Hi Frank,

I bought Empress Wu last spring (2011) and you just made me go look to see if mine is up. I see the very tip-top of a nubbin, so she made it thru the winter. I planted her in a controversial spot...on a slope with soil erosion and no mulch. (Mulch and finishing the area is this year.) I surrounded the back with some rocks, and it looks like the rocks did their job for erosion..

I spent extra time and took lots of photos of all the hostas on slopes at Hornbakers, and figure if they can do it, I surely can on my urban bunny slope.

As to your original question...I fell madly in love with my Heatwave last year. 2012 will be it's 4th year in the ground. I expect great things. Good grower!

Gayle

Well,it's not a cultivar. It's an all-gold sport I separated from my Atlantis last year. Neither one is up yet,but I have given it the name of Pacificus. On the other hosta scene,hostas are popping up like it was the middle of April! Phil

Blue Angel which will be in its third year for me, and Sagae which as an enormous first year plant.

Steve

Victory! I got it last fall. It was one eye. I was thinking about getting another one just so it would be a bigger clump. It's coming up with 3 eyes!

I had some neighborhood teens do some yard work over the winter and they moved all my pots and I have no clue where some of them are. Now I'm looking for Guacamole.

bkay

Actually all of them since I planted most all last year. I'm especially interested in Empress Wu also as I found a huge plant in a 5 gallon pot last year so should be really big this year. I also bought Banana Strawberry Smoothie and it went down in late September which was really early so curious if it made it. I see small pips showing but no significant growth yet. That should change this coming week as it will be in the uppers 60's and 70's next week but gets cold again afterward.

Scott

Scott

I'm looking at all the things I received bareroot from Naylor Creek, and they look delicious, almost edible with their fat lavender eyes plump and juicy, and a couple of them with leaves up like scallions. Not sure, they are on the deck in the shade at this moment and it is dark, but the green tops like green onions, might just be the 'Scallion Pancakes'....plus the fattest bundle of all is 'Jaws' which has serrated leaves--but no leaves showing yet, just a whole bunch of colorful EYES.

I have to say, I am the most pleased with 'Satisfaction' which was my NOID, and which already has a tight-budded scape that shot up a little above the fully leafed out plant. A very attractive look it has.

I am enjoying all the excitement apparent in the posts of this thread, like kids opening presents, it is a happy time of year. Please be sure to post how your stellar performers are doing with pictures, naturally. :)

Actually two: Sagae and Queen of the Seas. My Sagae is going into what I believe to be its "breakout" year, 4th in my hole. It was great last year, handled the sun and dry summer well, and I have it as a landscaping feature next to my front entrance. I can't get the picture of the mature Sagae I saw root balled in burlap at The Fields on Caton Farm in Crest Hill IL. The dude was at least 7 feet across and sitting on the ball came to eye level, and I am over 6' tall.

Queen of the Seas was bought late last year from Halson and typical of Chris's plants looked great. I have wanted a nice, large leafed, ruffled hosta and local greenhouses don't seem to offer them. The plant I received was everything I had hoped for. So I can't wait to see what comes up. My neighbors think I am nuts, down on my hands and knees gently brushing winter mulch aside looking for it's eyes.

Frank, I'm with you. I'm anxious about my Empress Wu. Both your and my Empress Wu have been growing at the same rate, both planted in the fall of 2009.

I'm also curious about Strawberry Banana Smooth which was a dud last year and my Blue Wu which was a small TC plant.

Gesila

I think any Wu can be a Blue Wu if kept shaded like mine is. I had bought it to go next to my giant blue since it was supposed to be dark green. I have an old S&S on the other end as a brighter giant.

This is suppose to be the "leap" year for the 40 or so planted in 2010, so I'm looking forward to see how they have grown. I bought Lady Isobel Barnett last year and it's already larger than all of those purchased in 2010. I think it's gonna be a real "hogger".

I HAD to peek under the leaves for my two favorites:

Empress Wu with 6 eyes:

Blue Wu - 1 eye - but it's a big fat one :)

Hmm, I'd have to say my Sagae I got last year, Blazing Saddles (I just love this one for some reason), and my first Liberty (still looking for the perfect spot for her-she'll be planted today or tomorrow morning-I have an Advanced Cardiac Life Support Class today!!)

My Wu is up about 6" and the pips are considerably thicker than my biggest giant Samual Blue.

My first to unfurl has been Ani Machi aka Geisha.

I'm looking forward to, but also nervous about, seeing all the Libertys I planted in my front landscaping last year. I lost one tree and took down another in a bed that was planted 30 years ago. Wasn't up to totally re-doing it, but wasn't happy with the shape or the flatness.

Added a few rocks (the biggest my hand truck and I could move) and decided to add P.I.L.s (plants I love) and just go with it for now. In addition to hydrangeas and a magnolia, I think I ended up with about 20 Libertys planted in several "waves." It's going to be pretty bright out there in a few more weeks, so here's hoping they look OK.

Thank goodness for a son who was working with a landscaper - got them wholesale. :-)

Checked today see Empress Wu is coming up. As mentioned got a large plant last year in a five gallon pot which had around 4 eyes. Counted the eyes poking through and see 8 so has at least doubled over winter. I'm also curious to see Victory which was a tiny seedling and T Rex which was a one eyed mature division. I feel like a kid just before Christmas.

Scott

I'm looking forward to see how some of our own seedlings will have evolved. Most of them tend to change considerably when they reach maturity.
The one I can hardly wait to see is a really large H. 'Grand Slam" OP seedling with really long, broad petioles. We called it Hosta 'Mill's Repechage'. Don't know who dad was, but I suspect it has to be H. ventricosa.
Last year, after transplanting it to a large container, some of the petioles broke, so I couldn't get a good picture of it.

greetings from the Hosta Mill

Rob

June, always a stunner for me. She's already starting to unfurl the tiniest bit. I need to count the eyes, haven't in a week and I'm sure I see more than than I did that day.

Right now, all the ones I haven't seen a sign of yet! I know, I know, patience.

Blueberry Muffin - bought it later in summer and blue was not at peak. Also some streaked/misted seedlings of Northern Exposure. By fall they got to nice size for first year.

NE Seedlings 2011 pic-

Paul

Beautiful streaking on those seedlings, Paul. You used Northern Exposure as the pod parent? Were they open pollinated?

Steve

Yep, open pollinated. Two years in a row NE gave me streaked seedlings. It did not send up any flowers last year.

Paul

These NE seedlings look absolutely great, and the last one simply is stunning. Really one to look forward to.