Hosta lovers are often enamoured with the giants of the Hosta world on many forums and social media pages… “ How big will Hosta Empress Wu get?” “Did you see Dave's picture of Hosta Blue Angel?” “Why don't my Hosta Sum & Substance leaves get that huge?” "What is the biggest Hosta you can buy?" We know large specimens can be impressive, but there’s a world of miniature Hostas that came on the market in recent years that can be equally enjoyable. They are ideal for balconies and small gardens Plus, they are great displayed in Bonsai pots & containers or even raised beds. Some have tin ..read more

I find looking after Hostas very therapeutic. Whenever I am with my Hostas, I am at my most relaxed. However, some tasks in the garden can be looked upon as maybe stressful, or difficult. Gardening and especially looking after Hostas, should be fun, not a task. By changing some of the little things you do or the way you do it, it could be so much easier, and much more fun. Put the fun back into gardening. Work smarter, not harder! Let’s have a look at some of the ways you can make your gardening more fun and easier to do. Loosening up If you are anything like me, you are a little bit stiff ..read more

I am an addict!!!!    I am a Hostaholic!!! I pull no punches as to why I am so addicted to Hostas, and make no apology for being so. All I can offer is, that as far as I am concerned, being a Hostaholic is not all bad. There are many more addictions that could be had, that are definitely worse than having an addiction for Hostas. Find out if you an addict ...If so at what stage? Stage 1. Buy you very first Hosta. Like any addiction, it all starts innocently enough. I bought my very first Hosta, way back in the 90’s from a local nursery who was happy to sell it to me. I wasn ..read more

Hosta Mini Skirt is one of my favourite miniature Hostas. Firstly we will give you all the 'techie' stuff, then during the blog, we will talk about why we love this gorgeous little Hosta. So here goes.... Hosta Mini Skirt was registered in 2013 by Walters Gardens inc. They are a perennial wholesale nursery located in Zeeland, Michigan, USA .  They began in 1946 when Dennis Walters and his new bride, Harriet, took over the family perennial business from Dena Knoll, Harriet's mother. With the help of his four brothers, Dennis expanded the company to include bare root, pott ..read more

Easter weekend is probably the first chance everyone will get to spend a little time in the garden. The weather has picked up a little, and you have 4 whole days, in which tackle all those little jobs you have been putting off, until now. It turns out that there is a positive mindset, to getting outside, and enjoying a bit of fresh air in the garden, when Easter arrives. For some, this is the weekend they have all been waiting for. The first time of any significance in the garden. Everything is starting to come to life. The shrubs are bursting into leaf. Spring flowering shrubs are well under ..read more

Being a Specalist Hosta nursery we get asked lots of questions about Hostas from our garden visitors, online customers and website visitors from all over the world. We always these directly and immediately. If we can help, and we usually can, we love to do so. Let's have a look at the most frequently asked questions..... "Do Hostas Need a special type of compost?" No! Any peat free compost will do. If you have your own compost you can mix it with any proprietary compost. For most of the season we use our own compost mixed with leaf mould. Any organic matter will do they are not fussy plants ..read more

How to stop Slugs & Snails eating my Hostas? We are now getting to that time of year when we need to think ahead slightly and consider what we do about those much talked about molluscs. The slugs & snails, have overwintered in all those places that you just didn’t have time to tidy up for winter, giving them a lovely sheltered spot, ready for warming up in the Spring. So! What should we do about them, and when? What are the alternatives? Which one works best? Let’s have a look! Firstly, you will always have the edge by having good strong Hosta plants, grown in the right position, with ..read more

When people think of planting and growing Hostas, they don’t think of starting from a bare root Hosta. Instead, they usually buy a small Hosta plant or divide some of their larger Hostas and plant them in shady areas of their gardens. But, if you’re like me, you’re always up for trying new things with your Hostas. Starting with a Hosta bare root can be a welcome challenge. Growing bare root Hostas isn’t as difficult as you might think it would be, and I want to share the process with you. What is a bare-root Hosta? What is a bare root Hosta? The simple answer is that it’s exactly what it sound ..read more

All you need to know about caring for your Hostas over the winter. I have just been up the garden to have a little look around just to see how things are going. It’s no more than zero degrees out there. Everything is covered with a light dusting of frost, and you might think that there is nothing to do, and maybe have an easy day. However, that is not the case. There is always something that can be done. Even though all our Hostas are now dormant they still need to be looked after. Admittedly not as busy as in the growing season. We need to do all the essential ‘Winter’ maintenance. During De ..read more

Hosta Irish Eyes was registered by Dick & Jane Ward in 1999 Dr. Dick Ward (1933-2021) a retired medical doctor from Ohio USA was the recipient of the Eunice Fisher Distinguished Hybridiser Merit Award. He and his wife Jane have hybridised dozens of Hosta Cultivars over the years. When he retired from the world of Hostas his plant collection was moved to Wade Botanical Gardens in Ohio. This searchable database contains detailed information for all registered cultivars, and Hosta Finder information for many additional non-registered cultivars. The American Hosta Society is the Internationa ..read more