Top growing tips
Tim Penrose (right), hosta expert and owner of specialist nursery Bowdens, winner of 126 RHS Gold Medals, gives us the ultimate advice on growing these special plants.
Hostas in the garden
Hostas have never been in fashion and that, I think, is one of the plant’s great appeals. If you’re ‘in fashion’ then it stands to reason that one day you may well be out of fashion! Hostas are here to stay. There are three things in life that are certain, as Mark Twain (maybe) once said, “death, taxes and the firm guarantee that your hostas will come up year after year looking great!”
They’re hardy perennials that thrive in shady spots and woodland areas, although most people don’t realise that there are a great many varieties that will grow extremely well in sunny spots. The general rule is that the blue hostas love shade (this is how they develop the wax on their leaves), white-splashed varieties need deeper shade, the golden or yellow ones love the sun and others are happy with a bit of both. They’re such a versatile plant.
All hostas flower (at least they should do), some with pale lilac, others with white flowers and even some with fragrant flowers.
Give them dappled shade and no hot midday sun, with moist but welldrained soil. In early spring, mulch them well with compost or manure, and add a handful of blood, fish and bone to keep them going from late spring. Hostas need watering more if shade is lighter – a mulch will help retain soil moisture.
Care and maintenance
They divide remarkably well: just put a knife through the rootball and the divisions will regrow very quickly. Dividing in autumn works extremely well, as you can clearly see where the individual shoots are growing. Gently dig them out the ground or pot and ease them apart, separating into four or five sections if possible. Replant at their original depth, water and fertilise.
In winter you need do very little – simply take off the leaves as part of your normal garden husbandry jobs and wait to see the shoots unfurl the following spring.