Cherry Cola coral bell in the front, left is Touch of Class and right is a young Dream Weaver with S&S and Blue Angel in the back, all young.:

Plum Pudding and Cironelle coral bells, a pair of Allen P McConnell and Stained Glass, S&S and a Blue Angel in the back, both young.

A trio of Fire Island behind a Plum Pudding coral bells:

Caramel coral bells in front of young Golden Tiara and S&S in the back. Can you tell I like S&S??!

Patriot and some rhododendron:

The mice! Blue Mouse Ears in the front, some small but mighty Mighty Mouse and kitty is keeping an eye on Mouse Trap.Some young ferns are trying to take hold:

Everything looks really lovely. You have a wonderful eye for placing the right things together.
Cher

Hi Cindy. Your hosta bed is beautiful. Are you asking for suggestions for companion plants?

Christine

Christine, just kinda showing what I have paired up but when I look at others pics, I always try to see if there are other plants paired in with them and what there are. ALWAYS trying to get ideas.

A pot of minis, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini and a small pot of a rose inpatient. This is my first year putting hostas in pots:

Your beautiful hostas have some mighty fine friends, both plant and "animal". Thanks for the pics!

-Babka

Cindy, my first response was before all your pics were up. Love the Patriot and rhododendron.

Now, here's a comment about your Heurchera Caramel. I have a pair of these also, because truly it is a wonderful plant. But I'm having a devil of a time finding a spot where I like it in my shade gardens. My conclusion is that the warm color blend on this plant simply clashes with most of the other shade plants. When the hostas bloom in lavender,it looks rather icky. There is no color of impatiens, other than white, which makes a good companion. I'm ready to shovel prune.Would you like a couple more?
Christine

Looking really nice. I love heucheras, but they are a little fussy as to where they want to grow. Once you find their happy place, they take off like weeds.

Karen

Cindy -
I've been hanging out behind the scenes here. Your plants (and photos) are beautiful!
Gail

What beautiful pictures I too just started adding Heucheras and Heucherellas. There are a zillion of those as well. Their a bit finicky as to were they will grow well but worth the attempt. I know they don't like too much water or too much sun.

Scott

I have a few Heucheras with my hostas,but I have lost a few also. My Caramel is doing the best of all,and I have a Palace Purple in the whiskey barrel with Jewel-of-the Nile,that looks really good. If they do OK,after the cold night tonight,I will try to post a pic of them. It's funny,how the Palace Purple even got into the whiskey barrel. I pulled on a piece of it,years ago when it was in a different place,and it came loose,with a few roots. I just made a slit in the soil in the whiskey barrel,stuffed it in,and it just took off! It looks better there than any of my others. I also planted a Heuchera Pistache last year,and it looks really good this year. Phil

Christine, I would love to "rescue" your Caramel! It is one of my favs.

Beautiful gardens! I'm very envious. I've gotta get a Citronelle heuchera after seeing yours. Your patriot hosta look so different from mine! Mine have never had that drawstring issue but they're also way smaller and less spread out. Must be a climate/condition thing. I love how you're growing a row of golden tiara -- in a few years, that'll be a mass of yellow/green leaves.

Regarding Anniegolden's point about the clashing colors -- it's not just that, it's also that beige, orange/brown, muddy pink, and many of the other Heuchera colors look kind of sickly to someone who doesn't know and love that genus (I love them!). I've been sticking to purples and greens cause they're more attractive and expected to non-gardeners.

Lovely, lovely. It'll be weeks before my zone 5, frosted garden will look like your beautiful setting so I really appreciated you eye candy. N

You have beautiful gardens with well selected combinations! Thanks for showing!
In my yard the primulas are in full bloom, spring flowers as back ground, but hostas are still not leafed out or even showing.
Bernd

Cindy, your gardens are wonderful! I love how you've grouped several of the same plants together, and it makes me wish I were not so focused on growing my collection of different varieties. Once your gardens are mature, they are going to be spectacular--can't wait to see updates!!

Karen

PS: Are you going to the MG plant sale in Paola this weekend? I'm going on Friday. DH is going with me, but I can't help but think of the saying, "Taking your husband shopping with you is like taking the game warden hunting with you!" Haha!!

Karen, just remember to tear up the receipts when you go shopping.

I notice the high number of gold hosta, and not many greens. If you have some star performing heuchera that do not show to advantage with the golds, find a few of the green leafed hosta which have features you like, and let the heuchera carry the color burden for them. I think it would work nicely with a strong Lederhosen, maybe a more frilly Candydish, then the species plantaginea. But I'm very partial to the greenies, the fragrant plantagineas.

Karen, I saw that but was fearful it wouldn't be productive since I am not a member and thought maybe the good ones would be picked over on general public day. Doesn't help either that I am out of town this weekend. Have you been to Made IN The Shade in Overland Park?I am in Olathe. Are you close?

Moccasin , I never noticed that till you pointed it out! I really don't have green. Any green I have has either white or gold with it. I have eyeballed
Candydish. I do like the frilly ones and this is my first year in buying them. I will see if my overland park breeder has any.

Cindy, I was surprised at what a great selection they had last year. The hostas come from Spring Valley Nursery and they restock each day. You can get on their website and download the plant list; not only that, but you can actually email them and request a specific plant and they will hold it for you until a certain time! Awesome customer service!! The hostas are sold in 3 different sizes, I believe, with the largest pots going for (if memory serves correctly, $16). If you can make it Thursday or Friday, it is DEFINITELY worth it! I bought at least 20 hostas, several other perennials and a Harry Lauder's Walking Stick there last year!

I have been to MITS in OP....after I went to the plant sale last year, so I didn't buy much. I really enjoyed visiting with Rob, though, and loved his place! I'm in St. Joe, but my son lives in Olathe, so we go to Olathe periodically. We are planning to visit Swan's Water Gardens while there on Friday. Have you been there? It's amazing!!

If you don't get to go this weekend, Spring Valley sets up at the Farmers Market on Saturdays at 79th & Marty in OP. Maybe you can still take a gander at Ken's lovelies!
Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Spring Valley Nursery

Cindy-I would love to go to MITS gardens! I told my mom and sister about them (I'm originally from blue springs) and would love to go there this summer-I know we're going out to MO for.a week in June so maybe I can make a day trip over there!

Indy, then you might also want to look at the link I provided about Spring Valley, and check out the farmers market (if you're going on a Saturday). Ken O'Dell, owner of Spring Valley, works closely with Rob Mortko, owner of MITS. When I emailed Ken about what precautions he takes against HVX and nematodes, here is what he said in his reply:

"The chances of you having HVX and nematodes are very slight. I have been working with Rob Mortko in 2011 and again this year in 2012 to grow our hosta (his and mine) here in my greenhouses and Rob and I will both keep our Hostas clean and disease free."

And here is an email from Rob:

"Ken and I are growing our hostas from tissue culture plants that were first virus indexed (tested for a series of virus that can affect hostas). Clean going into tissue culture means clean coming out. Tissue culture also kills any foliar nematodes that may have been present on the original plant tissue that is introduced into tissue culture. In fact Ken and I started our own tissue culture lab so we could propagate many of the older classic varieties of hostas that are impossible to obtain at the wholesale level.

I am proud to be now working with Ken. We both share a passion for growing quality plants that are also pest free. We worry about the virus and nems so your don�t have to."

It's really great to have such assurances from places that are relatively close by. Online ordering is great, but sometimes just seeing a plant in person can put you right over the edge! Have fun!!
Karen

Cindy-thanks for the pics. Your gardens really show your TLC and I laud you. I had begun prepping for a mini-hosta garden around an ancient lilac but my plan is delayed until next year. I think kitty stalking your mice is a really "mice" touch and if I use the idea I will name my cat "Tom" and try to find a mini-hosta named Jerry.

Les

Hi Cindy,
Re your offer to 'rescue' my Caramels, I just moved them (again) and I think this will be a good spot. I moved them in front of Sum and Substance (same as yours) and planted a bunch of Brilliance Autumn Fern all around. The ferns are still babies and scraggly, but I think this will be perfect with the heuchera. A row of white impatiens in front - ta dah!
Christine

Moccasin, thanks for the tip. I have 2 Candy Dish on hold at Made In The Shade.
Les, love the kitty idea. I got this one off ebay at Yardbirds Junkyard Metal Animals.