Right this minute I am loving Striptease and Stained Glass (I moved them into more sun and how they are rewarding me). I also am noticing my Night Before Christmas, Paradgym, Paul's Glory, June, Pandora's Box, St. Paul, Blue Cadets, Crispula, Krossa Regals, and M Aureomarginata. My Fair Maiden has been a bust all summer, and I have a number of H that attract far too many slugs to the point that I am going to trade them in next year for H that are less slug prone. Loyalist and Stetson are the worst! Mary

backyard digger...I suggest that your hosta all need more water.
Currently Strip tease looks great..( but I am afraid to brag!) as does squash casserole, Dick Ward and yellow splash rim...an unassuming little hosta that really looks good now.
Queen Josephine looks ratty as does a Wide Brim....never does adjust to all the sun I want it to grow in.
Bobby Sue is a surprise this year. It was just another yellow edged hosta, but this year, it's 3rd it has really gone wild...big leaves, lovely habit and the one in the sun and that in the shade are lovely.
Christmas tree and Night Before Christmas still aren't showing me much, nor is Abqua Drinking Gourd.
But old favorites like August Moon and September Sun are looking better than good....as is Antioch and Royal standard....and Krossa Regal! What a hosta!
Linda C

I'm at the bottom of the totum pole when it comes to the number of hosta(S) that I have. I only have about 70 different kinds. It doesnt seem like that many when I look at the yard, but when I get the Pencil and paper out and start to write all of the names down, I guess that I do have that few (only 70) not like 300 + which is probably about a norm for a total hosta freak (LOL)! making a list of the best is not easy. Some grow slower than I would like them too, but get bigger every year. Sorry I think that I am rambling here. okay here goes

Paul's glory always looks great!!

Sum & Substance getting bigger every year but could use more sun

blue dimples is showing some varigation on the edge that you can only see when you get really close. and the plant is never blue this time of year, it gets too much sun for a blue

Rich Uncle VERY nice gold color with only morning sun

Gold Standard is in very dappled shade and the color is fantasic!!

Inniswood always looking like it should

orange marmalade still just over a foot wide and not as tall but i love the color

Crusader (if i have the correct name for that hosta) is finally looking like it should!!

Fire and Ice could be bigger....................................................,,,

Soory I had to get out the flash light and go check the yard!!

Love Pat really like the shape of that one

Green Gold Looking almost pristine!!

Oreo Margaritta.. MMmmm getting bigger and tasting betting to my eyes every year!

and so are the umteen coleous (that I start from cuttings over winter)
and the caladium
and the 5 different types of elephant ears
and the castor bean (about 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide. at least)
and the dragon wing begonias
and the persian shield really like the purple and silver combo
oh and the marigolds are looking so fantastic right now
and my red bud grew about another 4 feet this year!!
and the mona lavenders are just starting to put up there flower buds
and and
and and!!

BUT my lawn looks like crap 'cause i just had a grad party last weekend and it got pretty well trampled!! DARN!!

Yes I do water about every other day, some plants get water every day.

I always thought that august would be the best month for a garden tour, not like early june (when not everything is planted and looking their best!)and most of everything would be hidden behind the garage(the "no tour area")

Oops I'm sorry I forgot what the question was? am I still in the fuschia or the tomaTOE forum? did I mention that the fuschia look great this time of year. his name is something like 'Gartenmaster Bonstadt" love that little guy!!

LOL (and this thread took a while to put together and now look what you've done!!! MY BEER IS WARM!!!!!!!!aaarrrrrrggghhhh!! and now the cat is crying!!)

Paul

Paul,
NO WAY are you at the bottom! I have a whole 12! Thats not counting the hoscrapta a.k.a. slug food someone "lovingly" gave to me. My space for Hosta is very limited, I have room for 3-maybe 4 more if I select the right ones. And I agree on the tour thing. In my town its too early for me, everything I have blooms in august.

Paul--again, you crack me up!!

I've already enumerated several my favorites 'this year' in several other threads
but here they are, again, all in first place---LOL:

Dick Ward (before grandson attack with 'Deep Woods Off')
Jewel of the Nile
Sun Power
Cutting Edge
Liberty
Jimmy Crack Corn

P.S. Paul--you must give me some lessons on coleus cuttings over-winter--I'm not very
successful at it--probably because I don't have a good sunny spot, inside!!!

Paul, You are way too funny--love your posts. I have never seen Green Gold posted on this forum before (it must not be a big fave), but I love that plant. I also have that Gartenmeister--a real jewel. Since most of your plants are shade plants (I think), have you discovered Alternanthera Partytime? It is a spreading shade plant with red leaves (honest), and it is striking growing among H. as well as adding a rich color in the shade. Mary

So many are wonderful, but a few stand out as particularly problematic.

Scooter - starting to look like lace. Does anyone grow this one successfully? It's so pretty in the spring.

Fair Maiden - Was absolutely beautiful the first half of summer, but burns out by this time.

Pineapple Upsidedown Cake - Burned and tattered. I think it needs less sun. It gets about 3-4 hours late morning and noon.

Grand Tiara - Went into early dormancy last year, its first in my garden. Looks like its headed that way again. Gets plenty of water.

Blue Cadet - Its first year with me. Looks like early dormancy on this one too.

I'll start with the hostas that I turfed from the garden in past few years.

Cherry Berry - slug magnet, glacially slow grower
Cascades -- even slower grower than Cherry Berry but a better plant so it lasted a couple years longer
Lakeside Kaleidoscope -- great plant for a long time but drawstrings during drought
Dust Devil -- same as L. Kaleidoscope
Blue Angel -- couldn't find enough shade in my garden for it

Best plants in garden now

Sagae
Blue Mammoth
Spring Fling
Paul's Glory
Ebb Tide
Frosted Dimples
Yin
Sunny Disposition
Queen of the Seas
Fragrant Blue
Striptease
Fried Bananas
Daybreak
Paradise Power
Grand Slam
Reptilian
Permanent Wave
Orange Marmalade
Glory
Night Before Christmas
Island Fantasy
Halcyon

Doing well in their pots are:
Liberty
Blue Mouse Ears
Lakeside Neat Petite
Toy Soldier
Fireworks
June
Looking Pretty

I know I'm missing a bunch but that's all I can remember off the top of my head.

I am surprised that I have any that look good. The average temperature for July here was 100 degrees, and early August was even worse with temps of 107. Thank God we FINALLY got some cooler weather and rain!! This made it to the top five list of hot summers. What a change from 07.
Here are some that still look good:
Millenium looks great
Spritzer
War Paint
Golden Sculpture
Queen Josephine
Flower Power
Yellow River
Leading Lady
Kiwi Full Monty
Blue Mouse Ears
Gypsy Rose
Devon Green
Alligator Shoes
Mount Everest
Dee's Golden Jewel
Polar Moon
Frosted Jade
Pineapple Poll
Guardian Angel and Blue Angel are still holding up.
Almost all of my ones with substance lost color at the leaf edges, and many with thinner leaves burned and curled.
I took a walk this morning, and all things considered, it looks pretty good.
The ones that have really suffered:
Paul's Glory was beautiful until the 107 temps. Now the leaves are curled.
June is pale from the heat.
All the Fragrant Bouquet family have a yellow leaf here and there.
My Sum and Substance and sports are all kind of ratty.
Moonlight Sonata is ready to go dormant.
I am ready for fall.

"and I have a number of H that attract far too many slugs to the point that I am going to trade them in next year for H that are less slug prone. Loyalist and Stetson are the worst!" Mary

Forget getting rid of those plants, get ammonia and treat the soil around the plant then you don't have to worry about slugs. Those plants do not attract slugs although they may suffer more, if you don't treat for slugs they will increase then your list of H to get rid of will increase!

It was just another yellow edged hosta, but this year, it's 3rd it has really gone wild...big leaves, lovely habit and the one in the sun and that in the shade are lovely."
Linda

The 1st year they sleep............this is a rule!

No judgment should be made until a Hosta has been in the soil for 3 years.

EO---good advice as usual. I had tried spraying 10% ammonia on the plants, but I couldn't see any positive results. You're talking about treating the ground. Can you share the procedure for that? Thanks. Mary

EO---good advice as usual. I had tried spraying 10% ammonia on the plants, but I couldn't see any positive results. You're talking about treating the ground. Can you share the procedure for that?" Thanks. Mary

Not to discount your question but as it works out the answer is simple. During the day the slugs find some spot below the plant to hide. Saturate the soil with the ammonia treatment and the flow of the liquid will find them. Ammonia is a contact killer, not to worry about the effect on the plants, the soil will buffer the ammonia quickly and you will have a small charge of nitrogen.

Actually no point in spraying the plants unless the slug is there then spray it, now go out at night with a light and lift ALL your leaves and find the slugs and spray them, remember I said lift All the leaves and check between the petioles and on the bloom stalks AND look carefully because the small ones are hard to see then do that every 7-10 days.

That process was about as long a the last sentence. Or, saturate the ground while your drink is cooling.