Hosta of the Day - 'Pineapple Upsidedown Cake'

Hosta 'Pineapple Upsidedown Cake' has lance shaped leaves.  The hosta starts off with light green centers and darker green margins.  As the summer progresses the centers turn gold and then eventually white.  It's unusual shape and coloring adds texture to any hosta garden.

Hosta 'Pineapple Upsidedown Cake' 2009 late summer.

Hosta 'Pineapple Upsidedown Cake' 2012 this spring

Hosta of the Day - 'Parhelion'

Hosta 'Parhelion' is a sport of hosta 'Sum and Substance'.   It is light green with a very narrow white margin.  This one is big so if you want one you better make lots of room for it!  I have mine planted in a large planter in front of my living room window.  At the moment it's hidden by hardy geraniums, but once they stop blooming I will thin them out to show off this beauty!

Hosta 'Parhelion' 2009

Hosta 'Parhelion' 2011

Hosta 'Parhelion' 2012 being eaten by my hardy geraniums!

Hosta 'Parhelion' 2012

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom and I were featured in the Post Crescent today.  Here is the full article.

Hostas Underwater and Plants that Tolerate Water

Last week we received lots of rain, 4 inches in just one day.  My backyard became a little flooded after all of the rain.  Luckily for me when my yard becomes flooded it usually only stays that way for a few hours before it dries up again.  Not everyone is as lucky.  My friend, Gina, actually has to pump water out of her yard sometimes.  After losing many plants to the flooding that happens almost every spring in her yard, she decided instead to plant things that would withstand the water.   Willows, native milkweeds, ferns, irises, rudbeckia, cup plant, iron weed, and she even has luck with hostas & daylily.   Hostas love water, so a little flooding like I had will not hurt them.  If the water level is above the hosta crown for a long period of time it may develop crown rot, which if not taken care of can kill a hosta.  If a hosta has been exposed to a lot of water and starts to lose it's leaves, it probably has crown rot.  You will need to dig it up and cut away the mushy part of the crown if you want to try to save it.  I have actually grown hostas in my pond as pond plants with good results in the past.  I just kept the crown above water.

Hosta of the Day - 'Orange Marmalade'

Hosta 'Orange Marmalade' is a sport of hosta 'Paul's Glory' from Bob Solberg of Green Hill Farm.  It has dark green edges and emerges with bright gold (almost orangish) in spring.  The center fades to almost bright white by fall depending on sun exposure.  Pair this one with green, gold, or blue hostas.

Hosta 'Orange Marmalade' 2009 mid-summer when gold center starts to fade to white.

Hosta 'Orange Marmalade' Spring 2012

Shade Plant of the Week - Hardy Geranium

Hardy Geraniums or Cranebill, as some people call it, are a great addition to the shade garden.  They come in a wide variety of colors from white, blue, pink, purple, etc.  Hardy Geraniums are very easy to grow.  Often if you cut them (sometimes I cut them in half) after they bloom they will bloom again later in the season.  My friend, Cheryl, refers to them as the stinky plant, as some still have that smell you come to expect from annual geraniums.  Some varieties are a little more vigorous, such as the Geranium macrorrhizum variety.  The macrorrhizum variety tend to reseed themselves quite easily, but the majority of their roots are above of the ground so they are easy to pull.

Geranium pratense striatum 'Splish Splash'

Geranium macrorrhizum-Bevan's Variety

Geranium phaeum  'Samobor'

Geranium macrorrhizum 'Variegatum'

Geranium macrorrhizum-Bevan's Variety

Geranium ibericum
‘Johnson’s Blue’

Geranium cinereum 'Ballerina'
Very small/miniature geranium

Hosta of the Day - 'On Stage'

The picture of hosta 'On Stage' posted below was taken in late summer, after it's beautiful spring coloring had disappeared.  When 'On Stage' first emerges the off white center you see below is actually gold.  This is usually one of the last hostas to actually emerge in my garden, and it's also been a very slow growing hosta.  However, I have seen very mature 'On Stage' hostas and know the painfully slow growth rate is sooo worth it!  To prevent the color from washing out quickly, place this hosta in a place where it will only receive morning sun.  Pair this one with green, blue, gold, or other variegated hostas.