Diana Remembered planted 2016, look how big it is, LOL. I didn't see it in 2017 at all, thought it was dead.

Can't post foto. Even editing won't work. Maybe later or is my poor DR so ugly that it won't get trought :)

Saija it looks perfect, just little. It is discouraging when they come up (or not) smaller than they started.

Liberty did not appreciate being dug up by a squirrel and left on the ground for at least a day before I rescued it. That happened in fall of 2014 - this is it this year. I really hope it jumps next year. It looked better in the pot before I planted it!

Paula - those cartoons struck me sooo funny this morning!

My worst overall performer last year was Final Summation. Don't think I have a photo. I'm going to try some remediation with it this year.

But here's a pic of another trouble spot. Minuteman was planted in 2017. It didn't shrink, but didn't quite look happy either. This is a partly sunny spot with plenty of water. Cathedral Windows (my best grower) was originally planted here and grew like a weed!

Behind Minuteman are (l-r) two Blue Arrow and two Night Before Christmas. They were attacked by rabbits and dwindling. When I lifted them they fell apart so I planted them all separately. And then the rabbit came back and ate them IN the pots!!! I watched in horror, and then ran out and chased the rabbit! I think I've taken care of the rabbit problem... can you see the black chicken wire? Lots of entertainment for the neighbors.

So, by the time of dormancy there was one BA, and the NBCs looked a little better... it will be interesting to see how they do this year.

Argh! I cannot attach a photo. I've tried 4 times - on both the computer and the phone!

I'll try again later.

edit: peren- thanks for contacting Houzz and getting that straightened out.

windymess and others having trouble posting pics, including me - I contacted Houzz and spoke to a girl yesterday. They will look into it but it usually takes 24 to 48 hrs. for the issue to be addressed.

I lost a Minuteman, could be due to my neglect, I believed they could grow on the driveway so in my garden didn’t seem like a stretch.

Spring will tell if my attempts to revive my last Dream Queen really did work. The three I had were all shrinking away, two disappeared. Then there was my second attempt with Great Expectations, yep I added one last spring.

Sherry

Sherry..you mentioned Dream Queen and Great Expectations..both of them have had "bad press" on Gardenweb..and I've read negative comments about Frances Williams..turns ugly while everything around it is fine (true for my neighbor)..I'm afraid of these 3..

Hey, I got a picture to post - I posted it first without words. Not sure if that made the difference or they fixed the issue.

Lakeside Old Smokey. Planted in 2016 from a full pot with lots of eyes. Still looked great in 2017, but then dwindled in 2018. Most likely due to competition with maple tree roots. I was hoping it was far enough away, but I don't think there is a far enough away in my yard. When it came up in 2018 looking small and shriveled, I chopped through the roots at the edge of the border using a root pruning shovel. It did manage to look slightly better, but I think the damage was already done. If it comes up the same this year, I'll dig it up.

Sherry I seem to recall your remaining Dream Queen looking really quite good in fall so here's hoping!

nicholsworth since your yard is so shaded you might have a good chance at a great looking Frances Williams. Many of us, especially in zone 5 have flawless specimens. I position mine so that it does not get any sun before any overnight moisture has a chance to dry. I have a sport of FW - Maple Leaf that receives eastern sun in the early a.m. and it gets unsightly spring desiccation burn. I am going to move it.

If you ever wanted to try Dream Queen or GE give them one of your sunnier spots, plant them high and give them plenty of water.

Steve it is so sad to see LS Old Smokey dwindle down like that! I have a Francee & a Guacamole that are really struggling in that same situation.

I hope the photo problems clear up for everyone. I like seeing pics! Even if they're the worst, lol.

Sleeping Star, good enough conditions but still faded away to nothing. So that is the WORST!

Lakeside Storm Watch - where is it? It's in the worst category because if it did fade away, it didn't even put up a fight long enough for me to try to help it. .....Maybe, like Saija's DR, I'll find it this coming season?

Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - used to be good looking, then shrunk. But not its fault, it was due to lack of water. .....So it's getting more water now. Also, it looks too deeply planted in this pic, no? That's why I lifted it up higher and am hoping next year it will be off the worst list. Fingers crossed.

Oh no, sandyslopes what a shame for you - and maybe me too! I have Sleeping Star & YPDB coming in spring. Your YPDB does look a bit deep in that pic so hopefully in spring it will be much happier. I will keep my fingers crossed for it.

peren.all, I hope your Sleeping Star does better. It's one thing when we know a plant doesn't have the best conditions, but it's another when they just fade away when all the others around it are doing well. A mystery failure. .... I am hopeful for my YPDB.

Great Expectation 2018.......NOT. Planted in 2014. Lets see what year 5 brings.

GE in 2017Samurai in 2017

Samurai in 2018. Planted in 2015

I have ThunderBolt that did not make the cut for a picture. It was purchased in 2016 and very pitiful.

Last summer I did a little reorganizing so hopefully I made the right moves for optimum growth. More sun and more water.

peren..at a nursery I put a Dream Queen in my cart..I decided to look it up on Gardenweb..the comments weren't good so I put it back..I value the experience of the gardeners here..guess what - my neighbor's unattractive Frances Williams gets quite a bit of sun..it's exposed on the south, east and west..good to keep exposure in mind if I try one..

sandyslopes..I love your expression "mystery failure"..I like to know what I might've done wrong..

Shadow..you made me smile..I would NOT have guessed those hosta are that old..so sorry for your slow growth..I hope the changes you made turn them around..ALL of them could be so pretty..

Hahahahaha. I guess misery loves company. It’s “encouraging” to know that other gardeners have these frustrations.

windymess..yes it is..I blame mother nature..it's not OUR fault Lol..

I had a few disappointments last year. Frances Williams is an annual "worst" for me. I've had her over ten years and in at least six different locations but always gets the uglies by mid year. She has been relegated to the back 40 where the deer and rabbits get first choice.

I have had my share of disappointments. Here is one that I hope I can nurse back to its former glory!

War Paint in 2015

War Paint in 2016

In 2018:

We'll see if it comes up this spring!

What happened? Not sure. Well it's always been in a pot. I think poor media and not repotting regularly.

Ouch!!! NHL, That is not nice. It will be interesting to see how it performs this season

newhostalady..wow that's a big change..hope it rebounds..

I am not sure what happened with Whirlwind this year. Leaves turned yellow in July then the plant disappeared.

I feel funny "liking" these sad stories and photos...

It's interesting though.

windymess I totally agree with you!

windymess..what a thoughtful comment..

Shadow..I hope that I didn't go too far saying that "you make me smile"..when you said "Great Expectations....NOT" I got a kick out of it!..

You made me laugh windymess when I read "I feel funny 'liking' these sad stories and photos. I feel the same way!

I suppose, when I "like" the photo it was more like I was saying "I see what you mean. Thanks for sharing your disappointment. I am sorry the plant is not performing as expected."

Shadow - it's hard to tell by the photos, but your GE may be planted too deeply. I had one that was shrinking years ago and removing the soil so that I could see the top of the roots seemed to have helped...along with lots of water and morning sun.

newhostalady..well said..nobody here would look at an underperforming hosta without thinking "that's too bad"..I love the honest people here that show us their duds!!..

I think the like button is used in this thread as an acknowledgement of I feel your pain and frustration .

ConnieMay - I have done some digging and moving from advice I received last year for a Cherry Berry's poor performance. Was pleased to see my Cherry Berry do better, So I have made a few changes with my other poor (lack of growth) hostas.

Nicholsworth- I took it has .... you can relate to my pain.

I think we all have hostas that for some reason or another don't do well and/or either don't come back.

Little Treasure was a good doer for me for about 2 years. Then, it just petered out. Sent up 1 leaf this year. I am very disappointed, because it was one of my favorites. So was "Sparkler". I loved that little hosta! So pretty, so cute---such a dud. I think it lasted one or two seasons, then inexplicably never came up again. I see that vendors don't offer it any more, so a lot of people must have experienced the same thing.

Esther, I had the same experience with Little Treasure. It is long gone but I got a vigorous blue sport from it - Beauty Little Blue and it has done quite well.

I miss my Little Treasure and I REALLY miss Sparkler. Sparkler was just so adorable. I notice that no one offers it for sale any more, so I know it wasn't me--it must have been a dud for lots of folks. This year, after a single leaf came up last year, High Society finally called it quits I guess and gave up the ghost. No trace of it. And, I only got 1 season of Dinky Donna and my 2nd Silver Threads & Golden Needles. Hard to think that an unglazed terracotta long skinny rectangular planter had insufficient drainage holes on the bottom. They didn't seem small to me.

I am consoled in my new-from-last-year Faithful Heart is really beautiful this year, as is its companion from the shipment last year, Dinner Mint.

I spent about 3 hours today and 3 hours yesterday potting up hostas and heuchies to make them portable for the move out of NYC I hope to make. I think I am keeping Opulent Grow Pots in business, ordered so many of them. I hope the "landscape workers" do not spray weedkiller right adjacent to my garden this year, as most everybody is looking so beautiful. I wrote a very nasty email to the co-op manager about their stupidity, trampling stuff, losing stuff, killing stuff and he forwarded it to the landscape company.

Beth, I don't know why your Whirlwind bit the dust. It is a warhorse for me. My best find in a landscapers dump site 7-8 years ago. I have since divided it into 3 and all are doing great! Love it in the springtime with the creamy yellow center before it darkens in the summer. Used to my favorite hosta; now I have too many favorites!

I'll have to get a picture of Popcorn. It's the same size, maybe smaller, as it was when I bought it 3 years ago. I may put it in a pot and see how it does.

The ones that really didn't do well just disappeared so no pictures. lol

I've lost Lakeside Paisley Print, Remember Me and Beach Boy. I replaced Beach Boy once and it came back this year, but if it dies off I'm not going to replace it.

Miniskirt looks like my worst performer by far. Mine have been grown in pots. The first one I got developed a big yellowish sport last season, (mentioned in others posts). I separated them and repotted each the sport died and MS stayed extremely small, it disappeared this spring.

I got a new miniskirt last spring, it did well. This season it’s very, very small. It's going in the ground as a last ditch effort to save it. I won’t be tempted to try this one again.

My Little Treasure is on year four and doing great!

Sherry