Hosta - A Shade Loving Perennial

The real beauty with Hosta is their foliage. The plants come in various shades of beautiful huge solid green or variegated white and green leaves. The plants will flower for around two weeks late in the season, sending up light lavender trumpet-shaped blooms on tall spikes.

One of the most attractive features of Hosta is the beauty they offer in shade plantings. Hosta grow in light sun to full shade -- they will even do well on the north side of a house. There plants do best with one feeding early in the season.

Hosta are also excellent in containers as well as in the garden. Snail/slug bait should be used, as the plants are very attractive to this garden pest. All Hosta go dormant in the winter, with fresh growth showing in the early spring.

While much of the information in this tip is applicable in several gardening zones/climates, some of the plants and timing suggested are best suited to the Northwest, generally in the mild/wet growing regions found along the I-5 corridor. You should make appropriate adjustments or consult local gardening experts in regions whose climates differ from this area of the Northwest.