Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Hostas
(Click each picture for a larger view)
Here are 3 of the 4 different types of hostas I have in my garden. They are very resilient perennials, very easy to take care of, drought tolerant, disease resistent and live for a long time. There are up to 45 species of hosta. Native to Asia, they are in the lily family and are also known as Hostaceae. Almost all hostas do not have a scent, but their beautiful foliage makes up for it. Every year hostas sprout a beautiful flower in the center, which usually sprouts in early to mid spring and come in colors of white, lavender and purple. Hostas are great accent plants and can be used for basic ground cover and overall landscaping; however they are susceptible to deer, slugs and snails. To maintain these plants, cut any brown outer leaves, water regularly, repel against slugs and fertilize once in the spring and once in the summer. In late fall, after the leaves are completely brown and all nutrients have returned to the bulb, the leaves can be cut and the plant covered with a layer of mulch to protect it from frost.