Why? If you want the two colors next to each other, then plant them near each other. I wouldn't plant them together. Just my $.02.

Steve

It is your garden. You should do whatever makes you happy.

One of us do something crazy? Say it isn't so!

Whichever is the more dominant and faster grower of the pair would probably eventually take over and choke out the weaker grower.

i am in the "try it" camp....but I might consider using two hostas that compliment each other more drastically, like something vase shaped coming out of an underplanting of a smaller leafed "ground cover" type hosta...

I started my garden over 10 years ago with bareroot hostas from home depot....12 little eyes per bag. I planted them in sets of 3 across my entire front yard. While immature in the first 2 years, I felt this method of "quick" garden was successful and do think it's a nice option for impatient gardeners like myself.
But, after about the 3rd and 4th year, it became apparent that with the different growth rates some just overpowered the others. Even in the little sets of 3 of same variet planted together, there was usually 1 that just took over, and the others were just weak little underplantings. Eventually I moved out some big ones, and some small ones to make room, as it made sense.

More Recently, I employed this same technique with a wave of elegans...partly because I had so many separate eyes, and not a new place for so many. I have to say that I found the 1st 2-3 years very unsatisfactory...only this year did they finally get large enough that your average person would not distinguish that there are multiple plants...somehow, they never quite "grow together" to make that perfect mound. One eye will overtake the rest....that's what I think may happen for you...and in that regard, it might look nicer to just tuck two hostas in close and let them be bedfellows, as I don't think they will ever meld into "one", as if all were coming from the same center. This fall, I plan to go through those elegans hostas and rescue out the somewhat smaller, or more separated eyes so that they can distinguish themselves and survive.

Keep us posted on the progress! I think it would be fun to have people running experiments like this and report back ever year or two!
Mary

LOL Steve, my DH kind of gave me the same answer, but probably more like "WHY would you WANT TO DO THAT????".

I was looking for a spot to put Beckoning so I did a search on GW Hosta forum and read through all the posts about Beckoning. There was a post regarding an NOID that had a beautiful Beckoning that was growing in full sun (this one put Beckoning on my list). I also read another post regarding many members that didn't like Beckoning so much. Chris at Hallsons even stopped selling it.

So, I went outside to give it a once over and, from the top of the deck, saw the gold leaves of Great Lakes Gold sticking up through Beckoning's leaves. It really caught my eye, hence the idea. All of this at 5:30 in the morning....

They're going in a raised bed with freshly prepared top soil and no tree roots in site. The soil beneath the raised bed hasn't been walked on in 15 years. If they don't do well, it should be easy to pull them apart. It's only a $16.00 experiment, so I won't be out much if I end up getting rid of both of them.

Gesila

Here is a link that might be useful: A post on Beckoning

Gesilla,

I wasn't trying to be facetious, I just didn't know what you were trying to accomplish. If by planting two together you want to create one plant with different leaves, I think that will be very hard (if not impossible) to do. If you want the leaves to be overlapping then just plant them close to each other and that will happen. Wouldn't that give you what you want?

Take a look at this picture of June and Made You Look.

Steve

Steve, thanks for the picture. I took no offense to your post! Actually, it's made me chuckle a couple of times since I read it :)

I actually just got Made You Look in the mail yesterday (don't tell Ken) and was trying to figure out what to pair it with.

Regarding the combining hostas, I guess I'm trying to create the illusion of one plant with different leaves.

Gesila

Plant Hosta Jewel of the Nile, you will have a two tone in no time at all, :0)
cAROL

...or 'Revolution', which could be called 'Revertalution'.

tj

Gesila...
Beckoning has very unique coloring and I don't think its colors are all that complementary to other hosta, so I wouldn't do the whole 'weaving together' look with Beckoning.

You'd have to be careful to not have it look like a mistake. I'd do something very different, like Krossa Regal + Golden Tiara. Or something extremely close, like Krossa Regal + Regal Splendor. So you almost get a "sporting" effect.

Melissa, I was never very good at flower arranging. My kids are all artists. I'll have to let my daughter pick out two that might go together better. I have way too many gold colored hostas to plant right now and want to do something different.

Thanks!

Gesila

I like the effect, might try it myself. Have something like it already with Molly, a Krossa Regal streaked sport, which keeps reverting back to the solid color form.
Ron

i would consider doing it with 2 solids...

but i dont know about beckoning .. since its transitory coloration is so unique.. in and of itself ...

its like putting a fashion model and a rather plain jane together.. and thinking it going to somehow outshine the fashion model alone...

regardless.. whatever pleases you is fine with me ... you asked for opinion ...

ken

Always try something new, experiment, I love it!
How about trying it with 2 reverse forms. Example..Paul's Glory and Peter Ruh.
This could be interesting!

I Did combine two PUDC hostas a couple years ago,but one of them reverted to Pineapple Poll,and soon almost eliminated the PUDC,so I separated them this year and planted PUDC in a chimney flue liner. But here's what I still have going on with another hosta. These are two Kiwi Full Monties,to which I added a third a couple years ago,to form a "drift",because I liked them so much. You can see the third one in the upper left,but it has a ways to go to get to the size of the others. Take a look. Phil

{{gwi:942563}}

They won't grow as one. Years ago as I was moving things around, adding a new space I ended up with a lot of gold standard small divisions. I put them all together in one hole, toward the back of my new area. The following year I went out to find a hosta I could get a hunk off of for sharing. That joint hosta was several living all very close together but they were all forming their own clumb. Very east to pop a whole one out to share... As I look out my back along a string of hosta I have lining my yard I have what looks like two in one. A gold standard with another solid green the same shape leaf. I keep thinking something went wrong in my divisions when creating that border and that I need to dig them up and get them separated. Up close I can see the solid is just way too close to the gold standard. I do sort of like the look. Something different.

Hmmmm....
I love the idea!! I love the selections together! I want to see it the next year or 2 already!! I would like to try it myself- with some other plants though.
My first thought was that I had heard that Beckoning takes a few years till it "colors up". I would worry by separating it down to single eyes ( to get the best effect) may "rejuvenate" it to a juvenile color scheme. And then you are back to waiting a few more years to see the desired result.
I think I might have to disagree a bit with separate eyes all "mashed" together, or even "chunks" not forming a rounded mound. Several times when dividing and replanting hosta I have placed pieces (of the same plant) together to create 1 plant that grows and behaves like a single plant even though it may have been separated down to single eyes. I think the mound form would still work, as long as both will mature into a similar structure.
Gosh- I wish some one would post a pic of just this scenerio they had tried a few years ago.... I do want to see it!

you have my permission.. to do whatever you want ... with your plants ... i am not like your HOA ....

ken

I did this by accident love it!

Depends on health of both plants. Ive merged with and without success. Sometimes thd dominant Hosta wins!!! Good luck.

I think your garden is very personal to you. How you plant, where you plant, the colors and combinations of plants you choose are what you like and want. I remember a year ago when I was designing a full sun garden of perennials and was talking about what I wanted to plant. I remember someone (don’t remember who) made a comment about the colors they did not like in the garden. I remember thinking that would be a lovely combination and that’s what I planted.

Do what you like, and if the 2 hostas together doesn’t work, then you can split them up.

debra

I just saw what I wrote about five yrs ago about my many many potted hosta babies. Ice since moved and dont have as many but the ones who stayed put did very well and a few are lost to the move. I still have a few combos who thrived and some who have one side verses the other. Still trying to find my forever home again, so I truly hope the guys I have and manage to have relocated to a friends yard, (bless her) keep thriving. The dear last year were abominable but ive tried the coffee grounds thing and this year much better. Funny how things change and plants go with the flow and smile with you. Have not had and new planting in 2024, but it go sooo hot soo fast, maybe next year. Any combos are welcome in my book, the greener and bigger the better i say!!!