Choosing The Right Hostas For Your Garden
- John Plant
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
Making the correct choice on the Hosta, that you put in your garden is important. Get it wrong and you will be disappointed.
Your decision will be based on what type of garden you have. What you have growing there and how much sun or shade you have. It will also depend on the size of your plot and what is already in it.
Hostas are shade tolerant plants. If your garden is in full sun, for most of the day, then perhaps Hostas are not the plant for you! Try something else. There are plenty of sun loving plants on the market to choose from. Of course there are always the exception to the rule, but not recommended.
Hostas, in the main, will tolerate early morning sun. They don’t enjoy the midday sun, Afternoon sun is stronger than morning sun, and therefore less varieties of Hosta are tolerant. Always check the Hosta cultural details before choosing the variety.
The position, in the garden, can make a difference. Creating your own shade with trees and shrubs can help. Hostas are happy to grow in the shade of trees, providing there is enough sunshine during the day.
One way of ensuring this is to lift the crown of trees with low branches to allow the low sun to penetrate the foliage.
Don’t just think that the right conditions are enough, think about the contrast of other shrubs and foliage plants as well as the difference between the Hosta foliage.
Use foliage with different, contrasting foliage, such as the Australian Tree Fern above, or the purple dissected foliage of the Japanese maple. Ferns and heucheras are also a good foil for Hostas.
A little trick you can use is to put a pot or two in a border, with other plants, to liven it up a little. These can be moved around to present the best effect with no effort at all.
If you have very little in the way of borders for planting, why not grow your Hostas in containers. These can be moved around to change the look, and help with the shade or sun situation, moving to get the best position.
These can be from the larger Hosta, right down to having miniature Hostas, in groups. Miniature Hostas won’t do terribly well when planted in borders, as they cannot cope with the competition from the larger plants. They are better in containers.
The containers also form part of the display. Keep similar pots together such as the blue ceramic pots above.
Use the hard landscape to set off the look of the Hostas, such as this simple brick path with Hostas either side.
When choosing your Hosta consider their mature size
Giant Hostas need more space but will create a dramatic impact.
Medium sized Hosta are perfect for border and containers alike and have a wider variety of different shaped and coloured leaves to help with your choices.
Miniature Hostas are ideal for displays in containers rather than borders.
Check the sun or shade tolerance of the varieties you want to choose. In general, Hostas in more shade or generally Blue leaved ones, whilst the more variegated and lighter coloured leaves will have a little more sun tolerance.
When planting a large border with a lot of Hostas in it, focus on the contrast of the leaf colours. There are variegated ones, as well as leaves with solid colours such as blue or green. Don’t forget the different textures that some varieties can offer. From ripple margins or corrugated leaves.
Plan for long term growth with ensuring you choose fast growing Hostas versus slower growing Hostas. The faster growing ones will need a little more space as a rule and divided more often.
Try not to divide too frequently though! Most Hostas, it is really only practical every 4 or 5 years or so. A good-sized clump in the border is lovely. Don’t spoil it for the need to divide.
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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