![\"otley](\"http:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5307\/5751124389_cba83e1e49.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI have just taken to small Hostas having bought a couple cheaply at a local fete.
\nFrom the RHS library I borrowed ‘The Book of Little Hostas, 200 Small, Very Small and Mini Varieties.’ and already had a couple of other Hosta books but no small plants.<\/p>\n
I realised that I was not going to aim for a massive collection of varieties as breeding is introducing new cultivars at a prodigious rate.
\nSo my intention is to grow and display a selection of varied, colours, shapes and sizes and see how I get on.<\/p>\n
First Small Hosta Acquisitions<\/h2>\n\n- Hosta venusta ‘Masquerade’ A popular variety by all accounts that originally grew in mountainous regions shaded by rocks. It should create a 6″ high dense mound of tear drop shaped, textured leaves. They have a creamy white center and bright green edges to the leaves with purple\/blue summer flowers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- The next variety is labeled ‘a mame’ a variety I can’t find in any reference book. As I know the grower I can ask if I have read the label incorrectly or if it is an unregistered name. The young plant has leaves of green with yellow edges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Hosta pulchella ‘Stiletto’ is another well known variety in hosta circles. The roots are rhizomatous from one of the smallest species. I am told to expect tiny mounds of thin rippled, wavy leaf of satiny mid-green and cream fading to white on the edges . The flowers will be purple all being well. Other varieties from this species include Wiggle Worms, Shining Tot or Kifukurin Ubatake.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Hosta Hydon Sunset will have heart-shaped yellow leaves. It is a fast grower needing some sun for good yellow color. Flowers lavender-purple.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Hosta gracillima is a species that I have yet to acquire.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Growing and Displaying<\/h2>\n\n- I am exercised about how to display the hostas so will grow them in pots this year and look for interesting containers.<\/li>\n
- I am looking for ideas to keep them in pots or a raised environment for the longer term.<\/li>\n
- Soil should be slightly acidic with an open texture and water retention capacity.<\/li>\n
- Roots of small hostas are shallow and benift from a mulch.<\/li>\n
- A raised bed seems to be a good idea when I want a display in the main garden.<\/li>\n
- Hostas survive well from frosty conditions but freezing and thawing can create too much water to encourage rotting. For that reason a mulch will protect your plants through winter.<\/li>\n
- Do not over feed. If soil is poor or gets impoverished try a slow release fertiliser.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Sources
\n
\nThe Hosta Library<\/a> seed sowing, division and micro propagation.<\/p>\nBritish Hosta & Hemerocallis Society<\/a>
\nDiana Grenfell author of New encyclopedia of Hostas has to a National Plant Collection of miniature hostas at her Gloucestershire home.<\/p>\nLuckily, hosta collectors now have access to new small hostas that are ideal for containers, roof terraces, windowsills and other small spaces. The Book of Little Hostas features a handpicked selection of diminutive hostas to direct collectors towards the right plant for their needs. Beautifully illustrated and highly informative, The Book of Little Hostas will inspire hosta-holics and gardeners alike.<\/p>\n
![\"Book](\"http:\/\/images.amazon.com\/images\/P\/1604690607.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nThe Book of Little Hostas: 200 Mini, Small and Very Small Varieties by Michael Shadrack and Kathy Guest Shadrack from amazon<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/otley-show-hostas-040-300x225.jpg\" "\\"otley")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Call them miniature, small, dwarf or even bonsai Hostas these little darlings will give you bucket loads of pleasure. many dwarf plants are difficult to cultivate and retain but I find Hostas are hospitable and accommodating<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-flowers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14975\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- \n
- The next variety is labeled ‘a mame’ a variety I can’t find in any reference book. As I know the grower I can ask if I have read the label incorrectly or if it is an unregistered name. The young plant has leaves of green with yellow edges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Hosta pulchella ‘Stiletto’ is another well known variety in hosta circles. The roots are rhizomatous from one of the smallest species. I am told to expect tiny mounds of thin rippled, wavy leaf of satiny mid-green and cream fading to white on the edges . The flowers will be purple all being well. Other varieties from this species include Wiggle Worms, Shining Tot or Kifukurin Ubatake.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Hosta Hydon Sunset will have heart-shaped yellow leaves. It is a fast grower needing some sun for good yellow color. Flowers lavender-purple.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Hosta gracillima is a species that I have yet to acquire.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Growing and Displaying<\/h2>\n
- \n
- I am exercised about how to display the hostas so will grow them in pots this year and look for interesting containers.<\/li>\n
- I am looking for ideas to keep them in pots or a raised environment for the longer term.<\/li>\n
- Soil should be slightly acidic with an open texture and water retention capacity.<\/li>\n
- Roots of small hostas are shallow and benift from a mulch.<\/li>\n
- A raised bed seems to be a good idea when I want a display in the main garden.<\/li>\n
- Hostas survive well from frosty conditions but freezing and thawing can create too much water to encourage rotting. For that reason a mulch will protect your plants through winter.<\/li>\n
- Do not over feed. If soil is poor or gets impoverished try a slow release fertiliser.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Sources
\n
\nThe Hosta Library<\/a> seed sowing, division and micro propagation.<\/p>\nBritish Hosta & Hemerocallis Society<\/a>
\nDiana Grenfell author of New encyclopedia of Hostas has to a National Plant Collection of miniature hostas at her Gloucestershire home.<\/p>\nLuckily, hosta collectors now have access to new small hostas that are ideal for containers, roof terraces, windowsills and other small spaces. The Book of Little Hostas features a handpicked selection of diminutive hostas to direct collectors towards the right plant for their needs. Beautifully illustrated and highly informative, The Book of Little Hostas will inspire hosta-holics and gardeners alike.<\/p>\n
<\/a>
\nThe Book of Little Hostas: 200 Mini, Small and Very Small Varieties by Michael Shadrack and Kathy Guest Shadrack from amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Call them miniature, small, dwarf or even bonsai Hostas these little darlings will give you bucket loads of pleasure. many dwarf plants are difficult to cultivate and retain but I find Hostas are hospitable and accommodating<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-flowers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14975\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Hosta gracillima is a species that I have yet to acquire.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Hosta Hydon Sunset will have heart-shaped yellow leaves. It is a fast grower needing some sun for good yellow color. Flowers lavender-purple.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Hosta pulchella ‘Stiletto’ is another well known variety in hosta circles. The roots are rhizomatous from one of the smallest species. I am told to expect tiny mounds of thin rippled, wavy leaf of satiny mid-green and cream fading to white on the edges . The flowers will be purple all being well. Other varieties from this species include Wiggle Worms, Shining Tot or Kifukurin Ubatake.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n