Thanks for your reply. I’m situating them behind the hollies (invisible from the front, as you noted) because, from this point, they would be adjacent to a low porch and highly visible to the parlor through some large windows. I aim to add some textural relief to the holly monotony.

I had not considered the potential downside of soil amendment that you mentioned! I supose I will just go for it and plant in the native soil— does anyone else have experience with the hosta/ very vigorous shrub combination?

If this is to involve planting directly beneath clipped hollies you might get better results by using ferns.

where are you???

many of the peeps here.. grow in pots.. to avoid problematic plants with aggressive roots ... like maples ... the only real trick with pots.. is what to do with them for winter.. whatever that may be.. wherever you are ..

are you sure there is a root problem??? .... i hate to spend a lot of time wondering about this ... without actually sticking a shovel in the ground to find out the actual facts ...

we are in the very slowest season of the year.. here on the forums.. be patient ... you will get the info you need ...

ken

ps: sharpening your shovel... really helps slicing thru roots ...

a secret garden of sorts.. i like it.. thinking outside of the usual box ... good for you ...

I am in Mid TN— zone 7, and I have grown a few hosta in clay pots and they have overwintered just fine for many years. I would prefer the look of in-ground plants— but can hosta be grown in pots submerged in the ground, like mint and other suckering herbaceous plants?

Yes, many have done that for various reasons. The type of pot used will depend on how deeply your soil freezes. In my cold climate, overwintering a pot in ground is best done in plastic.

tj