Bunnycat
I planted some seeds that I got in a seed exchange and also ones that I collected myself. I never tried this before and quite frankly thought that I would probably kill them off. BUT much to my surprise I got way more than I bargained for. Quite a few yellow with red petioles alot of leaf shape variety and then a bunch of green ones and even one with 2 streaked leaves (tiny but cool) I got some cool ones from sunpower, yellow splash rim, on stage and twist of lime to name a couple of favorite ones so far. Also a yellow that looks like it will be a biggy from Frances williams. Now I wish I would have tried a few streaked seeds just to see what would happen. I don't think I had bright enough lights when they were real small but since I have them under a couple of shoplights they have really grown better. You should try this. It has been fun!!!
Cheryl

Cheryl~

I don't have room for a light set-up, so will have to wait for spring to plant them outside. It's good to hear that you had interesting results from planting On Stage and Sun Power. Last fall I collected about 2 dozen varieties before the deer ate the rest. I know I have some Sun Power and On Stage, dried, cleaned, refrigerated and ready to go.

Ken says that yellow F.W. seedings burn. They apparently inherited the bad spring dessication suceptibility from the yellow F. W. edge. I have one that self sowed outside. I have it in pretty much dead shade, and it still doesn't look as good as a regular yellow hosta. Good luck with yours, definitely plant it in shade, and cover it if there is a threat of frost or a cold night.

On the other hand, I have lots of BLUE F.W. seedlings all over the place. They come up green for the first 2 years and then come up blue the third year. The leaves aren't always the same shape, and some are more rugose and quilted. They grow very fast, and seem to hold their color very well. Try planting some in an out-of-the way spot until they mature.
Here is my favorite one so far, taken in mid-September last year. It is behind a Honeybells and Fragrant Dream, and gets lots of sun:

~Bunnycat (Nancy)

Thanks for the heads up on the yellow Frances. I have some room to let alot of these grow on along a back fence where they can grow up nice or look ugly and be thrown out. I also have a daughter and sister who have some very empty acreage and already said they would take any I will give them so...this was all done in fun. I wasn't trying to get anything great just wanted to see what would come up. Some of the seeds I collected were on plants that I got from a nursery with pods on when I bought them so I will never know who the fathers were, that's what made this a little more interesting to me anyway.
I am loving the look of your blue "nobody" If I get anything half that good looking from these I'd say it was worth it.
Cheryl

What a pretty blue! I love that tree-scape. I wish I had the room to try seeds, but I don't have it not right now. I never seem to get any pods in our heat.
Mary

Nancy,I have two different seedlings,currently planted in my garden,that are developing into nice plants. Both are OP. 1 is Ground Master,that I grew in the basement a few years ago. Of course,they are plain green. The other one is Cinnamon Sticks,which I just sowed in a pot outdoors. I have a lot of them,including some that came up right beside the mother plant. They look a lot like the parent plant. I'm looking forward to this spring,to see how much better they grow in their new home. Here is a pic of them,taken last year. These are the ones that were sowed in the pot. Phil
{{gwi:936916}}

I just love that FW seedling! I've got some FW greenies going now - I'll be sure to keep them now to see how they turn out.

Regular OP hosta seeds have been mostly what I've grown and am still growing. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Last Dance OP seedling

I think this one was King Tut OP? I like the leaf shape.

This was a sport I found last summer growing in an all green OP Northern Exposure seedling.

Pretty wild...that looks just like Revolution! I love, love, love that King Tut OP...wow! If you ever decide to part w/ a chunk of that, please let me know! :)

That FW seedling has inspired me to start the copious amount of FW seeds that I gathered to see what becomes of them!

I'll be happy to share with you Andrea as soon as it gets another eye. It's kind of a slow grower so far but maybe this year it will take off.

Mary52~
If you want some Frances Williams seeds to start in your backyard in the spring, I'd be happy to send them. They aren't wimpy seedlings.

Cheryl~
I looked at your seed want list, and have a few King Kong coleus that I could send you. And if you want something weird, I have seeds from my Angelica Gigas, which draw bees and butterflies like crazy. Nifty purple flower heads. You can google images of it very easily. Can't find mine.

Phil~
Nice seedlings! For years the deer have been eating my hosta flowers. Only some of the F.W.'s escaped being totally eaten. They are the only ones that have given me babies. Lucky you! I hope now that I have deer net around the gardens that I can collect some interesting ripe seed.

Andrea~ Remember, they will be green the first 2 years. Have patience.

flowers4myfarm~
That King Tut seedling is special! If it looks that good as a baby, I can't wait to see pics of it after it matures.
The streaky one does look like Revolution. Or Pathfinder with streaks.

Most of my F.W. blue seedlings have upright leaves, and flowers that half hide in the leaves like F.W. and Elegans. I also some with taller flower scapes. Here is one that has floppier leaves.

~Bunnycat

Ok, one last shot at this. In 2005 I was ordering my first hostas on-line. They were all pretty small, and I needed some background fillers. I dug up some of my Frances Williams OP seedlings and put then here and there. They all were single-eyed plants, and came out of the ground in the spring of '05 very large. I hadn't even noticed them the year before. The next year, 2006, they were much bigger in all ways. The individual eyes were an inch and a half thick, and were at least 12" tall before they started to unfurl. I didn't take pictures, but will this spring. You want big cheap blue hostas fast? Plant your OP Frances Williams seeds.

~Bunnycat

Bunnycat - your comment that they "will be green for the first 2 years, be patient" perplexes me. It is my understanding that color and/or varigation is pretty much determined by the 4 leaf stage. Yes, blues may not have as thick a glaucous covering when really young, but it is there.

Can you clarify?

Thanks

Alexa

Can't clarify, Alexa. Sorry. I only "know" what I see in my garden. Frances Williams has lots of seeds every year, the chipmunks, birds and deer miss a few. I will see tiny seedlings the first year, larger the second year. The big jump comes the next year. Some get a little bigger than others, in almost the same location.

Perhaps there is a faint wax haze, but not very noticeable to me. They really look green the first 2 years, especially the first year.

On the other hand, I've bought a lot of small/young blue hostas online. They definitely look blue to me right away, although they do get bluer in time. I don't know how old the plants that I buy from growers or nurseries are.
All I am saying, is people should give them a try in an out-of the-way spot, and ignore them except for watering and slug protection the first 2 years. If they are green the third year, and of no interest, compost them if you choose.

No money spent, no money lost. (I have some seeds to share, if anyone wants them).

~Bunnycat

Bunnycat,
This is my first year growing seeds (any kind of seeds for that matter). Today I made some observations on my two week old seedlings. Spilt Milk OP (I planted them because I bought Spilt Milk last year when it was in bloom and thought some interesting crosses may have occurred at the garden center). A dozen little two-week old Spilt Milk seedlings have little streaks and they are bumpy, not smooth. I was hoping from something a little different (probably too early to really assess), however it is fun to think they are all little SMs.

Hostabuff~

They sound great to me. I'd be very pleased.

The deer ate the pods on my new Spilt Milk at the end of the season when they breached the netting. I'll wrap some of the ripped netting sections around some of the hosta pods that I really want this year. Maybe I'll get to keep some more.
I am looking forward to the ground thawing (ha! no chance of that any time soon...bitter cold on the way for us) so I can prepare a new bed for starting seed. If I sow enough, maybe I get a few nice ones.

~Bunnycat

this ken never said yellow FW burn .. in fact they are named .... under the grex [or something like that] for yellow sieboldiana .... check the front of the original schmid tome for info about such ... i cant remember the name ... golden medallion.. maybe ...

i don't plant plain ole seeds.. but they sow themselves all over the yard ... go figure.. ken

Wow what beautiful babies y'all!! I enjoyed looking. . and ok. . lusting. . there I said it. . .lol
Don't you think your babies are a bit more precious to you?

Here is one of mine. It is from an open pollinated Lakeport Blue. I find myself being attracted to many of the Tompkins's hostas. . .
I named this one for my husband. He is very supporting in my habit. . . I mean, he even took me out to buy hostas on HIS birthday one year. . lol. . .I told him if he ever left me I was going with him! hehehe
I named it Forever My Love, after my honey.

Thanks for sharing this post. . I enjoyed all the babies.

Sidney

Guess it would help if I remembered the picture. . lol

I have a brand new home/yard in Elizabeth City, NC. Where does one find hosta seeds?
CAtherine

I'd be happy to send you some.
~Bunnycat

That would be fabulous to be sent some seed.
catherine

Sidney~
I LOVE the powder blue on your Forever My Love!

Catherine~
Go to "my page", and use the form to send me an email. I'll need your mailing address to send an envelope with some seeds.

~Bunnycat