Of all the plants I have covering the ground, from the front hellstrip to the back alley, the ones that really do the best job of just that – consistently and neatly covering the ground – are hostas.
So, of course, that’s why I’m increasingly resentful of their presence and plotting to remove swaths of them so I can insert different cultivars that will accept the conditions.
And I’ll probably create quite a mess in the process.
When I first moved to this house more than 23 years ago, there were already two areas of well-established hostas. And then I added more. With full shade darkening the front beds from late May through October, they were an obvious choice and one that certainly offered reasonable variety. I found myself drawn to the big, thick-leaved varieties, like sieboldiana and its offspring (probably above).
And boy have they grown. After the snowdrops, species tulips, erythronium and other spring bulbs and ephemerals are done, the hostas rise up in a solid phalanx. There is definitely no ground to be seen.
Slugs don’t bother these -both the possible sieboldiana in the front and the definite ventricosa (above with some ‘First Frost’) along the side. There are some white-stripers, too, that are enveloping the area where they are, including a small boulder I paid good money to have placed. Those will definitely be reduced.
These plants are doing their jobs – if I were to anthropomorphize plants, they would be employees, not babies – but, yet, I’m still not satisfied.
I feel the urge to rend, to yank, to disrupt. Maybe a group of heucheras? Perhaps a few sedge? Maybe leave well enough alone?
Here’s a classic situation of a gardener creating a problem to avoid the ones that really exist.
Hostas, I can’t quit you, but maybe just a little interference is needed.
Glad your hosta problems are different than mine – bunnies eat them where I live, and of course deer love them to death too in some neighborhoods. My surviving hostas are pretty ragged. Up to a decade or so ago I would have said hostas are the ideal plants for shade, with or without some contrasting textured shade-loving companions. But now the hostas, and even the heucheras, struggle as they lose most of their leaves to the bunny brunches.
Get spinners.. the tiniest bit of wind will set them going.. and they will chase away the deer! Deer look at hostas like we look at hamburgers!
Alas! I should have your problem. My hostas, despite being behind a six foot fence and drenched with a variety of foul smelling potions, look like the bundles of celery one buys in the grocery store – all stems, no leaves courtesy of Bambi’s kin!
Get some Japanese wood grass. Latin name starts with an H. Nice contrast to the hosta leaves and brightens things up. My daughter swears by Irish spring original as a deer repellent.
Your hostas are enviable, please leave a good contingent even if you do make changes. Personally, I see a lot of variation in the photos you showed – I don’t think you need to change a thing. If you do need to spice things up, maybe just adding something tall (bird bath? Japanese maple?) would scratch the itch.
You can’t beat hostas.. easy to grow.. few to no bug issues.. beautiful.. no care needed.. just water. I agree with Sarah, just add a birdbath.. or a statue to give some variety.. Count your blessings!
My hostas are planted in a narrow, shaded space between buildings where deer apparently fear to tread. Like the author’s plants they have gone crazy and I will need to start yanking soon. I also find them to be great, easy care pot plants and love the fragrant blossoms Also a humungous rugose blue one has finally successfully camouflaged a really ugly gas meter. Yay!
I don’t encourage clients to plant hostas in zone 5 Illinois. They require dividing, vigilance from bugs and slugs and water. A far better choice without these problems are Hellebores. One cleanup is required at the end of the season or the beginning of the next spring and you are done!. Their beautiful shiny dark green leaves after the flowers are spent. They spread slowly!
Phyllis, except my witless dog has killed hellebores dead with her big hairy feet…
I have an ocean of hostas on the north side of my house. I love them, wouldn’t let the landscaper I hired last summer touch them. They take no care except for a little rough mulch to discourage the slugs. As a bonus, the hummingbirds love the blossoms.
Perhaps you hear the siren call of ferns? One to three upright muscular ferns dotted through the center would be wonderful. Acanthus mollis in containers might also be sublime, drifting through the spaces where the light comes through. You could bring them in as house plants for the winter time.
Oooh, acanthus. Never thought of bringing them in. Have failed leaving them out, for sure.
Oh I like the concept of the gardener creating a problem….
I love the look of your Hostas! I am trying to grow the largest known cultivars in the strip between my house and my neighbors (~ 4 foot planting strip with 10’ total distance between houses). This is the 3rd year, and the plants are approximately 1/2 their mature size. For about 2 hours a day in the middle of summer when the sun is directly overhead, I protect them with umbrellas because the leaves get sunburned. I really hope when they reach full maturity they will not need protection from the sun…either that, or I will have to do something else… trees in pots to shade them?
I used to participate in a cooking forum, and one of the other participants used to eat his emerging Hostas before they completely unfurled! I believe it was the plain species Hosta. It’s been so long since I read that and even thought about it, I don’t remember how he prepared them. Maybe that’s one way to deal with the overcrowding of Hostas!
I have one Hosta in a pot in my yard. I haven’t the courage to plant it in the ground as I’m sure the slugs would consume them, plus my heavy clay soil is not their favorite. Yours are beautiful!