blue cadet is a lovely rounded medium plant. Watch Olive Bailey and Francis Williams for size. They are large and you might not want to crowd your azaleas. Blue Jay is a pretty blue and cream varigated also, Queen Josephine is a nice shiny green and yellow. June is another varigated former hosta of the year. These are all medium sized hostas.

GUARDIAN ANGEL .. yes. i am yelling

ken

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Harry

How far are you from Russell Gardens? They have been on several of the Hosta Society tours and definitely have every variety you listed AND GUARDIAN ANGEL (tho I would recommend OBL over FW). Not all are listed on the web site, but it will give you an idea of what they carry. Shoot me an email at caliloo @ yahoo dot com and I can give you more info on this particular nursery.

Alexa

Here is a link that might be useful: russell gardens

Alexa-
I second your recommendation for Russell Gardens. I grew up near there and even worked there for a number of years, although that was 15 years ago. I still get over there occasionally and remain in touch with all of the Russell family. A great group of plant people and a heck of an operation!!

Alexa,

You are an enabler. Good job. Russell Gardens looks to be near Horsham, about 30 minutes south of here.

I would still like to hear some suggestions. I see Francis Williams everywhere. It seems that some of you feel that there are better substitutes for FW.

forget EVERY clone of FW .. and FW ...IMHO ...

ken

I hate to disagree with the hosta guru,Ken,but I have 10 Frances Williams,and they grow great here! I would,however recommend Olive Bailey Langdon,which doesn't have leaf-edge burn,the way FW sometimes does. My FW's this year are huge,and still growing. Just MHO! Sorry Ken! Lol! Phil

Harry

Shoot me an email when you are going to Russell's. Since they are a wholesale operation it is a little different than going to a regular nursery and it's easier when you know their procedures.

Also, I have an extra Alex Summers that I know would be happy at your house! I would love for it to go home with you :-)

Alexa

I love my 'Frances Williams' but the OBL has the same colors and overall look AND, as Hosta Freak notes, is less susceptible to burned (actually, dessicated) leaf edges.

Harry,here is my Olive Bailey Langdon from last year. You be the judge! Phil
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Frances Williams is great if it's not going to get much direct sun, otherwise, go with Olive Bailey Langdon, but for more blue with a bit of yellow you could go with Tokudama aureonebulosa which always looks fabulous and can take more sun.

A couple of medium blues which I grow and really like in addition to Blue Cadet are, Blue Arrow, which has nice pointy leaves, and if you like the rounder leaves, Abiqua Drinking Gourd. Photo is Tokudama aureonebulosa, only 2 years old.

Lainey

here is my logic ...

FW is a great plant .. burn or not... as a COLLECTOR ... i have it.. and every named clone.. they have good years.. and bad years ... and i accept it...

BUT.. and there is always a big butt in the room ... if we are addressing a newbie.. or someone who has one defined space.. as harry initially stated ...

dont you agree.. there are a few thousand other plants.. that dont burn.. and that do look good every year .. to fill that one space ...

i mean really .. he should fill this prime spot with a plant that looks great every 3rd year????

thats all i meant ...

BTW.. harry .. what did you think of guardian angel????

ken

DW and I went shopping Saturday morning. We picked out a few hosta which looked good:

Olive Baily Langdon
Captain Kirk
Bressingham Blue
Paradise Expectations
Ginko Craig

Couldn't find Guardian Angel Ken. Passed up Francis Williams though.

Alexa - I would love to put Alex Summers in the one remaining spot.

I would appreciate comments about these choices, especially size expectations. I may have to move some of these around to ensure there is sufficient space. They are in a prime spot with great soil and dappled sun.

Thanks for your comments and the pictures that have been posted this spring.

These are all good plants, although I am not familiar with Paradise Expectations. I looked at it at the Hosta Library and it looks like Great Arrival, a reverse of Great Expectations. To me that means it will look a lot like Olive Bailey Langdon, perhaps with a creamier colored edge.
I would place these two apart from each other, in a symmetrical way like opposite ends, or something else in the middle with these two flanking it.
So you are missing a solid green (suggest Bridegroom, Tracy's Emerald Cup, Hoosier Dome, Devon Green), and a solid yellow (Aspen Gold, Birchwood Parky's Gold, Stardust, Golden Prayers, Midas Touch).
Guardian Angel is really cool.
I like Alex Summers a lot too, but you already have dark centers with light margins in your collection.
Dave