For me: Bedford Blue.

Bennie,

Thanks for showing us your Bedford Blue. That's not one I've seen before. You really should send your picture to Bob Axmear at the Hosta Library as they don't have a full clump picture of this plant. Where did you get yours? Does it have white backs on those leaves?

Steve

Ble Hawaii, Queen of the Seas, Halcyon, Blue Ice....oh wait, you did say favorite, didn't you? Which is your favorite child? Lol!

El Ninio is my fav, albeit a variegated blue. For a straight blue, Ultramarine is tops in my garden but I have an Arctic Blast going into yr. 2 -Could take over 1st place. Also Blueberry Muffins is looking great after 2nd yr. Ultramaine in the pic is just filling out over the lily of the valley. Leaves are very large and keep a nice blue throughout the season.
gc

gc, Nice Ultramarine. I am wondering what that plant is growing beneath it? Not the Lily o' the valley, but the other. Is that some kind of Lamium? I know it's common, but I just don't know it's name...

Thanks,
Don B.

Don B,
Lamium maculatum 'shell pink' perhaps? It is pretty.

gc, Love the contrast of Ultramarine's blue against the green!

Deb

I lust for Flemish Sky and hope I can find one (or more than one) this season. I wonder if it stays that blue all season.

I have to say, Blue Moon is a nice little hosta. I split mine 2 years ago. I'm trying to make a little hedge of them. Here is my only picture. I had to zoom in, I hope its still clear enough.

I used to have a beautiful Blue Cadet at my former property. Should have dug it up and brought it with me when I moved. It's definitely a favorite blue.

Thanks Deb! 'Shell pink', just looked it up, that's it.

Don B.

Mine isn't this big yet, but Skylight is the bluest plant I have.

Steve

Thanks Steve,
I got my Bedford Blue in 2009 from Marco Fransen as a gift for ordering (I'm from Germany). The picture shows the color in mid May. Two weeks later it is even more intensive (no green visible). I will send the picture to Bob.

I'm having problems with photo-bucket. I still cling to my Sea Lotus Leaf though I have several newer 'blues' getting ready to 'leap'. With last years extensive heat and drought don't know what to expect this spring.

My anxiousness is dampened by memories of 2012 with 7 straight days of record 80+F temps in March, the evil garden hose I tripped over and tore up my right knee, and 5 months with no rain and record heat. My log book refers to last year as 5 month of "Horticultural Hell". So at risk of becoming overly enthusiastic, I'll just sit back and enjoy all the photos in this thread. So far all have warrented 'favorite' status. Thanks!

While not the bluest, I am beginning to appreciate my Krossa Regal more each season. It's greyish blue is a nice contrast, and it deserves it's own "whats your favorite blue-grey hosta?" thread. El Nino too is a variegated 'blue-grey' that I really like. I'd do it but I hate unwinding a new photo thread without a photo to posting to kick it off.

Les

The bluest ones I have are 'Blue Cadet' and 'Halcyon'.
But I like all Big Blues, have clumps of 'Blue Umbrellas', 'Elegans', 'Big Daddy', 'Blue Angel', 'Blue Mammoth', 'Krossa Regal'. Upcoming are 'Blue Hawai', 'Ryans Big One', 'Big Mama', etc.
Here are hosta 'Blue Umbrellas' . Bernd

Blue Arrow

Blue Hawaii, Blue Wedgwood, Blueberry Muffin

Love Pat

Paul

'Sea Lotus Leaf' is a beautiful plant, Les. Almost all varieties of Hosta are still new to me, because I'm a hosta newbie, but in my opinion, a very high percentage of 'old' varieties are just as fantastic-looking as many that have been introduced within the last 12-15 years, tetraploid or not. I hope your hostas come roaring back this spring...and beware The Evil Hose.

Regards,
Don B.

Another one of my favorite blues, old as it may be...My newly-purchased 'Tokudama' chatting it up with a very hot-and-tired 'Hyacinthina' just before planting in September of last year. How can you not love the parent of 'Tokudama Aureonebulosa' and 'Flavocircinalis'? (Plus many more sports and hybrids). It grew a lot faster than it was supposed to last year; hoping for a couple more eyes this spring.

Don B.

This post was edited by Don_in_Colorado on Fri, Mar 8, 13 at 14:55

I have lots of favorites,but my Carolina Blue always looks good. Phil

Last year my Deane's Dream was a dream:

Does anyone have a picture of a Sea Lotus Leaf that can be posted on my behalf?

Les

Sea Lotus Leaf...

Beautiful, Don.

Steve

I wish it were mine, Steve.

Okay, lovely blues. My hesitation to go with blues because of our heat melting away the blue color early on, has disappeared....I discovered that the heavy leafed blues can resist the heat much better than the thinner leafed hosta. This year will be the real test, since many last year only experienced the heat for part of the season. We'll see if they can go the distance for the whole year.

My first blue love was Blue Angel. Really surprised me with his blueness late into the summer. Taken in October 2012

Here is a shot of my Sea Lotus Leaf

Thanks Don, I agree with Steve that yours is a very niice SLL. My only thing against them is the blue seems to wash off easiy, but when blue they are fantastic.

The leaf above the 6" ruler measured 11.5" L & W. Because of the upcurled margins (why it is called what it is) the leaf would seem smaller in the photo. Also, this hosta gets NO direct sun-just bright pm shade. I might sneak a division and give it a bit of direct morning sun.

The hosta to the left is a fully mature Honeybells, over 5 feet across.

Les

This post was edited by hostaLes on Sun, Mar 10, 13 at 13:14

Les, I know you are featuring the SLL, but I'm into the Honeybells.

Do you have a direct full shot of that 5 foot wide Honeybells?

I like lots of greenery, and seems to me I could use Honeybells near some of my very dark strapping bladed aspidistra....which is turning white edged as it matures. Don't know if I have any good shots of the aspidistra because last year all I took was 4gigabytes of HOSTA PICTURES. Lush greenery is a tropical look, regardless of its origins.

Your wish is my command-mocl

For an all-green hosta she is one tough cookie that is gracefull and wears a lot of flowers on tall scapes. She is a survivor of my relocation 550 miles on a hot August day when she was unceremoniously stomped into a hole in the ground. Not the respectful way to do it, but as ken says she can be thrown on the driveway and survive. She is living evidence.

Les

Les

I'm enjoying everyone's favorite blues. At last count I had acquired 25 different solid blue cultivars, some of them still immature. My two favorites are Blue Jay and Canadian Blue. Canadian Blue is supposed to be a selection of Halcyon. Some say that Canadian Blue and Halcyon are the same. They aren't in my garden but then it might just be because of location. I don't have Ultramarine, Blue Betty Lou and Carolina Blue, so my blue list will be growing.

CANADIAN BLUE

Yes, that 'Ultramarine' almost knocked me out of my chair! Now I'm planning to get one; Garden Crazy, I'm sorry but I'm gonna steal your idea and plant it in the lily o' the valley patch in my backyard. Looks too good to resist. :)

Don B.

You guys are so bad, posting all those beautiful pictures. Now my list is growing again, I haven't really appreciated the blues until recently. Now my appreciation is growing in direct proportion to my pocket book shrinking.

Here are two of my favourites: 'Hadspen Blue' and 'Fragrant Blue'

Another one is 'Monashee Blue Cup', not in the least because it is a Canadian developed cultivar.

And when all's said and done, there ain't nothin' wrong with good ol' 'Fortunei Hyacinthina'. This particular clump is in a corner where it sees no direct sun at all, just open shade, and by mid-summer it almost looks black....that's how dark it gets.

Pieter

Pieter, my initial 'Hadspen Blue' grew into a lot of wide plants, which were never as blue as 'Halcyon' or 'Blue Cadet', so I reduced the number of them and planted also newer varieties. I still have 2. It took me a while to distinguish between 'Hadspen Blue' and 'Blue Cadet', but BC was bluer. Bernd

'Blue Boy' - ready to leap this year.
Jan

Here's Blueberry Muffin - 2nd year and seems like a fast grower, went from 4 to 13 eyes. Nice blue early and then it may have gotten too much sun (1st year since moving into garden) and the leaves scorched. Weather was weird and a few others were affected, so leaving it for at least another year.

Paul

Paul-ILOVE the gracefully wavy margins of your Blueberry Muffin (I don't think it would have been good if I abbrevieated it like we do FGT for Fried Green Tomanoes-I did it and deleted it)

I am sure you are very pleased with it-I would be. This season is starting out very different than last, isn't it! I am looking forward to seeing your Bl Mf when in its full spring glory.
Theresa

Don in CO
Yes, that's Lamium, Beacon Silver I believe.
gc

You knew it was coming . . . at some point Ludi would post something about Elegans.

How can I not . . . she is so matronly and one of the classics. Everyone needs at least one clump imo. :p

Hahaaa . . . I need spring to get here so I can stop recycling these pictures and get new ones.

(Shhh don't tell Steve but I am planning on combining all three clumps into one massive matriach this year)

Well it's about time, Ludi! :) Always great to see a fantastic specimen of Elegans. I hope mine will compare to yours in time.

Don B.

Actually, I think planting Hostas in mass plantings is a great idea. It brings to mind UK's three Liberty's planted together. Sounds like the beginning of a new thread. Ludi we want pictures of your moving those monsters.

Steve

Good luck, Ludi! Those are some mighty big ladies coming together there, reminds me of similar female trios made famous in film and literature.

Three witches in Macbeth (always threes with them). Then in First Wives Club, with Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Bette Midler.
Then of course the singing sisters the Andrews. Then some real Divas, like Ethel Merman, Rosalind Russell, Barbra Streisand, or maybe Dinah Washington, Carol Channing, Aretha Franklin. Or perhaps put them together as The Supremes? A lot of class in groups of three, where each is still an individual plant with its own personality and not merged as one mass. Or maybe the Witches of Eastwyck, or perhaps Cher, Madonna, and Beyonce? :) Anyway, your Divas are gorgeous and imperial.

Ludi, you could dub them: Three Graces Elegans.
:-)
Deb

AHA! How could I have overlooked the Three Graces! From 50 years ago, I have a picture of myself and my two best friends in college, and I've always called it The Three Graces. Like springtime when promise is yet unfulfilled.....we were so young then. The classical versions of the statue feature three young ladies "au naturelle" but I assure you as proper young ladies ourselves in the mid 1950s, we were appropriately robed!

The link is to the sculpture of the Three Graces, background written about in Wikipedia......wouldn't it be nice to have a plinth with a small version of this statuary featured on it, right in the middle of this Elegans grouping?

Here is a link that might be useful: The Three Graces sculpture

OMG First Wives Club I LOVE when they cover Dusty Springfield.

::Stands on top of chair and clears throat::

You don't own meeeee . . . I'm not just one of your many toys . . . you don't own meeeeee . . . don't say I can't go with . . . other boysssss . . . buh buh buh buh buh buh buhhhhh . . .

And don't tell me what to do and don't tell me what to say and when I go out with you . . . DON'T put me on display.

I'm young, and I love to be young, I'm free and I love to be free . . . to live my life the way that I want to say and do whatever I want . . . no noooooooooo you don't own me :)

Mocc you took me back there for a minute . . . while the three graces are a fantastic idea I must confess those lyrics are what Elegans will be singing to me when I make the big move.

Steve, I surely will have pictures. Knowing me, I will probably have too many pictures.

As soon as the first of the three pops their pips I'm calling in the back hoe.

Ludi

Here is a link that might be useful: Diane Bette and Goldie covering Dusty Springfield

No, no, no,...They should be 'Ludi's Angels'...:)

Don B.

This post was edited by Don_in_Colorado on Wed, Mar 13, 13 at 21:58

Just found my pic of 'Queen of the Seas' just out of the box from last September. Bought 'Summer Breeze' with it, and got 'Wolverine' for the bonus plant. Hallson Gardens, of course.

Don B.