Oh what a beauty!! Looks like every leaf is just perfect.

And how long before I can expect my 3 year old plant to look like that?
Linda C

That may be the most beautiful hosta pic I've ever seen

VERY impressive! I can't wait till my 'June' grows up to be just like yours!

janice

I had NO idea it got that big and beautiful! I might actually start to like mine now. :)

How old is it?

Just gorgeous! What, if anything, do you do for this, other than water? There must be some secret, it looks totally perfect.

Wow!! That's beautiful! How old is the plant?

Deanna

..."most beautiful pic ever"?!? Oh my goodness are you guys kind!! thank you

Its age? Well, looking back thru my photo albums, it looks like I planted it in 2003, and it was already a pretty nice specimen at the time of planting, not one of those tiny one-eyed bare root deals....

So, I dunno, maybe 7 years old or so?

And special treatment? I just admire it every year, and praise it for its enthusiasm and beauty. I guess that's what they call "talking to your plants"! LOL

Wow, just stunning!

i am jealous .. that says a lot... ken

Send that picture to the Hosta Library.
What a fine example of June. That is lovely.

OMG, I have got to move my June to a better spot, I garden in very bad conditions and some areas are better than others. That is outright stunning and I'm just too ticked off at you for having it, I am so green with envy I can't see straight, lol. And to top it off, to me that is a true June. I have two, one is more yellow, the other is the same color as yours, I much prefer that coloration and have often wondered which is correct, your pic leaves no doubt in my mind.

Have you considered submiting that pic to the hosta library? If not, please do.

P.S. BEAUTIFUL setting. Love the rocks and ferns, they really showcase that beauty queen.

And I thought your Jewel of the Nile photo was a show stopper!
My oh my....Just breath taking!

What is in the soil, sun and water in Piedmont? Can you bottle some of it and send it my way? Better yet, bottle some and make a small fortune!

Keep those photos coming! They are truly inspiring.

Any idea how old your June is...to reach 5 feet?
A fantastic photo.

Papou

Outstanding!!!!!!!!! Great growing!

I had no idea June could get THAT BIG!! What a picture. Perfect, just perfect.
Mary

Wow...so beautiful! I am a newbie to hostas, but I had no idea June was that dark green. I got one this spring, and it is lovely -- and even getting ready to bloom -- but it is more yellow/green. It gets morning sun, and I have to admit the sun is pretty intense here in zone 7b. I wonder if I should move it to more shade??? I had to move my Sun Power a few feet to get less morning sun as it was turning so pale. It's very happy now. Any thoughts on this?

I agree with Choc, that photo needs to go to the Hosta Library.

What a stunner!

What is the hosta behind June and what conditions does she get (june that is).....sun, shade, water, etc

thanks
wild

There is nothing I can add that hasn't already been said.. . but I have to say it anyway! That is one GORGEOUS hosta!

How many hours of sun does it get per day?

Did you amend your soil, or is it planted in NC red clay?

Deanna

I think I have to agree with Puckhog, that may be the most beautiful hosta pic I've ever seen too.
Tell us how much sun/shade does it get?

I told my June this morning about all the attention and praise she's getting (afterall, all I did was point a camera at her and post the photo here) and she wanted me to tell you all "thanks" LOL!

Now, let's see if I can answer all those questions....

Sure, I'll submit it to the library, but I didn't know they were taking submissions. Do they really want our photos? (whoever "they" are, lol) I could certainly give them others if they want, too. I see no link on the site that says "donate your photos here"....

Regarding coloration and sun exposure. I agree that there seem to be several variants of June available for sale, but the appearance of all of them are very sensitive to amount of sun exposure. I have a split of this one that grew in full shade for a while, and by the end of summer looked almost like Halcyon! But even with some sun, this one has almost no yellow in it at all. The one in this photo gets only filtered sun, maybe a little early morning direct sun at best.

The cupped blue behind it is Love Pat, and to the right is Regal Splendor.

I do not amend the soil, except to dig a reasonable hole and put in top soil when I first plant them. Otherwise, it is indeed red clay. Next door the old house is undergoing extensive renovation (big dig!) - I should post a photo of the big bright orange dirt piles!

I do not fertilize or otherwise fiddle with them. I have automatic overhead irrigation that I adjust to the lawn's needs, and the hosta seem satisfied with that.

thanks again for all the comments!

Kines,that is probably the best June,I've ever seen! You must have not been in the freeze zone that I had. My pathetic little June froze right to the ground,and has come back up,but it is very tiny,compared to what was originally coming up before the freze. Congrats of such a great plant! Phil

Actually, freak (may I call you freak? tee hee) I did get significant damage to some plants, with my Jap Maples taking a huge hit. This June must have been one of the hostas that I put a cardboard box over, but I don't remember for sure. I have a couple of hostas, Montana Aureomarginata, and Plantagenea, for example, that were nearly completely destroyed.

Your June could grace the cover of the Hosta Journal. It's so gorgeous!

OK I took a photo of the red dirt next door, but I'm just now getting around to posting it. Sorry.

P.S. Notice how I made sure to get a hosta into the shot to keep the photo on topic.... LOL

Anyhow, now you can see what we're growing our hostas in around these parts!

{{gwi:1043574}}

Can't count the times I've said that hosta grow in red clay and grow well.

It's all been said, but I'll add my 2 bits to say, it's a June to aspire to and lust after.

As for NC red clay - you're lucky to have it, it's the result of extremely deep weathering of the Appalachian granites (which have loads of potassium & other elements all organic creatures crave) - in fact tropical rainforests thrive on this type of stuff. Lucky you! all we have is a thin veneer of barely weathered glacial till up here - 10 teeny thousand years is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I can just imagine how deeply your hostas' root systems freely roam.

Digs, finally someone understands, add organic matter to the surface and the plant organisms will break up the clay and deliver all the rest of what the plant needs.

One more for the "That is an absolutely beautiful June" club.
I just love it.

June

Gorgeous! If most of us didn't already have June, we would be searching for one!(Like we did when your JOTN photo was posted!)

Kines,I have the exact same red clay you have,in fact that's all there is here in western NC! I can attest to how well things grow in it. My soil,however,has been amended by falling leaves for eons,since I live in the woods. It doesn't even look red here,more of a brown,but boy do plants love it! Again, congrats on such a terrific hosta June!! I'm looking forward to a more "normal" spring next year,when all my hosta can return to their former glory! Phil

Well....now I know what the person who first dyed shredded wood that color for mulch was thinking! LOL!
Amazing! I remember when a friend from Missouri first moved here....it was winter and we drove to "The City" passing fallow fields on the way....she remarked.."I never understand why Iowans burn off their fields after harvest!!" LOL! Iowa soil is black.
Fabulous hosta and great picture.....wonder if red clay is a must for that wonderful size?
Linda C