I've been a hosta fiend for some time now, and I'm not the only one: there's a website called Hostamania with the tag line "the site for hostaholics", there's a hosta blog connected with it. Posting has been pretty light lately, but hostas are deciduous, so maybe the hosta blog rests in the winter, too. There's a Hosta Hub, the directory for all your hosta needs. And there's a Yahoo group called Hostamania, too - which beckons: "Addicted to hostas? come join us"
Why do people love hostas? I can't really get underneath what the attraction is. But their form is so lovely, and they're just so collectable. There are so many varieties, but there all restful to look at, so soothing, like a nice smoke of opium. (I guess.)
It's not easy loving hostas in a South London garden, there are just too many slugs and snails. The gastropuds love hostas almost as much as I do. The slugs, I can fairly effectively, if expensively, keep in check with a product called Nemaslug. But the only real solution for the snails is hand picking...yuck!
There are several species of snails in my garden, but the worst offenders are the French, eatin'- snails, originally brought to this country for escargot supplies. They get big, they get ugly and they can get through a hosta overnight.
Here's some I captured earlier with a nickel, euro and 50 pence piece for scale. This is early in the season, so these aren't the real honkers yet.
I got talked into buying a hosta by a salesperson at the RHS Wisley Garden Centre yesterday (it was an easy sale), and I agonised over just the right one (not sure I made the right decision). But I bought Krossa Regal, which is tall and arching, a graceful vase shape, with grey-green, nearly glaucous (blue) leaves in some plants.
And I went to some elaborate steps to protect my new hosta two layers of copper impregnated, "shocka" mats and a copper tape around the rim.
What are the sticks for? You don't need to stake hostas, it's to keep the 12 pound furry slug away from the plant. Mr Regal now inhabits Other Cat's favorite perch and she likes the taste of hostas, too.
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Some animals were harmed in the making of this post, and it wasn't the cute and precious kitty.
Tech tags: hosta, gardening, garden
2 comments:
The best thing I found for controlling the slug problem is beer! They will choose beer over plants any day. It can be cheap beer. Bury the plastic cup in the garden with it's rim level with the ground. Half fill with beer before going to bed. The next day it will be full of drowned drunken snails and you can chuck them away. Replace glass and repeat until a slug-free zone is achieved! Good luck!
I've tried it, but it's icky.
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