Garden Designers & Landscape Gardeners
Garden Buildings in South & East England

Wonderful photos courtesy of emagen on flickr.com, see their link on our Resources Page.
Hosta 'Sum and Substance'
Left - seen growing here with some silver H. sieboldiana leaves in the foreground. The thick fleshy leaves of this hosta 70 -80cm tall with the leaves 45x35cm. The prominent grooves that curve out from the leafs mid rib give a 'pleated', exotic and graceful character to them. Their colour is also a major asset when planting in shade being a pale yellow green but colouring to a brighter almost gold in sunnier positions. The bell shaped flowers are ivory white and are borne above the leaves at almost 2m tall. 
Right - an elegant leaf seen in detail.

Hostas are herbaceous plants that shoot from ground level in early spring. They are susceptable to slug attack whist the leaves are young when slug pellets should be applied just below the soil all around the plant. Hostas thrive best in dappled shade, although H. 'sum and Substance' is better able to take sun than other hostas, it still benefits from protection from strong dry winds. Being woodland plants they will grow under trees but for the optimum lush growth moist humus rich soil is best. Clumps can easily be divided in spring with a sharp spade.