GARDENING
‘Dancing Queen’ is the American Hosta Growers Association’s selection for Hosta of the Year
There are hundreds if not thousands of registered hosta cultivars.
From 10-centimetre (fourinch) miniatures to two-metre (six-foot) giants, hostas come in a range of leaf colours including green, yellow, blue and variegated (usually in a few shades of green with/without white or yellow) and with pink to lavender flowers; some have a noticeable fragrance.
They are great perennials for shade, but some cultivars have amazingly good sun tolerance. In my previous south-facing yard, ‘Patriot’, a green and white variegated medium-sized cultivar, excelled in full sun without bleaching or wilting.
Hostas are long-lived, well-behaved (will not spread beyond their allotted space or self-seed to any extent) and are easy to propagate by division. Depending on size, they can be mass planted, used as a ground cover, placed in the front or mid-section of a border, or featured as specimens in the garden or containers. One thing to note is that not all cultivars are equally hardy, at least in my experience.
With all this variety, how do you choose? Since 1996, the American Hosta Growers Association (hostagrowers.org) has tried to make this easier by featuring a ‘Hosta of the Year,’ a cultivar that is a dependable performer and with guaranteed availability at a reasonable price in garden centres across North America.
This year’s winner is ‘Dancing
Queen’. It is definitely a showstopper with its sunny golden foliage, and is sure to brighten any shady nook. The bright yellow leaves emerge in mid- to late spring and stay yellow throughout the summer, unlike other yellow cultivars, which mature to chartreuse as they age. The leaves have distinct veins and a rippled edge (some describe it as a ‘pie-crust’ edge), adding an additional textural element to your garden.
The foliage forms a mound up to 45 cm (18 in.) high and 75 cm (30 in.) wide at maturity. The pale lavender, funnel-shaped flowers, appearing in mid- to late summer, overtop the leaves on 70-cm (28-in.) stems. Bees love them and they may attract the occasional hummingbird. They also make a perfect addition to bouquets.
‘Dancing Queen’ tolerates some sun, up to four to six hours, but unlike ‘mad dogs and Englishmen,’ it should be placed in a location that avoids the mid-day sun. Given its moderate size, ‘Dancing Queen’ can be planted in the front to mid-border, used as edging, a ground cover or specimen. It can even be a used as a feature plant in a larger patio container. While I haven’t grown this particular cultivar (yet), it is rated for USDA hardiness zones 3-9 (Saskatoon is in zone 3A).
In general, the key to growing hostas is to ensure that the soil stays evenly moist but not wet — a thick layer of organic mulch will be much appreciated. They do best in rich, well-drained soils (e.g. clay to loam). Lighter, sandier soils should be amended with lots of compost, well-rotted manure or peat moss.
Remove flowering stems close to the base after the flowers have faded. Also remove any damaged leaves to keep the plants looking tidy. Slugs can be a problem. To my shame and consternation, I have been battling little grey garden slugs for several years, but they seem to ignore my hostas until the very end of the season.
For fall cleanup, remove the leaves once they’ve been killed by frost or, in spring before new growth appears.
The best time to divide hostas is in the spring just as new growth starts (when the purple ‘eyes’ or growing tips have just emerged). Dig up the entire clump and cut the root mass in sizeable sections. Replant the sections immediately at the same soil level as before and water well until they’re established. You can also pot up some sections to share with your gardening friends.
Erl gardens in Saskatoon and tweets about it on occasion @Erlsv.
This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website (saskperennial. ca) or Facebook page ( facebook. com/saskperennial) for a list of upcoming gardening events. Boffins Garden by Rob Crosby – Jan. 29,
7:30 p.m., Emmanuel Anglican Church, 607 Dufferin Avenue, Saskatoon. Free and open to the public.