Hostas are as popular as ever among consumers. But today's most popular variety goes beyond just your basic green and white - it's actually blue!"Consumers are absolutely in love with blue hostas," says Gordy Oslund, owner of a mail-order company called Shady Oaks Nursery that specializes in hostas and other shade-loving plants.
Shady Oaks Nursery grows and sells over 200 different kinds of hostas, including those with solid green, gold or blue leaves and those with some type of variegation. Of all the hostas they currently feature, less than 15 percent are considered blue, yet the blues continue to outsell all the others. "Blue hostas are hot," says Oslund. "We typically sell out of blue hostas before anything else."
Oslund believes the reason these hostas are so popular is because American gardeners are becoming more knowledgeable. "Gardeners now realize that other hostas exist besides the basic green and white ones that their parents or grandparents used to grow," he says.He also feels that the building boom of past years has helped the industry. "Shade gardening is becoming more and more prevalent as homeowners face increasing amounts of shade from their maturing landscape. As a homeowner's trees grow, so does the amount of shade that those trees cast," points out Oslund.
Blue hostas appear blue because each leaf is covered with a waxy coating. Depending on the variety, some blue hostas appear greenish-blue, while others can be almost powdery blue.
"No matter how blue a hosta is, all will appear greener when grown in too much sun," says Oslund. "Blue hostas appear bluest when grown in medium to heavy shade," he adds.
Besides the attractive leaf color, another plus of blue hostas is that many offer increased slug resistance. Because of the waxy coating, these hostas have thicker and tougher leaves which are harder for slugs and snails to eat. These pests will often seek out more tender foliage elsewhere before nibbling on these hostas.
A blue hosta exists for almost any use in the landscape. Of the top-selling blue hostas, several are extremely large types that are well suited for the back of the border. The large blue leaves act as a perfect backdrop for the more delicate leaves and flowers of other shade-loving perennials.
Large hostas also make ideal foundation plants. Oslund suggests using them along the north side of the house where it's hard to grow much else. He points out that these big plants will grow quickly each spring to hide the foundation.
Two good large blues include 'Blue Angel' and 'Blue Mammoth.' According to Oslund, Blue Angel is Shady Oak's No. 1 selling blue. Well-grown, mature specimens of this variety can reach about 2
inches tall and up to 6 inches wide. True to its name is another top seller, Blue Mammoth. With good maintenance, it can easily reach four feet high or more!
A good mid-size blue hosta is 'Love Pat,' which is a favorite of Shady Oak's staff horticulturist, Emily McCarthy. She favors it because of the attractive, deeply crinkled foliage. Mid-sized hostas are just right for including in perennial borders and for edging shrub beds.
Several small blue hostas make great groundcovers or edgers for perennial borders. 'Blue Boy' and 'Serendipity' are two blues that stay low and spread.
Of all the blues, Oslund believes that 'Blue Jay' (a highly rated, small to medium-sized hosta) is the bluest, but he personally picks 'Halcyon' (a medium-sized hosta with deep blue leaves and an attractive growth habit) as his favorite. "I simply like it's intense blue color. Plus, it reminds me of my parent's house which had a beautiful drift of Halcyon in the front garden."
To receive a free copy of the Shady Oaks Nursery catalog featuring these and many other hostas and shade plants, call 1-800-504-8006.
Courtesy of ARA Content, www.aracontent.com, e-mail: info@aracontent.com
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EDITOR'S NOTE:
Shady Oaks Nursery's Top 10 Selling Blue Hostas
1. Blue Angel
2. Halcyon
3. Blue Umbrellas
4. Fragrant Blue
5. Blue Mammoth
6. Blue Boy
7. Krossa Regal
8. Blue Moon
9. Love Pat
10. Abiqua Drinking Gourd
