The Hosta Collection

The backbone of our garden is the hosta collection, I think over 300 varieties when we first moved them here.  Hostas like shade, so the dappled shade along our old stone fencerow was the perfect place for them.  They are virtually all named varieties, collected by the Head Gardener here 10-20 years ago.  And this is the season when they look best, just as they are starting to bloom. 

Here are a few pictures from our collection - one of my favourite groupings, so dense you never have to weed here.

Another group under the old hawthorn tree - there are over 20 different varieties in this picture alone.

Another flourishing patch under the old apple tree.

 Some of the larger hostas down at the end of the row, and a closer look at two of the largest.

A couple of my favourite.  Notice how the colour variations are the opposite here.  The hosta on the left has yellowy in the centre of the leaves and green on the edges; the one on the right is the opposite.

And my favourite view of the garden (in spite of all our colourful flowers out in the sun beyond), along the long line of hostas in the shade, and my sitting spot under the old apple tree.  I like 'green'.