A Grand Day Out
- Pat Hutchinson
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
We are delighted to have a 2nd guest blog from Pat Hutchinson. A confirmed Hosta lover of many years. Pat and her family own Yorke House & White Rose Cottage.
Our NGS Open Garden days at Yorke House in Nidderdale have been a huge success this year thanks to glorious sunny Sundays. Hospitality for a record number of visitors, hundreds of cups of tea and slices of cake later, my daughter-in-law Amy and I were feeling somewhat jaded. Disappointed to have missed out on visits to other beautiful NGS gardens, we decided it was time for a well-deserved girls’ day out. Where to go? Well, of course, as seasoned plant lovers it was an obvious choice to visit a plant nursery growing our favourite plants, Rewela Hostas.
So on another lovely sunny day Amy negotiated the winding country lanes of North Yorkshire towards Skewsby near York. What a relief to find the sign ‘Rewela Hostas’ near the centre of the village and John waiting by the entrance to welcome us. Even as we turned into the driveway the spectacle of numerous hosta pots wetted our appetites. Through to the rear garden, a delightful patio, comfy chairs and a mug of Yorkshire tea provided a warm welcome. Chatting to John and Daphne we were soon brought up to speed about the garden’s development from a bare field to the magical domain of today. Surrounded by pots of hosta of every size, we soon realised that this was no ordinary nursery - here was a team of passionate gardeners whose obsession with growing hostas exceeded my own! We could not resist when John suggested a guided tour of the garden he had created before visiting the nursery area.
Ascending the wide circular steps leading upwards from the patio we entered a labyrinth of intriguing pathways, shady dells, secluded seating, pergolas, bridges and gazebos, where the dappled shade of overhanging trees provided the perfect environment for the abundance of Hostas to flourish. Towards the top a sunlit area revealed the heart of the nursery, the place where all the hard work takes place and where the success of the establishment is accomplished. With growing excitement we emerged into ‘Hosta Heaven’.
What an amazing spectacle! On a level area, staging was arranged to support hundreds of pots of hosta plants varying in size from miniature, through medium to the real giants. All were immaculately arranged in alphabetical order, meticulously labelled and looking incredibly healthy considering the hot summer!
Amy and I were overwhelmed! Like children in a sweet shop we gazed excitedly, exclaiming with enthusiasm at those we felt were rather special specimens, although it was almost impossible to make a decision about what to take home. I was particularly keen to enhance my meagre collection of the tardiana group of hostas, so managed to restrict my choice initially. Amy preferred those with coloured stems and wavy leaves, selecting a discerning choice of Hosta ‘Zucchini Fries’ and Hosta ‘Peppermint Twist’. (Where do they find these exotic names!).
Between us, we amassed a splendid group of about a dozen plants but then I was tempted by the large glaucous leaves of Hosta ‘Minke’, whilst Amy returned to her favourite miniatures. Eventually with John’s help we narrowed down our choices to a final accumulation of fifteen fabulous plants. We could hardly wait to see them in our own gardens.
Clutching our bags of precious plants, we descended through Rewela’s lush plantings to our vehicle. Here we thanked John for sharing his extensive horticultural knowledge with us and Daphne for her kind hospitality. It had been a delightful experience - a beautiful garden to explore, an abundance of new plants to discover and the warm welcome offered to us.
On Daphne’s recommendation we made our way to nearby Miss Daisies restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious home-prepared lunch in the courtyard area, surrounded by a glorious display of baskets and pots overflowing with colourful petunias and geraniums. As we made our way home to our own retreat in Nidderdale we could only reflect on what a perfect day out it had been.
Thank you John and Daphne for such a special experience.
At Rewela Hostas, we are delighted to provide a diverse selection of Hostas suitable for collectors, experienced growers, and beginners alike. As a small family-run Hosta business we are more than happy to share our expert advice on everything related to Hostas. Shop now on our on-line shop for a wide range of Hostas, from new varieties to classics.
Shop for Hostas HERE
John Plant
Rewela Hostas
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