what is the size and shape of the garden?

The shape is a triangle with the widith being 11 feet and the length being 7.5 feet

Well, you have to consider that it can take many years to achieve a mature sized hosta. It also depends on how big the plant was to start with. And, the fact that you're planting in shade also means it'll take longer to reach maturity.

I think the combinations you're suggesting will look nice. Krossa has a beutiful upright shape.

El Ni is absolutely on my top 3. It is sooo luminescent in my full shade garden.

Are they too big? Well, you can always adopt the mindset that once they start looking too crowded, you can start removing plants and/or divide them. But I personally like the tight look. Reduces the potential for weeds.

Thanks for suggestions. Is there one particular database to find out size. Every site list different sizes at maturity. I've had one site call June a medium size plant while another would say large. The measurements given also differ.

I usually refer to the Hosta Library, or the American Hosta Society for measurements.

Karen

I rely on Mark Zilis' Hostapedia

I like all those plants...

With your description and plans, here is how I would plant that triangle... this might sound kind of complicated, but only because putting it into words is so much harder than being there and stepping it off with you!

I'd start out at the "corner" - the right angle vertex of your triangle. I'd measure along each side, putting a marker at 1 1/2 feet.

I'd measure into the garden straight from each of the 1 1/2 foot markers, making a square - that corner of the square in the garden is where the center of the Krossa Regal would go.

Placing the next three is a little trickier, as the triangle is not equal on both sides. Here's how I'd do it. I'd mark each side 5' from the corner. Then I'd get a garden hose and lay it like I was making a circle around the corner with a radius of 5 feet... connecting your two five foot markers with a quarter-circle. If you just draw a straigh line between the two 5' markers, the hostas won't space correctly. Hostas are round, so we have to use round spacing. Just lay that hose like it was 1/4 of a circle that would go all the way around 5' from that original corner.

Now, if you used a flexible measuring tape, you'd find that that curved section of hose measures approximately 94 inches - just a little short of 8 feet. (Don't ask how I know this... it just is!) From each 5' marker on the side, I'd measure about 15 inches in along the hose and place a marker. That's where the centers of the two outside hostas would go. I'd put the third marker about 47 inches in along the hose - at the center of the curve.

If you followed that, we just placed the Krossa Regal in the corner, then marked the centers of three more hostas. the three markers are in a curve, each about 5' from the corner and about 28" from each other.

Because the triangle is not even on both sides, when the four hostas are planted, there will be a smallish triangle left along the long side - a good shape for 3 smaller hostas or a planting of some other shade plants like lenten roses, dwarf aruncus, Japanese painted ferns, or the like.

Back to the three... I'd either use two with light centers on the left and right, with a light edged one in the middle... or two light edged ones on the left and right with a light centered one in the middle.

So with the ones you mentioned, you could do great with June, First Frost or El Nino in the middle, and Whirlwind... or First Frost, June, El Nino.

I like all four, so either combo is fine. Whirlwind does have a different shape and look than the other three, while El Nino, First Frost, and June are all sports of Halcyon and thus have very similar shapes, clump size, and leaf size.

As Melissa says... in shade, these may be a number of years getting to their mature sizes. I'd either mulch pretty heavily between them making the bed look finished... or plant them all closer together, knowing I'd be doing some heaving digging in a few years to spread them out. A third alternative is to plant some other groupings of smaller shade perennials among them - moving those much easier to move plants as the hostas mature.

Nothing wrong with some of the previously mentioned plants... maybe some brunnera, tiarella, etc. in the spaces until the hostas fill out... and you'll find you have two spots along the long side of the triangle between and in front of the three hostas in the curve that just cry out for your favorite low-growing shade plant.

WOW Idiothe, I've got to write this all down and get started planted Thanks alot!!!

Well all my plans changed. When I went to purchase my hostas, the ones I mentioned earlier were in small pots or small plants. I personally prefer to by nice size plants so I can enjoy the first year (too impatient). I ended up buying Halycon, June, Night Before Xmas, and patriot. I believe Night befor Xmas will be my center. I'm having a harder time with the other ones due to having different width measurements. Any suggestions?