Hostas are Great Shade Perennials
Hostas are famous for adding colour and texture to shade gardens with their jaw-dropping foliage.
Hostas with chartreuse foliage in particular have a way of illuminating low light areas.
There’s a Hosta for Every Shade Garden, Regardless of its Size
Hostas are available in any size, so there’s Hosta out there to meet the needs of your garden.
Hostas are divided into 4 size categories:
- Miniature Hostas measure up to 15 cm (6″) in height, which are great for shady alpine rock gardens. The ‘Mouse’ series is a great collection, ‘Mini Skirt’, and ‘Curly Fries’ are all fun choices.
- Small Hostas grow to heights of 45 cm (18″). Some of my favourites in this category are ‘Rainforest Sunrise’, ‘Kiwi Spearmint’, ‘Praying Hands’, and ‘June’.
- Large Hostas reach up to 60 cm (24″) in height. These hostas create quite a presence. Some beautiful choices here include ‘Liberty’, ‘Old Glory’, ‘Pineapple Upside Down Cake’, and ‘Independence’.
- Extra Large Hostas peek anywhere over 1 m (36″). ‘Titanic’ and ‘Olive Bailey Langdon’ are lovely.
Hostas Have Great Flowers Too
True to the subtle nature of shade gardens, Hostas bear quiet flowers in shades of white or lavender that add interest and beauty.
Some flowers are fragrant, others are not. But either way, Hostas attract pollinators into the shade garden.
The Hostas blooming season lasts 3-4 weeks as the flowers open successively on scapes above the foliage.
So What Should You do When Hostas Are Done Blossoming?
Hosta flowers dry up when they are done flowering and can make a garden look messy and unkept.
Deadheading Hostas is easy.
✂️ Simply follow the stems down below the foliage level and prune them out with clean garden sheers.
It’s super easy, removing old flowers keeps Hostas focused on root development & it tidies up the patch!
© Sharon Wallish Murphy, Gardening with Sharon
