the only thing leaping around here are the number of days with no sign of green. Frost was in the ground over 40 inches and ice got over 17 inches thick on ponds, etc. normally, ice gets 12 or 13 inches thick. Seventh coldest winter on record ...

wish you were here ...

_~

dave

Glad I'm not, Dave. I'd rather have 100+ degree days in the summer than be cold all winter.

bk

Dave, so sorry to bring the subject up, but pretty soon you folks will be oooohhhing and aaahhhing with the rest of us.

However, I gave a warning in the initial post that leaping was going to be taking place in a number of gardens for us new hosta growers. Of course, I don't know what a leaping hosta might look like, and need help. Otherwise I'll be treating it for HVX when it is perfectly healthy, just growing more mature every day.

The first one of course, is Squash Casserole. If it is not leaping I don't know what is.

Another one
Yesterday's Memories....a lot of my golds are looking great early on. This one from Hallsons.

Purple Boots looks rather like a third hosta to go with the two spreading open faced hosta. Love these green golds. You cannot tell it from this angle, but there are purple boots being worn when it first emerges from the ground.

Like I say, not sure what leaping really is, so will wait until I see more from other folks, before I jump back in.

Thanks for looking. Your thoughts appreciated.

Mocc, love your enthusiasm and joy! Having not been a "regular" on the boards here, I didn't even realize that you were a "new" hosta grower! Congratulations, as you've obviously kicked off your boots and have settled in for the long haul.

Great leapers! I am also a fan of the "green golds", even though they don't get as many oohs and aahs. When you're out in the garden, they have great beauty, especially when healthy like yours. Not sure if August Moon falls into "green gold", but in my garden it does, and it's my favorite of them all...

Hope you will keep posting your leapers. I am not sure that I will have any 3 year olds this year...but next year, I will!

'Blue Hawaii' has about a dozen eyes coming up, and 'Invincible' has a ton, maybe 15 or so. Actually, a lot of my hostas have many eyes showing now. Pics when they start to leaf out! : )

Your hostas are looking GORGEOUS, Mocc! My 'Yesterday's Memories' has seven eyes showing, from a huge single-eye from Hallson Gardens last year. Can't wait...

Don B.

Mary4b, thank you. for your kind remarks. There are several of us on the "new frontier" of the deep south. Or, the higher hotter humid zones. When it comes time for dormancy, we must think cool thoughts, aaahhhmmmmmmm....OOOommmmm. and hope we can get 40 days below 40 dregrees. This winter, no problem with THAT! Even here, plenty of cold. Mobile had no snow since Christmas 1997 when there was a dusting of it. Then this last winter, we had sleet and ice topped off with a little bit of snow. About 2010-11 we had 14 days below freezing, hard freeze is 28 for us, and we went down to 19 or something ridiculous like that. My subtropicals were dropping like flies.
And that was the very first time I had a few hosta in pots tipped over to shed water in the back garden. Maybe 2 dozen at the most. But in 2012, I reached a mile marker of 200 hosta, and Sparkler was #200. I never paused long enough after that to know which was #300 or #400, and certainly still no pause as #500 approaches. But, since there is a wager on how many and how long it will take me to reach that mile marker, I'm not revealing anything.

Suffice it to say, if any of the betting crowd are listening, that I just wound up two days of potting hosta from Solberg, Hallson, Bridgewood, and New Hampshire Hosta. I got a shipment notice from Green Mountain, expect to hear from Glenbrook and LOTG soon. Have yet to place the Van Wade order for some only he has available.

My right hand, the one with which I apply the crushed red (pizza style) hot peppers to the new pots, is blazing with heat, even though I washed thoroughly after I stopped for a late lunch. I have an observation though.....I now believe it is much easier to pot (or plant) DORMANT HOSTA. No kidding. It is quite simple/straightforward to follow Hallsons instructions for the proper depth of the different size hosta.

The new pots are clustered near the back deck, where I can easily sprinkle them with water, or check for invasion by squirrels. There they get morning sun and afternoon shade. The dormant ones are flat and covered by the pepper flakes, but soon will show the pips above all that colorful coating. Heck, I might as well take a picture of my staging area, I think all us hostaholics can appreciate a pot which is definitely not showing green, but which is full of life none the less. So hold on, while I do a Kodak moment!

Of course, nothing here is LEAPING.

I know when I'm beat! Mocc, you are a sneaky Pete! Not only are you doubling up, but you are sneaking orders in without keeping us in the loop..let me say this - I think you will easily purchase another hundred hosta without batting an eyelash.

Keep them pics coming! :-)

Jo

...sigh....so sorry, Jo! I also have a couple more orders I forgot to mention.....Hostas On The Hill in Birmingham AL (she called today and is shipping in the morning). Then Savory up in MN. It will be May before they come, pretty sure of that. I like Savory because of their OS stock and am getting Sombrero in this order.....I think its Blue Umbrellas x plantaginea, and a Savory introduction from 1991? It is another XL fragrant! LOTG order has a couple of hard to find fragrants in the order. Oh, and Avalon Acres. But that should be it, confused lady!

But, we can talk about that another day. Who cares about numbers anyway. It's the NAMES that I love! And the LOOKS.

OK, Mocc, I'll play, although pics will be better of these a bit later in the season. There's a lot still unfurling here:

I think it's safe to say that my Guacamole is leaping this year, too many eyes to count:

Luna Moth is leaping, about 50 eyes, last count:

Blueberry Cobbler:

Oh wow, Funn, you are remodeling too.....that is almost ready to start here. Thankfully my hosta are in the back portion of our property.

You have some beautiful hosta collected in your last picture. That's almost the way my 100 x 25 foot space looks all the growing season....with aisles between.

I like Blueberry Cobbler, the petioles remind me of Sugar Plum and Riptide, both with a smoky purple look. They are all growing so quickly now that I cannot keep my photos tagged with names, nor uploaded to the computer and Flickr!
Sugar Plum

What's Leaping? I'll let you know in a month or so. Part of ye olde hosta patch is still covered with ice, but should be gone later today or tomorrow since we're expecting warm rain.

This is the year that would have been leap year for all those Cleo decided to mangle in 2012. Some of those are still small. However, some of my older ones really took a leap this year.

We're adding a 700 sq. ft. workshop to our backyard, so it's really hard to get any decent photos right now. They are all stuck here and there to keep them out of harms' way. They should start putting up the walls on Wednesday, so it won't be long until it's finished and life will be normal again.

bk