Wow...great prices and several on my hit list! I can't resist giving 'em a try. I expect the plants must be younger than we see from Hallson, Naylor, MITS, etc?

A shopping I will go...thanks for the heads up! I've been chomping at the bit for a sale or two.

I ordered from GW last summer--some daylilies and a couple of hosta, I think. I know that I got 'Adorable' from them and was pleased with the plant..3 or 4 eyes, IIRC.

The only hitch was that they delayed shipping because of the xtreme heat last summer, completely understandable. So, it did take a while to get the plants. Heck, it was very hot & dry here in central WI last summer and GW is in Missouri. Too well do I remember the blistering heat in the lower Midwest from my years of living in Oklahoma.

Just placed another order with them for 6 different daylilies and two new hosta--Whee! and Blue Mouse Ears.

Another plus is that their shipping & handling charges are very reasonable.

Ci_lantro, your recommendation put me over the edge. I went from "just a few on my wish list" to "what the heck, get a baker's dozen."

I'm especially excited about:

Seducer
Rainforest Sunrise
Rainbow's End (wouldn't have picked it if not for the rave reviews here!)
Kimodo Dragon
Dancing Queen
LS Shore Master
Wishing Well
Regal Supreme
Blue Ivory

I'm also expecting my first Hallson's delivery today, so I fear I'm losing my composure altogether!

Jadie, it sounds like your head will be spinning like mine, when 4 orders arrived in one day. Pandemonium with me potting quickly and sweat dripping off my nose. Went through about 4 big bags of MiracleGro 64 qt mix. A real frenzy.

If one is good, a baker's dozen is so satisfying. Lots of eye candy. to share with your hosta buds on the forum.

Yeah, I bought 10 or 12. I wasn't going to buy anymore this year. I still have some coming this fall from the benefit auction on the hosta library.

I stopped at the nursery yesterday and bought a June Fever. The guy there told me about the "Wilds of Missouri", where he had bought some nice hosta. So, I went online looking for the Wilds of Missouri, which turned out to be the same as Gilbert Wild. There was this sale.............

What can I say? I'm hopelessly addicted.

bk

Crikey, now I'm an enabler, Jadie! Off to a twelve step program for me...

Anyhoo, as to size of the plants I rec'd...both were nice (August Moon was the other hosta besides Adorable)...not Hallson nice but much larger than what I rec'd from MITS a couple of years ago. Haven't ordered from Naylor so can't comment there. Incidentally, I lost both hosta that I ordered from MITS, my first hosta losses ever. I remember being disappointed in the size of their plants given what I paid for them. It was partly my fault but I think a Hallson quality plant would have survived.

To fess up, I almost lost August Moon this summer. Noticed it was a lot smaller than last year so decided to dig it up & investigate....what happened was that I had planted it in a small raised bed where I had dumped spent potting soil two-three years ago...and, you guessed it, the wet cold spring just about did it in with the soil retaining waaaay to much water. I popped another hosta that was potted up in mostly sand in its place and potted AM up and sent it to my plant ER. It's going to pull through but it'll be a couple of years before it catches up. Amending the soil in that bed is on the
TO DO list.

Yeah, we are pretty twisted around here, don't ya think? In 12 step programs, if you've been around a while you become a sponsor to help others escape addiction. In OUR "program," once you've been around awhile you become an enabler to pull others deeper in!

You should get a badge or something. ;)

BKay, you were the strong one, holding out on impulse when all around you were falling by the wayside. GOOD FOR YOU.
A little impulse never hurt anybody. :)

But....did you go for the 100 HOSTA FOR $100?
Good grief, Charley Brown! BK, when you take a tumble, you do it up right! :)

well....ya got me, oh those hosta prices, oh those many daylilies. I know it doesn't sound like much, ordered 3 daylilies and 2 hosta. but then I have Five hosta that I haven't planted yet. and a rose. and..,..
andi

I was being reasonable about choosing a couple of hosta. I made a list of those that interested me and was looking on the HL and myhostas.be trying to make a decision. Then, the DH came by and saw the prices and said just order all of them. So, although it was a little difficult, I did. (Well, you know you have to agree with the mate sometime.)

So, these, that June Fever and those coming from the benefit auction will increase my hosta collection by 30%. But, I have to say I really enjoy my hosta.

So, I have to buy pot feet and pots tomorrow.

bk

That sounds good to me.
Like once upon a time going shopping for baby clothes for the new arrivals.

I would have ordered more but I need a bunch of fragrant ones for a new bed adjacent to the patio...actually, an extension & incorporation of two existing beds and GW just didn't have any fragrants so that kept me reined in. And I needed inexpensive daylilies for a perennial border that is between our yard and the woods on an easement...a defined barrier between the stinging nettle, wild cherry trees & wild raspberries. If you ignore that stuff for very long and you'll not be able to get out the back door before you know it!

Ci....I admire your sticking to a plan to get more fragrant hosta. Believe me, it is worth it to wait and put the money on them. Meanwhile, fill the need with the daylilies and such. Are thistles the same as nettles? Then I have those. Where they came from I have no idea, never saw any before last year. They require serious gloves to deal with them. Don't turn your back is right.

Which fragrants are you looking for, any specifically?

Mocc, stinging nettle is different from thistles; I have some of each but not much of the latter, fortunately. The problem with the stinging nettle is that it looks a whole lot like another weed so ya' gotta' have your glasses on plus those 'serious gloves'!

I went over Savory's website looking for 'very fragrant' hosta to add to what I have. Dan Patch & Grasshopper are on their list but a little pricey at $35 & $25...so I'll wait on those. A couple of very's are Diana Remembered & Flower Power...both inexpensive. And I want an Avocado just cuz (I like shiny and really like Holy Mole grown in enough shade for the variegation to be distinct) and Moonlight Sonata because it's supposed to be beautiful. Ditto on Emerald Charger. And I'm going to order a bunch of Royal Standard because I love that hosta.

Do let me know of any really fragrants ones, beside Mama Plantaginea--I'm not sure that I have enough hot days, hot late days of summer, for it to bloom. I ordered one last year that even had a scape on it but never got it to bloom. :(

But, for now, I'm pretty pooped from getting that perennial border done. And my knee is really acting up from digging so I'll give it a rest for a couple of weeks and then get together my order for fragrant ones.

Where are you going to get the Royal Standard? I've tried twice to get one and HVX reared it's ugly head - first, because it was infected and second time, because it was the same grower that grew #1.

bk

Hmmmm, I got 1 Royal Standard from .Green Mt in 2012

I got 2 Royal Standard from Hornbaker in 2012

and I got my first Royal Standard in 2011 from Bob Seawright in Carlisle MA.

Ci, instead of suggesting how about I just try to upload fragrants and comments to a new thread? The flowers are coming quickly since we have had another bout of showers, and of course got to watch for blight with heat and humidity, always a trial here. But some of the ones which bloomed early, would they be of interest perhaps?

You're right about Moonlight Sonata. It was the first to bloom of the fragrants. And Holly's Dazzler, Ginsu Knife was early plus it is now REBLOOMING. White Knight and Sweetie are in bloom. I have all of Hallson's fragrants. I'm attempting to get as many from Van Wade at Wade Gatton Nurseries as I can. He is like the Library of Congress for Hosta, historically great plus current varieties as well. Then I pay attention to Bob Solberg, because he has some unique ones like Doubled Up, Sugar Babe, Grape Fizz, Sugar Plum, Honey Pie, Catch of the Day (a smaller one), and Cerveza and Mojito both exciting introductions. Many named varieties seem unavailable to ordinary growers like myself. Or, they could no longer exist.

Ones I really really love are Fried Bananas, Old Faithful, Avocado, Holy Mole, Miss Saigon, Ming Treasure (one they have at Savory), Stargate, Irish Luck, Tortilla Chip, Sweet Standard, Sweetie (wide white margin and yellow middle), White Knight. Jade Stone just opened its first bloom, and it is all of 5 inches long--very close to Mama's 6" bloom. I'll have to measure it while I have the chance.

But for now, I am still waiting to check out the actual scent of some of the hosta. Guess I'll get my flashlight and sit out back in the dark garden, nose tuned for a wafting fragrance on the air.

Here is the picture of Jade Stone's first open flower. So lazy that it grew a leaf on the scape to hold it up!

Bkay, I hadn't thought much about where I was going to get Royal Standard...figured that since it's pretty common, I would just tack it onto another order...Green Mountain or Northern Grown Perennials, maybe? Or from Harbor Lane Gardens... I do have two nice clumps of it and another smaller division that I separated off a couple of years ago for a 'spare' so I could do some surgery on what I have but, dang, they're looking so nice that I hate to.

But, wow, you've sure had some rotten luck with your RS. I did not know that HVX had been a problem in RS. You might give Chris (Hallson's) a call and see if he has some. Could be that they have it for sale in the nursery but don't bother to list it on their website?

Mocc, a separate thread would be terrific. I'm really interested in your observations on the fragrants, the early bloomers and fragrance intensity. I don't have an infinite amount of space to dedicate to them...considering the prevailing breeze to open windows, am't of sun available and fenced in area. (When RS was in the front yard, the deer ate the flower buds and didn't touch the leaves!)

Ci, thinking about the length of your growing season being too short for the species plantaginea to bloom for you, I wonder if you have a spot in the sun where it could develop faster. The blooms on it are 6 inches long, the largest and most fragrant of them all. If you have one Mama p. available, could you put it in the sun? They bloom better when they have good light. Not shade.

Of course, 100% light here would be too much. And if you have only ONE Mama, I would suggest potting it up and shading the POT, but letting the leaves bask in the sun. Keep it watered very well too. Even setting the pot on 2x2 wood strips in a regular flower bed would work, and you could fine tune its location until you discovered the perfect place for it.

I have ONE of my eight plantaginea species with a small bud growing on its short scape so far. I am surprised at the number of fragrant flowered hosta which are scaping and budding and flowering as early as they have, since our spring got off to a slower start than last year. I was all set to keep them shaded most of the growing season, and discovered instead that I could expose them to more sunlight. I think that might be the secret to the early flowering in my garden. Very few of them have sunburn.

I'm currently waiting for 3 of my Royal Standards to bloom. They have the scapes, some getting tall. I like them very very much. And I have a Royal Gold, I noticed a budding scape at its heart yesterday. I'm always checking the hearts of my hosta because with high humidity and lots of rain, southern blight can wreak havoc with the garden overnight.

My DH was saying that up in MA, he had few health issues with his garden. He is mostly a veggie farmer, you know. But down here, there are all sorts of maladies which attack his plants, quite keeping him on his toes. I suppose we are an incubator for fast growth and all that comes with it. His tomatos for instance are 7 feet tall and he is waiting for them to fall over where he can tie them to the wires and go again. We're eating a lot of tomato sandwiches these days too. :)

Mocc, I moved Mama to the veggie garden sometime last fall so she's getting a lot of sun now. Her, along with a couple of underperformers--Foxfire Green Lanterns and Invincible...Invincible being one that I rescued from near death. Two years in rescue and it's still a tiny thing but has more eyes, at least. FGG is finally getting going (from tissue culture size two years ago) but Mama never seems very happy here. I don't know what gives but the next thing I'm going to try is potting her up in mostly pine bark. I've given up trying to buy pine bark around here so I'm gonna' go to the woods & scrape some off the trees out there.

Ditto what your DH says about gardening in the south. When I lived in Oklahoma, I had a LOT more problems, esp. with insects, than I have here. Main thing here is that you have to make sure the soil drains really good because we can gets weeks of rain & cool/ cold in the midst of the growing season. So you have to be really careful with mulch, esp. around things like beans.

So, un-hijacking the thread here... :)

Bk, have you received your order? I'm glad they didn't ship mine on Monday as scheduled, because the near-100 weather this week would probably make for parboiled hostas! Anyway, I'm getting curious to see what kind of plants to expect out of the bargain bin...

Jadie, I rec'd my order from GW yesterday...

First off, a huge mea culpa...The hosta plants that I ordered last year that I was sure came from GW...well I was wrong. Something I discovered 3-4 days ago when the old invoice floated to the top of the stuff in a desk drawer...in fact, Adorable & August Moon came from Homestead Farms...also in Missouri...so that's how I confused them. I did order from GW also but that was only daylilies.

Anyway, I was disappointed, sorta', in the two hostas that I rec'd. Blue Mouse Ears ($5), esp., was very small...only three leaves & obviously what you would call a liner. Whee ($7.50) was a lot better plant but one eye...prolly what they call a 'market ready' plant in the liner-world lingo.

BME was my first order for a mini so possibly I had unwarranted expectations.

I will say that the hostas were very well packaged and shipped in a pot w/ growing media, arrived in pristine condition, and I don't expect them to have a set-back from the journey.

Now, the daylilies were very nice. I was expecting single fans at that price. In fact, GW shipped double fans. So I was extremely pleased with the daylilies. (The leaves on the daylilies had been cut back and the remainders are yellowed but that's to be expected w/ DL ordered this time of year. They're soaking & will get them in dirt today or tomorrow.)

I also rec'd. a bonus daylily and, for some unknown reason, a credit of $6.50, applicable to my next order.

So, I'm offering a huge apology for my mistake and overstating the size of the hostas to be expected. Until I get my record-keeping in order, I need to just keep my big mouth shut. I know a bunch of you are going to be really P'O'd with me and I don't blame you. I feel just awful for making that mistake. Usually, my mistakes only impact me. I really, really hate it when my goofs affect other folks.

Ci

Ah, come on, Ci, no mea culpa needed! I did my homework and read reviews, so I knew what I was getting into!

If nothing else, this will be my practice round...I can commit all my rookie mistakes on a $4 plant! ;)

No, my order did not go through. I called them yesterday and they didn't have the order. I placed it again, and I decided to wait until October for delivery.

The first hosta I ordered from GW, about 4 years ago was field grown and were generous, multi-eyed plants, although they were old varieties. The plants I ordered the next year were grown in pots and were small, but comparable to what I've received from In the Country, Jim's and the last order I received from Avalon Acres. This is my first order since then.

I think they are growing all named varieties in pots now. The older varieties are now sold in the "25 plants for $X.00" promotion.

That's all I know - wish I had more information for you.

bk

Jadie, I have to tell you that I am relieved to know that you're not upset. And I know what you mean about making rookie mistakes on inexpensive hostas. Heck, when I started wanting to expand my hosta garden, I messed around with liners. With pretty good success, too. Those are in their third summer and starting to give me a glimpse of how they'll look when they grow up. Liners are not for the impatient &, even with patience, it helps a whole lot to be adding more mature ones along the way to keep you distracted!

Bkay--thank you for your input...I've not ordered from any of the three vendors that you listed. Helps to give me an idea of what to expect from them. Especially Jim's since he has a couple that I'm really wanting & can't find elsewhere.

That's the only time I would order from Jim's - if I really want it and can't get it elsewhere.

bk

My hosta were shipped from G.H. Wild the last week of September. They were awful. Mostly, they were liners. Not all were healthy. I complained and they replaced them. The replacements were healthier looking, but still liners. I thought I should report.

I will not order hosta from them ever again, even if my nurseryman says he got some great ones. I think there must have been some kind of mix up or legal thing. My nurseryman said "The Wilds of Missouri", which doesn't exist. It forwards to G.H. Wild and sons website.

bk

This is the worst hosta. It is Komodo Dragon. It was $10.

On the positive side, the packaging was excellent. Everything arrived in the same condition it was shipped. It shipped as scheduled.

This was the best hosta I received. And the same as the last time I bought from them, the smaller the price, the better the hosta. The exception to that was Honeybells which had root rot.

bk

This is Regal Supreme. It was $4.50

Aw, BKay, that is a tiny little thing for ten bucks. Even though the roots look okay, and it might grow nicely for you next year, still, that has to be disappointing.

At this point in my life, I don't have time to wait while tiny plants play catch-up.....I'm going for the biggest or most mature that I can find. Tried and true, not necessarily new introductions.

They had chopped off the roots! I can understand cutting the leaves, but the roots?

I really don't expect all of those liners to make it to spring. I'm not sure I care. It will be at least 5 years until they make nice pots.

Cleo got that Komodo Dragon already. It was so small, I couldn't even find where she left it. Interesting, since that's the only hosta she's bothered since spring.

I'm with you on as mature as I can find. Life is too short.

I've been getting some really nice sized plants locally the last year or so. That's how I ended up with the Royal Standard with HVX. It was a really full, 3 gallon pot - really pretty, too. It was grown locally, in Seagoville, which is almost a suburb of Dallas

Some of the 3 gallon pots I've picked up locally are gorgeous, but they came from out of state. They are Monrovia, Green Leaf and Blew Perennials stock. We know that Monrovia and Green Leaf occasionally have HVX. So, I'm watching them closely. I tested a couple of them, but decided to just wait and see on the others.

The nursery guy who recommended the Wilds of Missouri is carrying Walter's stock, so I've picked up several there as well. They're just 1 gallon, but you can see what you're buying.

On the positive side, I just received some great classic hosta from Green Mountain last week. They were already dormant, but had huge root systems. With the same idea, I bought two of each, so that they would fill the pot sooner.

I'm glad that worked out so well, as my last three or four mail orders have not been so great.

bk

bkay, are you still looking for Royal Standard without HVX? I have lots of large plants that came with the house, so I know they been here for years. I can always send you a few next spring for postage.

Actually when getting a small plant in the mail when you only pay $4 or $10 is understandable. $4 is probably the cost of handling for them. You got what you pay for. I remember buying hostas for $15 to 19 from a general nursery years ago and plants were small and stayed small forever, that's bad. I would stay with established internet nurseries like Hallsons, Naylor, LOTG, recently local Glenbrook, had good success with them, and with well established local nurseries where you can see what you buy.
The best buys I had were $1 pots of hostas and perennials at a local nursery in November many years ago, like 30 pots in one run. Bernd

Bernd, in this case, I don't think I got what I paid for. The hosta was supposed to be on sale. According to their advertisement that $10.00 Komodo Dragon was a $15.00 hosta that they wanted to move out to make room for next year's stock. In no one's estimation was that hosta a $15.00 hosta. I wouldn't have bought it for $3.00 had I seen it. Hostas Direct was less expensive had I wanted liners. Ebay has Humpback Whale liners listed for $4.99. I paid $15.00 from GHW for a Humpback Whale liner.

The problem is, they didn't tell you they were selling liners. Hosta growers generally tell you that.

bk

This post was edited by bkay2000 on Wed, Oct 16, 13 at 12:40

Eleven, thanks. I just got two from Green Mountain. They had really nice fat roots.

I appreciate your offer, though.

bk

I agree, Bk, the real issue is that they sold liners (at liner prices) as if they were regular stock "on sale." I also ordered KD, and I must say, mine was quite a bit bigger than the one you received, though still not too far from the starter plug phase. The only one so small I had to laugh at was Blue Ivory. It came loose from the little pot because it was so tiny. It had maybe three leaves. I hear its a verrrry slow grower, so I'll try to ignore it for a few years.

Rainforest Sunrise and June Fever both came as three tiny eyes. My favorites are Rainbows End, Maui Buttercups, and LS Shoremaster. They've all put on a lot of growth.

I had low expectations, so I was okay with what I received. I even placed a second order with GHWild for Irish Luck, Key West, and a few peonies. For the most part, though, I will stick with Hallson, Naylor, and Green Mtn!

BKay, I also ordered two 'Royal Standard' from Green Mountain at the start of the season and planted them together, and WOW from what grew this year, I'll be having a nice large clump in no time.

Glad you had a good experience with Green Mountain. You've been burned on numerous occasions by crappy mail-order D*Bags, I know. I bought about 70 different varieties from them this season, and only one hasn't done well. 'Aphrodite' (I know, what a shocker, right?) Along with Hallson Gardens, it's a source I will continue to get plants from in the future. (Every single plant I have from Hallson Gardens is doing very well).

Cheers,
Don B.

This post was edited by Don_in_Colorado on Wed, Oct 16, 13 at 21:17

Another very good source of mature hosta divisions is Northern Grown Perennials. I placed my first order with them late this summer and was very pleased with the plants. Prices are very reasonable, comparable to Green Mountain. Shipping is a little more expensive, it seemed but you do get a bonus plant from NGP. (You provide of list of bonus plant 'suggestions'.) I rec'd. Love Pat as a bonus and it was HUGE.

NGP gets mentioned here every once in a while but prolly not often enough, given the quality of the plants I rec'd. (Order process isn't as slick as other sites, though but, IMO, it's well worth the xtra bit of hassle.

One more source that I discovered this year is Bird Song Farm--they have a store on eBay and also a web site. The web site isn't active right now but will be in early Nov, according to info at the site. There are several different 'Bird Song' websites....you want the one that is located in Wisconsin. (No, I don't know them--just a happy customer.) (search for "Bird Song Farm Wisconsin eBay") Oh, and check back for hostas to be on sale, usually over the weekend.

The hostas that I rec'd from them (Brother Stefan and Praying Hands) were what I would call advanced starters...I was satisfied with the size vs the price. Less satisfied with the clematis but the daylily (Elegant Candy) was terrific. (The clematis were the same size that you get from Donahue's.)

Don't expect monster hosta plants but quality advanced starters. I always have a long list of hostas that I want and feel that I need to compromise with smaller plants sometimes to stretch the hosta dollar. (Shipping costs are reasonable, esp. if you're buying more than one item.)

http://www.birdsongplants.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: Northern Grown Perennials

Just talked myself into Dancing Queen and Seducer after seeing the sale prices today. I know they will be small but I will just pot them up in some nice compost this year and hopefully they will rebound nicely. I couldn't resist after seeing the recent DQ pics on here...

As far as I know, they sell clean stock. Enjoy your new plants!

bk

Bkay, any hint of sarcasm in that last part? ;) Truly though...this source is certainly for those with more patience than money. As in, if you only want to pay for liners but don't have a coop to split a flat with.

I bought both Dancing Queen and Seducer last year. Fine for the money, but I saw 'Seducer' at a GC today and I don't think I can wait for mine to fill out and look that GOOD! I'll end up buying it, I'm sure.

Jadie88,
How many pips does each have this year? Do you have your DQ in morning sun or afternoon for best coloration? I figure with potting it up this year, I can move it around to test different conditions and color combos once all the established plants leaf out and get going. Where in MD are you? I live right over the PA line, about 5 mins from Emmitsburg in Frederick co. In case you want to take a small road trip, check out Hosta Hideaway in York Springs PA. Went there last year and they have some great plants. I posted on it last year.
Amy

Hi Amy! Yes, I went to Hosta Hideaway last year, too...I could wander there for hours! Quite the hidden gem. A little day trip up that way is in the works for sure. I'm in Timonium, Baltimore County. There are quite a few others in our area here on the forum, were in good company! :)

Seducer is coming up with two pips...one smallish and the other tiny, but definitely bigger than last year. Dancing Queen is one larger pip. I put them in full morning sun/dappled afternoon sun last season in an attempt to give them as much energy to grow on as possible. I have a window box that I put all my liners in...each is also in its own little pot inside the larger planter.