Sandy, mine had big leaves like that too when unfurling. Lovely.

Popmama, that is a nice size for one year. Looking good!

Don, Babka, & Junkie, sorry for your losses. I have certain ones that I really struggle to grow as well. I'm sure sometimes it is just your geography.

Mine is just one pip, new last year and starting to unfurl. It was first to pip this spring ja it made me very happy. I hope I can keep it alive.

Saija

Mine is about the same, Saija. I had to move the groundcover aside to locate this one. The other one has an extra pip somewhere ...

Josephine: you have many pips and one is big, vau. How old they are? I hope mine has some day many pips, it's so beautiful.

I appreciate all the tips to keeping this plant looking great. This is my first year having GE taking lots of notes.

These ones are in year three here but I lost older one because I moved it! :(. Hates being disturbed! Boo boo by me :(

Saija it will grow a bit faster (multiply) in more sun. I am going to move them to be together across the yard. A couple of years ago I had it in this place where it got sun till 2:30 and it was very happy. back they go. Moving them when they are still unfurling should be ok I hope.

Will post when coast is clear, lol.

Mine gets am sun after being moved around the yard for years.

And this is mine, second year

Dave, gorgeous GE, view and clematis!

Diana, very pretty powdery blue on your GE.

Dave, a big GE and a full, blooming clematis, ....Jackpot!

That clematis is beautiful! What a lovely complement to the hosta.

I found this on sunday and it had to come home with me, twas love at first sight, I have never seen one this big in person and best of all it was not expensive at €15. I put it in a big pot this evening and stared at it for a few hours. I hope I can keep it alive lol. You never find hostas at this size for sale here.

Bingo! Wow, Denis! You win the prize with that one! Never saw that size for sale - anywhere! Phenomenal! enjoy!

That is a super find mountainy man!!!!! Is it possible that in Canadian it was $22? Unbelievable! It is beautiful! What a score!

Denis - Bonus!!!

BC

I forgot to ask if it is coming inside just for the night...just to stare at it a wee tad longer. ;-). I so would! Drool-worthy hosta, in spades!

Lol Jo, ah no, but I keep going out to look at it, just to remind myself it was not a dream!

Newhostalady, yes C$22.11 I think, most 2 liter pot hostas are about €7.99 here or C$11.78 so it was less than the price of 2 eenie weenie ones.

Dennis, you scored big time - sooo much larger than what I picked up. Congratulations. GE is so lovely and it is tempting to just sit and stare at her. I have never seen a GE that size for sale around here.

The Gods smiled down upon you!

I was wondering when the corrugation appears? My GE is six years old and still doesn't have that "mature" look.

Donna, let's see a picture!

This was last year's picture...it's still not completely unfurled right now.

This thread is going on so long I am wearing out a path down to my GEs.

Jon

Oh well then, About time I checked on them...but been busy staining fence, moving hostas around, laying mulch, watering, spreading slug bait...mowing lawn.....yup - all in one day...except staining fence was a week-end chore...still not done...too hot, too much sunshine - BUT NOT COMPLAINING because the hostas are loving it and growing like crazy! Choko Nishiki aka On Stage grew 1 1/2" in one day...

I wanted to post some GE pictures, but then lost momentum. Now that this thread is still around, I will add my photos. And Jo, sounds like you worked very, very hard! Your garden will thank you!

So here is the newest addition (purchased this year):

I have two purchased in 2014:

And the other from 2014:

But my oldest is this one, and it is my most favorite hosta. It is not as unfurled as the younger ones, I don't really know how long I have had it . . . maybe 8 or 9 years. It was divided once.

Donna, your GE is coming along very nicely. I don't know how long it takes to develop the corrugation. Here is a leaf shot from one of my GE's purchased in 2014:

compared to a current leaf shot from my oldest GE:

Not all shoots show that they opened - it's deceiving but here they are anyway. Amazing how large they actually get within a month, isn't it?

And the other

So colourful! Took the last photo before I finished mulching...silly me :/

Took a single leaf shot too - GE gets photographed a lot, lol.

This from last year - it's like holding your breath...watching this most beautiful hosta gain momentum.

Hey, Denis, me pal.....how is GE doing today? Thought of you and yours when I was snapping my pics today :D

This isn't my Great Expectations, but it's an example of what can happen. This is happily growing along a gravel road at the Winter Greeenhouse near Hayward, Wi.

This nursery is a few miles from our lake cabin and is an interesting place to visit. Take a tour of their display area by slideshow. It's amazing and only a few hostas are shown. Check out the amazing Paul's Glory. They don't even mention this Great Expectations.

http://wintergreenhouse.com/

Go to photo gallery, then display garden.

New Hosta Lady: your GEs are just spectacular- even your new one is so large. I hope mine grows that well.

Jo, GE is so photogenic isn't she? Your pics are lovely - I really like your pic showing the creamy scape. It looks like you had a few really big pips too. I was a little alarmed because my pip count was done but the two I had have emerged into large leaves.

Now Don, if you are claiming yours is a $100 hosta, I'd say Newhostalady is wealthy LOL. Your colouring is really pretty though.

Musky, I can't imagine coming across that one on a gravel road. I'd stop the car for sure and take a pic. What an amazing specimen!

This post must be shear torture for those that have tried (sometimes, many times) to grow GE and failed.

Jon

I have one, which I added last year. It came back well, so when I saw them on clearance at Bluestone perennials (online-- sale still going), I ordered two more. We'll see how they look when they arrive.

It's a gorgeous hosta. This thread is making me wish I could fast forward 10 years. dhaven, thanks for the instructions!

Dan, I love the long legs on yours. I would not have thought to plant GE in behind but it really works. Lovely specimen!

Kathy, yours is coming along nicely - bigger than mine. Beautiful!

Mine is 2 yrs old. Picked it up at a discount grocery store for 5.00. It was cheaper than a steak. I need to eat less red meat anyway.

Marquest, what a beauty. I would say you got one good deal at that grocery store. I never see this hosta at our grocery stores!

Dansgrn, all your plants are just beautiful and grow to perfection. Would love to see more pictures of your yard and hosta crosses. You are an inspiration for us that try. What a beauty

Mine is not much bigger in three years except the size of the leaves . not my nicest of hosta but not dead, I guess

She's my favorite.

I'd heard GE was difficult, so put one in with some trepidation 2 years ago. It's done really well.

Marty, kudos because you tried, despite its alleged (I think) rep for being difficult to grow for some, you have the pleasure of enjoying a most beautiful hosta in your garden! If more people would try growing GE, by reading pertinent information as provided by dhaven above, and subsequently becoming successful at it, perhaps eventually it could make its way out of that "difficult to grow" list. :).

If anyone has a Aldi in your area check them out this summer. For the last 3 yrs they have had it for 5.00.

Yet another reason to be sad there is not Aldi's here in Colorado!

That is bad. They do have good food. Much better than the other grocery stores and cheaper too. LOL

I hear all about it all the time from all my Pennsylvania relatives. I generally have lists of requests when someone travels there and back, so I'll put "hosta" on my list for next time. Haha.

Been a late, cold spring (snow on 14 May!), so she's not up full yet.

I love my GE-I've had it for about five years now and it's very happy

Indymom, your GE is huge! Same with you, I love my GEs. They don't have many eyes (~ 10 eyes after 5 years from a tiny 2 eyed plant), but they are huge, about ~ 3 ft wide. They are one of my favorite and very robust in my garden.

Thanks, Vivian!! Yours and everyone else's are great looking as well. My GE is the same, not many eyes, but likes to spread out!