Janice,

Don't have any of these but going on photos and descriptions alone, I would have to go with Emerald Ruff Cut and Mississippi Delta.

Becky

Rainforest Sunrise has been on my "list" for a long time so I would choose that and Titanic. It has been pointed out to me that I have way too much grass, so I need a big one like Titanic to take up some space! (but that is just me LOLOLOL!)

Alexa

Rainforest Sunrise hands down! I'd get two!

Deb

I third Rainforest Sunrise ~ I love mine!

Rainforest Sunrise and Emerald Ruff Cut. I have these two but don't have the other two.

You will love Rainforest Sunrise. I got a TC of Emerald Ruff Cut last year, so I can't report on that one yet. But I've seen some gorgeous pics.

Janice I bought a 1 yr Emerald Ruff Cut tc last year too, its up and looking good...pretty hardy. I love it even though its a small plant. Don't have any of the others. Oh, and if you're running out of space, Titanic is probably not what you'd want, it gets huge.

BTW, I love MM, it is different. Its not a big plant. I got a division of OS last year and its doing really well for me so far this year.

Donna

Boooohoo!

My Rainforest Sunrise that I just got from the Hosta Patch snapped off at the base..it looks like crown rot. I'm SO sad! I've asked Tom for a replacement.

Char

Janice,

For me it would be:

Emerald Ruff Cut & Marilyn Monroe. Both of these I would rate high above the others.

Kent

PS I have all but Mssippi Delta.

Kent, You're not slipping by me with you're lame Mississippi spelling LOL. You Need to get Mississippi Delta, if you have the room. I look at mine and know exactly why it's named. The top of the petiole throughout the base of the leaf looks just like a delta, so it is a "different" big blue.

Otherwise, I would get all 4, and be done with it. If it has to be 2, Marilyn Monroe and Emerald Ruff Cut, as Kent said.
Rox

Boy did I butcher that one LOL!!!!

Kent

Emerald Ruff Cut has my vote - EMPHATICALLY - I saw it in a garden last season, and fell in love with it! So I picked up a single eye plant soon thereafter, and dug it into the ground for the winter still potted, thinking this'll save it some stress come spring. Well, that one-eyed baby came up with 10 eyes this spring!

Of the others, well, I have Rainforest Sunrise, it's very pretty but not at all a fast grower (3 years running: 2,2,2 eyes). As I have loads of room for a biggie, I'd love to try Titanic. A plain green one just won't do the trick next to my giant rhubarb plant!

Who are you trying to kid Janice - you know you'll probably end up with all of them :) Go for it!!!
As I don't have any of them, I went to the Hosta Library to check them out, very nice - I especially like Emerald Ruff Cut - gorgeous(I'll be looking for that one myself). :( While I was looking for Rainforest Sunrise, I clicked on Rain Forest - check it out - it's gorgeous too (apparently hard to find in the trades but I'll be looking for that one too)

Soooo, you've enabled me to choose two more for my wish list LOL

June

I'm so happy...Tom from Hosta Patch emailed me that another Rainforest Sunrise is "ON THE WAY"! (to replace the one that I lost to crown rot)

Char

I agree with Rainforest Sunrise. It is a great plant.

Okay ya'll, it sounds like Rainforest Sunrise is a shoo-in and a must have! And, just when
I thought I had rationalized "MM" away--Donna and Kent had to put her back into the running!!!! :)

I do love the pics. of Emerald Ruff Cut---sigh!!! So many hosta, so little money and
so little land! LOL

I am sacrifcing grass like crazy these days, partly to fight the frustration of the losses
of Spring (angry at myself)! But, in reality, I really don't have room for "planting"
in-ground the number that I did lose! At least not where you can easily view them! I do have
two areas of our yard that have lattice fencing, shorter and taller that could accomodate
more hosta, but then, if you have to roam all over the place to see them more easily,
I think, for me, it may be "over the top" to collect that many more! Of course, isn't
the point of any "obsession" is being "over the top"? LOL

BTW--There have been "hosta-angels" out there, who have offered to help me "get back" some of
the ones I have lost! Thank you SO VERY MUCH, but please know that I do have lotsa hosta
left, so don't feel too sorry for me! I shouldn't have spent the money I did, in accruing
the ridiculou numbers of hosta I did! I'm trying to keep that in mind, and yet-----here I am,
slobbering over the ones I'm asking your opinions about!

I NEED "PROFESSIONAL" HELP! I'm suspecting our daughters are already planning an "intervention"!!!

janice

P.S. Don't you just love hosta folk!!!! No wonder they call it the "friendship" plant!

Oh, and the next HNSA ("Hostaholics Not So Anonymous") meeting will be at my house next
Tuesday evening! Come bring a hosta of "choice" and a friend, you hope to infect!
"Ken" will be opening with a word of "enabling" and there will be an open-mike for testimonials! ;o)

STOP WITH THE WONDERFUL NEW INTRODUCTIONS OF HOSTA!!!!!

I want them all and it's not possible 'cause my garden is filled with all the old favorites from the 80's, 90's and early 2000's.

No room for the 1500 of son Ken! (He is sharing one with his new Mama though!)

Enjoy all your new babies and I will continue to have to look each new name up in the Hosta Library and wipe the druel from my chin as I sit opened mouthed looking at the new beauties that are out there.

Connie

Hey Janice, went out last night to peruse my hostas and I've got to tell you that you're really missing out if you don't at least get ERC. It is a looker, stands out in the crowd. I'd post a pic, but the camera battery died completely and I have to find someplace to buy a new one. Oh, and MM, sigh I just love that hosta. I'm a sucker for that form...its similar to Candy Dish (which I love most of all) and Warwick Ballerina. They are all differ enough to tell them apart, they have a feminine quality and I love them.

I'd pick Emerald Ruff Cut and then I'd go for Marilyn Monroe. If you need another biggie get Titanic.

Thanks again, all you "holics"!! I'm just going to have to toss a coin when I get to the sale, I guess!

I think I will really try to get the "Titanic" for sure, because my large barrel of "Sum of All"
is just pathetic after the "fake-out" Spring we had. I didn't lose it or count it in my losses
but it sure looks bad. I'm thinking to replace SOA with "Titanic", since it is thought to
be the best of the sports of S&S! Of course, I will divide it to be sure I have some of it if we
have another premature Spring in the next few years. I do have a spot in a raised bed around
our deck that will accomodate it, since removing one of my "Francee" and putting "Gunsmoke"
in another location!

Thank you all, for your great advice! It's hopeless isn't it--there will never be many hosta we
will be able to pass up if we have the wherewithal to acquire them!!!

janice

Hi Janice,
I don't have Mississippi Delta or Titanic, but I do have Emerald Ruff Cut and I just recently purchased Rainforest Sunrise. I love them both. ERC was a tiny, 1-eyed tissue culture that I got from a tissue culture class at hosta college last year, and it has grown much faster than I expected it to. I can't speak for the qualities of Rainforest Sunrise since I just got it, but I love it's coloring, it really stands out in the garden. Plus, it's somewhat small, and (like you) I'm running out of room, so I am trying to lean more towards the smaller varieties now.

Buff

Emerald Ruff Cut, in a small plastic cup, when I brought it home from hosta college last spring, 2006

Emerald Ruff Cut 16 May 07, still a young plant, but about 4 eyes came up this year (I love those ripply leaves!!)

Rainforest Sunrise 16 May 07

Okay, it looks like the votes are as follows:

Emerald Ruff Cut 10
Rainforest Sunrise 5
Titanic 3
Marilyn Monroe 4
Mississippi Delta 1

Let's see what I come back!

janice

So Janice, which ones did you end up getting?? Let's see some pics too :-)

Buff

So where were you, Buff? You didn't let "work" get in the way of a trip to the sale, did you?
They are getting another shipment in tomorrow, so there could be some left for you before
I go back to pick up "Titanic"! :o)LOL

Okay, here's what I got from the proposed list, no pics yet--but I'll try to work on that tomorrow:

"Rainforest Sunrise"
"Emerald Ruff Cut"
"Marilyn Monroe"--only two eyes though--:(
and I'll go back for "Titanic"

I passed on "Mississippi Delta" from the list!

There were some very nice choices this year--better hurry, Dave, Poppi and of course "Buff & Co."!! :)

janice

Way to go, Janice!! Great choices! I see you were able to choose more than two, awesome! No, I didn't make it over to the sale yet, but maybe I can talk hubby into going there today after work... I am thinking of calling first to see if they got their new shipment in yet, like you said... Yay! How I love a good hosta sale, it makes me so happy :-)

Buff

That's terrific Janice! I look forward to your pics. And don't worry about the two eyed MM, that will grow into a beautiful plant!

Donna