blue/green variegation - need variety suggestions please.....

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Rather than drive myself crazy looking up possibilities on the Internet among the gazillion hosta varieties, I thought consulting the experts here would be the better option! :-)

A friend has cleared out a 'busy' - and weedy! - bed and planted a couple of trees and shrubs in mulch. Since she is trying to 'simplify' the garden, she was not planning to plant anything else in the bed. That is likely to be a recipe for weeds - Nature abhors a vacuum, plus a lot of weed seeds need light to germinate and she has just provided ideal conditions for them! I think a solution is to plant a number of large hostas - cover the bare ground while being simple to maintain.... To keep it from being a random collection, I think it would look good to make a subtle pattern with color - e.g. start with a large solid green hosta at one end (Empress Wu? or Sum and Substance? or...?), followed by a large green with blue edges to the leaves (what variety?), next put a large blue one with green edges to the leaves (what variety? - Frances Williams could go with S&S; what with Empress Wu?), next followed by a large solid blue one (e.g. Elegans or Bressingham Blue or Blue Angel etc.). I did something like this with the hostas around our patio and it works well:

(pattern - small solid blue, large solid blue, small blue with green center, large blue with green edge, large solid blue)

So, can you experts please suggest variety alternatives for large blue with green edges and the green with blue edges? The green of Empress Wu is different than the green of S&S, so the starting green might affect the choice of the variegated varieties.... Is there a different large solid green one I should be considering?

Thanks for whatever suggestion you can make :-)

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josephines167 z5 ON Canada

9 years ago

I'm stuck on that beautiful picture! No help from me but plenty of compliments! :D

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mikgag Z5b NS Canada
9 years ago
Devils Advocate
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woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
Original Author
9 years ago
Devil's Advocate looks interesting.... As a sport of Blue Angel, we could use Blue Angel as the solid blue in the pattern. Is there a solid green one that would be a good match for the green in DA? Is there a large variety with the reverse variegation of DA? Or maybe we just use three - solid green, DA, and BA. Sounds like an option to consider if we can find a DA.
josephines167 z5 ON Canada
9 years ago
I've been inspired by the help here...

option 1: QOTS gets greener towards mid-season to season's end, DA middle, BA (the way it looks now) other side. Variations in late-season in QOTS and BA may be subtle enough to make the green in DA more pronounced.
woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
Original Author
9 years ago
QOTS seems to be a blue hosta. The pattern I'm envisaging shades from green at one end of the bed to blue at the other, with the variegated hostas in the middle to act as a transition. Would QOTS and BA be too similar blues so there wouldn't be the green-to-blue flow along the length of the bed...? i.e. QOTS looks more a possible substitute for BA/blue in the pattern rather than a choice for the green end of the pattern...?

Your location shows as Ontario - is there somewhere in particular that you'd recommend I go to to find these hostas?
josephines167 z5 ON Canada
9 years ago
option 2:. BA/DS/BA

By the way, my example is Dark Shadows (similar to DA) as I don't have DA. Dark Shadows leaves mature to obviate/round.

Same leaf shape may be appealing too - than different shaped leaves.
josephines167 z5 ON Canada
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I have many transition photos of QOTS - from green to blue to blue/green... depending on time of season. But I follow your train of thought... a hosta that does not transition would better suit your needs. My siting has a lot to do with colour change...even with mono-coloured ones.

I purchased QOTS from Humber Nurseries in Toronto (Hwy 50/Hwy 7). Where are you? We are same zone.

I purchased Dark Shadows from Hosta Fever in Barrie (where I am). HF is the largest home hosta business in this/my area to my knowledge and she ships....however, a personal trip is a must if you have the time.

If you are adventurous and like road trips (which I do) I highly recommend Hosta Choice Gardens in Appin. Glenn has a phenomenal home business and gorgeous, generous-sized hostas and also ships.

Bradford Greenhouses/Garden Gallery is Barrie's largest and most popular greenhouse nursery and always has a large selection of hostas.
woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
Original Author
9 years ago
Would the green in DS be a good partner for S&S? DS looks to be a bit smaller than DA...?

I'm thinking maybe SS, SS, DS or DA, BA, BA might be a pissible pattern, although I would prefer a longer transition variegation instead of longer solid color ends.
woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
Original Author
9 years ago
We're in the western suburbs of the GTA so Barrie is a bit of a long hike! :-). I'm not a fan of long road trips but we do have friends in that area so I'll keep those places in mind.... We have gone to Humber now and then to get something we particularly wanted. Places that ship are good to know about as that is always an option! Thank you.
josephines167 z5 ON Canada
9 years ago
You are welcome :). Re size: Both DA and DS are listed as L(arge) but there is information lacking in the Library on DS dimensions.