!! I did not like them as they were just
green and took forever to shoot out a unimpressive flower. Now here I am at my new home wanting to plant some because of what I saw in my neighbor`s yard, she has a Hostas/Fern garden in her shady area and they look so pretty, and the Hostas are the variegated ones, which I do like compared to the plain green ones I don`t care for.
So now I appreciate what they can be when grouped with other types of plants, glad I saw my neighbor`s flower garden or I would of missed out!
As Gerry said, hostas come in all sizes, shapes and many colours - several greens, blue, white, yellow and all sorts of combinations. You might want to check out the Hosta Library http://www.hostalibrary.org/ which has links to lots of information about hostas as well as many, many pictures.
Welcome Jerry.......there is a picture of some of my hostas on the multi-plant photos right now........
Freedombel, Welcome to the addiction. There are many more hostas out there than just the "green or variegated" ones. The colors of the hostas can be so subtle as to entrance you in the gardens. But remember, don't over look the plain green ones, they too have their place. They will calm a busy garden and make it more relaxing and tranquil.
Here is a link to the Hosta Library http://www.hostalibrary.org/ Have fun looking at what you can find in the world of Hostas.
My co-worker said she wants to dig up and give me some of hers this spring, I am all for saving some money, hey, freebies, I can
take what she gives me and buy the other varieties......only hope I can get them before the deer in her area eats them up!, she said
Linda you sound just like me. I hated hostas. I had a house that had 90% shade and when I moved in all they had was green hostas. I thought they were ugly and dug most of them out and planted flowers. Most of the flowers did not do well because of the shade. I started on the forums 20 yrs ago and saw all the people showing pictures of their Hosta gardens and I got hooked.
As if the colors were not pretty enough I discovered some had fragrant flowers. I traveled a lot and would return home in the evening and when the cab driver would walk me to the door with my luggage he would ask me what was that beautiful fragrance around my property. When I told him it was hostas he did not believe. After setting my luggage down I walked him around the back and showed him and told him to smell. He said he was going home and tell his wife to plant Hostas. It was Sept and he said he did not smell that fragrance around his house unless it was July and the Oriental Liles were in bloom.
I have deer problems. Even if the deer eat them and she is still willing to give them to you take them. They only eat the leaves and they will still grow plus if the leaves are gone they will be easier for you to move. They will probably loose the leaves when you dig them up or they will not look good anyway if you dig when they are fully sprouted. But they will grow back just as pretty and big next year.
I use the green hostas even in my sunny areas as ground cover to hide lily leaves, and other flowering plants that look so bad after the blooms are gone.
This is the bulb garden that I use the green hosta as a ground cover to hide the leaves when the plants are done blooming. I plant a lot of spring bulbs, summer bulbs and mini roses in between the hostas. The bed looks full all seasons.
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