Whaas,
I would start out with some hostas Of The year. They are inexpensive and hardy. Get your feet wet with them and then fall hopelessly in love with the 50 dollar ones. This addiction takes time and practice!:)

Denny

Welcome to our world! Since you're a newby, you probably don't know about the Hosta Library, a fabulous source for photos and info about virtually every hosta cultivar. To find the list of Hosta of the Year, click here:

http://hostalibrary.org/lists/size-main.html

I agree with Denny's recommendation to start there with your collection.

On the post about hostas which we've killed, you posted a comment that alluded to the fact that hosta are supposedly super-hardy. Lots of them are -- including especially the Hosta of the Year. But some cultivars are quite tempermental: Pandora's Box, Great Expectations, Fair Maiden are just 3 of the dozens we've cited in the past. In all three cases, if you can get them to grow, they're gorgeous, but they'll die in a moment if they're not in a perfect location with perfect sun and perfect moisture.

But, having said that, lots and lots of hosta are foolproof as you'll learn as years go by. Again, welcome to our addiction.

Definitely start out with the cheap ones,and get old favorites that will grow,despite abuse. Remember that hosta are shade tolerant,not shade loving! BTW,welcome to the forum. Phil

The "cheap" hostas usually have enough in one pot to split them in half before you plant them. That way you start with two of each for the price of one.

I have to disagree with Denny (smile) this addiction you are about to embark on does not take "time". I went from 4 to over 100 in less than a year.

Every year someone starts an alphabet listing of hosta pictures, I highly recommend you visit some of this last years' posts to see some beautiful mature plants.

Welcome to our addiction ;-)

hmmmmm .....

what about about all those shade trees you planted.. that i told you you cant grow hosta under????

welcome

ken

In early December (10th?)People started posting pictures of their hostas one letter of the alphabet at a time.One day it was the A's and than the B's ,etc.Go back through this hosta forum til early December and you will find a lot of pictures of hostas that people are growing in their gardens.I agree with Denny,start out with some Hostas Of The Years and you will have some great hostas ,good prices and a higher sucess rate .Phil

Holy Hosta...great link for the hosta library. That has to be one of the best image sites I've seen for any plant.

I see some of the posters there are the same here...so kudos to you.

Hey Ken, I'll start with the cheap ones, lol. I put several Patriots under a Freeman maple...we'll see.

So far I have these on my list (form HOTY)...
Paul's Glory
June
Strip Tease
First Frost

Any others I "should" add to my list? Although a newbie to hostas I don't have any issues going for the gold right off the bat...can't say I'd drop $50 on hosta though...never say never.

Start a "Gold Standard" sport garden and you won't go wrong!

The other great plants for starters are Golden Tiara, Gold Drop and Halycon.

Bruce

Even though it's not a HOTY, we're always amazed at the growth rate of Hosta 'Abba Dabba Do', woohoo.

Whaas,
You are right "Never Say Never".I remember when I swore off a $30 hosta saying "That is just crazy"!.As my addiction progressed my limits seemed to also. You may find yourself planning trips and the destination being marked by Hosta nurseries along the way and you will exclaim to your SO. "What a coincidence"! "We are just a few minutes from there." Do you mind if we stop"? "I will only stay a few minutes". "Did I tell you how nice you look today"?
Get ready for the ride whaas!It can be a crazy one!

Denny

There is a posting on the FAQs page on hostas for beginners that I wrote a few years back. Everything on there is still widely available, reasonably priced, and a good grower.

Like Bruce, I think that buying a number of hostas that are in the same 'family' is a great way to start a collection. In addition to the Gold Standard sports, almost all the Tiaras are terrific plants and very easy to grow. The various Fragrant Bouquet sports are nice plants, sun loving and with lovely fragrant flowers. I especially like Guacamole and it's sports. If you have plenty of room, the Blue Angel sports are wonderful plants. The Halcyon sports are beautiful plants, and easy to grow. Many people are now madly collection Blue Mouse Ears sports, although the jury is still out on which of these are going to be good performers in the garden.

You can also post on this forum varieties you are considering adding to your collection, and ask for opinions, which many of us are very happy to give. Just remember, free advice is often worth exactly what you paid for it! Of the four hostas you listed, Paul's Glory is a wonderful hosta, beautiful in the garden. It will get larger than you expect, so give it plenty of room. June is the most popular hosta in the country right now, and for good reason. It's gorgeous where ever it's planted, a good grower, and looks wonderful all season. Be aware that a juvenile June doesn't look much like a mature June, but it will get there in a few years. First Frost is another lovely hosta, and one of the many Halcyon sports. Again, this one needs a few years to really look great. Striptease is a very unique hosta, and there are many sports from this variety, which is itself a sport of Gold Standard. However, be very cautious about where you purchase Striptease, as there has been a major problem with virus in this one. Look for someone with a mature clump that's at least 10 years old who is willing to sell or share a piece for your best chance of getting a virus free Striptease.

Finally, welcome to the forum! It's always nice to see someone new taking such an interest in hostas.

Poor whaas! You just wanted to ask a simple question and we've loaded you down with our jargon. Just in case you don't know, "sports" are mutations. When experienced growers see a mutation, they separate it (sometimes by dividing, sometimes by cutting down all the rest of the plant to let the mutant thrive) and watch it grow. Occasionally that mutation turns out to be so interesting that it is introduced as a new hosta.