Hosta: description, types and varieties, planting in the open ground and care, possible diseases (120+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews

A well-kept garden and front facade are the dream of many gardeners. To accomplish this, you need to start with landscaping. The most popular used for decorating not only personal plots, but also park areas are hosts. These decorative herbaceous perennials are so popular and irreplaceable that without them it is impossible to imagine a single nook in the garden.

Khosta used to be called funkia, the places of its main growth were China, Korea, the Far East. The variety of herbaceous perennials includes more than 60 hosta species; it is known in all corners of the world. Why is it attractive? Leaves and their color are the main decoration of the hosta. In the garden, landscape tricks of designers are manifested in its harmonious neighborhood with many flowering plants and tall cereals.

There are many types of hosts. Even classic perennial bushes with green leaves are not the same. Drawings on them have dark and light colors. Borders, stripes, white streaks in various variations create unique combinations on the leaves, changing the appearance of the plant.

Classification

Typically, hosts are classified according to their intended use:

• Up to 20 cm. Considered the lowest and will look best on rocky slopes and rockeries.
• Up to 30 cm. Not very high. They will complement the picture of the garden, located on the curbs and not far from the fences.
• 30-45 cm. A feature of this group is the presence of a long root system. It is customary to plant them in groups to create a continuous cover. Against its background, gladioli and lilies will look good.
• On flower beds, hosts will look best, the height of which is 45-60 cm.
• The highest species are used for single disembarkation. Their height usually exceeds 60-80 cm.

Note! If you still do not know which plant variety to choose, pay attention to the light level of your site. Also very important factors are the level of moisture, acidity and the composition of the soil itself.

For planting in an area where shade reigns most of the day, hosts with dark green and blue leaves are best suited. They will grow more slowly, but the color of the leaves over time will not only remain the same, but also become more saturated and juicy.

Decoration for a shady area

Hosts in the distant past have two wild ancestors. One species grew in partial shade, on the edges of forests. The second was comfortable near reservoirs, often in sunny areas. Depending on the genetic "inheritance" received, modern plants can have a variety of qualities. Today there are about six hundred species and varieties.

The variety of species and its use

The color of the leaf plates can be completely different. Coloring from green and bluish to yellow and variegated can tell a novice summer resident where it is better to plant a plant:

• rich greens feel great where others do not survive - in the shade of large trees;
• lighter and more variegated ones develop well in openwork penumbra.

It is worth paying attention to the shape of the leaves. There are many - with smooth and wavy edges, wide and narrowed, oval and pointed.The surface also has its own characteristics: smooth or with a pronounced bulge between the veins, there is even a coating that resembles wax.

But before the hosts have their own place in the garden, it is worth clarifying what the potential of the purchased plant is. Otherwise, transplants cannot be avoided.

The fact is that in the spring it is hardly possible to understand how high the bush will grow in two or three years from that division, which was brought from the store today:

1. Dwarf - up to 12 cm in height. This group includes Blue Mouse Ears, Cracker Crumbs, Teaspoon, Cherish.
2. Medium, which will raise leaves up to 35 or 40 cm. For example, Fire and Ice or Wolwerine was chosen.
3. High - about a meter. In Russia, Viking Ship and Tenryu have shown themselves well, its peduncle height can be more than 180 cm.

It happens that for some reason the cuttings have got no name, then it is best to plant them in areas with different illumination. If sunburn appears on the leaves, you will have to shade, and when the heat subsides, move the flower to a more suitable place with partial shade.

Landing features

When the Asian guest grows, it becomes necessary to propagate the funkia (this is the middle name of the plant). There are two ways to do the job:

1. Having dug up the whole bush and dividing it into parts, but so that in each division there is at least one growing bud. Do not allow the roots to dry out, otherwise the seedlings will not take root well.
2. You can separate several seedlings, like cutting a piece of cake. With this method, the mother plant remains in place. You will need a garden knife to work.

Further, the technical side of the process is quite simple. A handful of compost is added to the prepared hole and mixed with the soil. A small cone is poured in the center so that the roots of the delenka are better distributed, one and a half liters of water are poured and the hole is covered with earth. Having compacted the soil, water it again and then repeat the procedure as the crust dries up - the young plant needs moisture. At the same time, try not to wet the leaves. 10 days after planting, it will be useful to apply a complex mineral fertilizer.

Since funkia has natural pests - snails and slugs, it does not hurt to mulch the ground around the plants with pine sawdust or bark. This will have a double benefit: the plant will be protected, and the soil will dry out less.

Planting something perennial nearby is hardly worth it. The bush will begin to approach its normal size already in the second year, and the neighbors will begin to interfere with each other.

What to plant next

It will be very difficult to find a plant that does not look good next to the host. Gladiolus, lily, peonies, ferns and plants with carved leaves will perfectly harmonize.

Such plants in the landscape design of a garden plot look very advantageous.

Conifers are often used in garden design. They perfectly emphasize the greenery and spreading of the hosta.

In order to make a slight contrast among the greenery, you need to plant nearby plants with a shade of leaves that is not present in this type of hosta.

For example, Horny Goat Weed with red foliage, or Heycherella with purple coloration. To create a vertical accent, lilies, kupins or phloxes are used. Against the background of the hosta, these plants will look no less beautiful than a work of art.

Ornamental plants such as lungwort, variegated brunner or heuchera are also perfect for the host. It is important that these plants need similar habitat conditions, and this greatly facilitates the process of caring for them.

Plants with small leaves have always been considered a wonderful backdrop for hosts. It can be periwinkle, burda or meadow lysimachia.

Often tall grains such as reed grass or miscanthus are used as so-called neighbors. Together they create a complete composition.And for textural contrast, you can plant a plant with silvery leaves.

Landscape tricks

Over time, some rules have been developed for growing hosts. This can be summarized as follows:

• in the vicinity of a rose, the host should be planted in a flower bed on the north side;
• incompatibility in terms of cultivation conditions can be excluded by planting hosts in pots. Thus, a small garden with the participation of hosts can be mixed in different versions;
• from spring frosts, plants should be mulched with a thick layer of compost and nitrogen fertilizers should be applied.

Empirically, it turned out that the host in landscape design complements the flower arrangement if:

• neighbors are rich in foliage more in the upper part;
• other components of the flower bed have faded, wilted, and lost their foliage.

Ornamental stone path decorated with hosta bushes

Culture also acts as a refreshing backdrop for nondescript plants and is used as the main decoration when creating a flower bed. Starting from tall species, a further design of the flower garden is created with lower representatives of the same culture or other suitable plants. The lowest varieties (dwarfs) are planted in the foreground of flower plantings (rockeries, rock gardens, flower beds).

Correct care

1. Professionals recommend planting hosts with a bush. So, they form a pretty soil carpet. It should be noted that, on average, this plant lives in one place for up to 10-15 years, and shady areas are most suitable for growing them.
2. Places where hosts grow should not be watered and flooded abundantly, it is desirable that the soil is fertile and cultivated.
3. They are very resistant to frost, so it is unnecessary to cover them with peat for the winter. The leaves fallen from the trees will be enough. You not only preserve your plant, but also improve the structure of the soil with humus, into which the leaves will subsequently turn. And who knows, maybe your garden will become the benchmark for garden design.
4. Hosts reproduce well. This happens mainly by dividing the bushes and seeds. Be careful, the bushes can be divided only in the first half of May or already in August. Planting in spring is more preferable. So young plants will have the opportunity to get stronger by the fall. The process of dividing bushes is very simple. This is done with a strong sharp knife, very carefully and slowly. After dividing, the sections are dried and powdered with crushed coal.
5. Many species of this plant are capable of seed propagation. The sowing process takes place before winter. They sow seeds in wooden boxes and wait for shoots until spring. Water the seeds in the soil regularly for good growth.
6. There are some things to consider if you want to grow a healthy plant. First, keep the boxes only in the shade. To avoid rotting, the air must be dry. Second, ventilate the room regularly.
7. In order to quickly multiply new varieties, clonal technology is used. In this way, it is possible to bring the production of plants to the level of industrial production. There is one significant drawback to this breeding method. Seedlings show some vulnerability to adverse transport conditions, as well as planting in new locations. There is also a reduced resistance to various diseases.
8. If you still managed to grow a young hosta, very soon you will see her flowering. It is a pity, but the flowering process can be called remarkable only in the first few days. After that, the peduncles lose their beauty and look quite sloppy. The only exceptions are hosts with double flowers.

Care features

• The plant does not require special conditions and regular special care, but in order to get an excellent decorative effect of the foliage crown, the host needs to be periodically fed with mineral fertilizers.
• The main thing is to remember that if fertilizers were placed in the holes during the planting of young plants, then the hosta can grow calmly, actively bloom and not lose its color without fertilizers for 2-3 years. But it is better not to give up seasonal fertilization and carry out these measures in the spring, at the beginning of the period of active growth, during and after flowering.

It is periodically necessary to feed the plant with mineral fertilizers.

The sprouts of the future garden beauty

Remember! To maintain the size of the leaves, after flowering, the flower stalks should be cut off! In the autumn-winter period, the plant must be mulched in order to protect it from cold and frost.

Also, do not forget that in their homeland, hosts grow on river banks and in shady places, so they like well-moistened soil and high air humidity. But even with this, it is advisable not to overdo it. On hot days, you can pamper the host with a cool shower, and she will gratefully respond to such care the very next day. Summing up, it is worth saying that growing a hosta, you can transform and decorate even the most ordinary-looking and neglected area! Go for it!

A source

Benches and hosts

Not far from the host alley, put a small bench to relax and enjoy the landscape. To do this, study the design of garden benches in more detail and choose the appropriate option..

Types of garden benches:

Waiting bench

Such a bench should be located near the entrance to the house. The analogue is called the Russian zavalinka. A bench is an indispensable element for receiving visitors or people you don't want to invite into your home.

Summer bench

Usually such a bench is located on the north side of the house or near large trees so that it remains in the shade throughout the day. It is on it that we will hide from the burning sun rays.

Autumn-spring bench

This bench is the complete opposite of a summer bench. It should be placed in a place where the sun stays the longest in spring and autumn.

Some more interesting solutions

Gardener bench

Having worked well in the beds, every summer resident secretly dreams of being on a bench in order to straighten his strained back and visually evaluate his work. In this case, it is best to install a bench with a back closer to the garden.

Bench by the water

You can look at the water forever, especially if you have a bench and can sit down. There must be a bench of this type on the shore of a garden pond or fountain.

Dining bench

Most often, such a bench is installed near a large summer table, where the whole family gathers for lunch in nature or in the summer kitchen.

HOSTS IN THE INTERIOR OF THE GARDEN

Hosts are widely used in the lower tier of flower beds and hedges to decorate the bases of shrubs, beautifully draping their bare branches. Hosts look very good near artificial reservoirs and along the banks of small streams.

Low-growing host varieties are planted at the bases of rock gardens and rocky walls. Large, brightly colored bushes are planted singly on lawns and lawns.

Varieties of different height are planted in tiers along a rocky path. They can also very nicely close the not very beautiful foundation of a house or a barn. In general, hosts are plants that can decorate any corner of the garden.

They are especially in demand in highly shaded areas, where other ornamental plants cannot develop normally due to lack of sunlight. Read more in our article "Shade-tolerant perennials".

Hosta in landscape design

Depending on the host variety, the leaves of plants can be shiny or dull, smooth or textured, as well as narrow, heart-shaped or rounded.How can hosts organically fit into the design of a garden, if in nature there are about 50 species and more than 700 varieties of these plants? There are several simple rules that should be followed when choosing a host for a particular place on the site.

1. For single landing high (60 cm or more) types of host are suitable. You should not plant other plants around them, because large hosts are quite self-sufficient.

2... In curbs and mixborders it is best to grow varieties up to 30 cm high. They can be placed in the foreground where they look good and do not obstruct taller plants.

3. Hosts up to 20 cm are great for growing in rockeries - rocky gardens, where they become the backdrop for flowering crops. Thus, it is better to plant hosts not in the foreground, but in the middle of the composition or in the last row.

4. Near the pond Hosts with a height of 30-45 cm look advantageous. Several such specimens growing nearby feel good in the company of other moisture-loving plants. You can also plant the hostu near the water as an independent plant if the pond is very small.

Geometry in the creation of a flower garden

The use of geometric shapes in the planning of a flower garden complements the design solutions. Depending on the task at hand, the size and shape of the site, its location, the following are used:

• Triangle rule. In simple terms, this means that first tall plants are planted, for example, trees, then lower bushes and then flowers. Shades of foliage from high to low also vary from deep green to light green, light green and yellow. Moreover, each group is planted in a triangular shape.
• The rule of the circle. The circle helps to distribute the color and light spectra on the site. It can be divided into 2 or more parts and in each of them plants with related shades of flowers (leaves) can be planted. Only the rule of 3 colors, 3 sizes and 3 shapes should be observed.
• Square rule. It is based on the cardinal points and implies the planting of plants according to the size and characteristics of the content.

Hosts in the neighborhood of other plants

In order for hosts to look good in combination with other crops, it is important to focus on their coloration. The color of the foliage of these plants ranges from blue-green to bluish-gray. In addition, host leaves may have contrasting spots and stripes. At the same time, as you remember, the color may change slightly due to weather conditions, the place of cultivation or the age of the host.

Hosts are good for creating contrasting compositions with other plants. Many types of garden flowers will look great against the background of their variegated green leaves. For example, blooming astilbe and the hosts complement each other beautifully, framed by simple stonework.

A good tandem is obtained from hosts with garden geranium.

It is impossible not to say about the excellent company host and peonies.

The hosts are also very good friends and geyher.

Hosts also look good in mixed flower arrangements.

Conifers are good neighbors for the host.

Besides the fact that hosts are unpretentious, they are irreplaceable in landscape design. As you can see, creating an ornamental garden on the site, lush host bushes can be combined with many cultures. You just need to choose the right variety: taking into account the color of the leaves and the size of the plant.

Why hosta changes color of leaves

The change in leaf color in many host species is genetically inherent. Under any conditions, they will change color during the growing season. Shades can vary from white to blue. But their change can also occur from climatic conditions or violation of the rules of content. Changing types can be divided into:

• Viridescent is when any initial spring foliage color changes to a deep green towards the end of the season;
• lutescent - these leaves change in color from the original light yellow (yellow, variegated) to dark yellow;
• albescent - host leaves from spring yellow, light green and green become white by autumn;
• bluescent - the change in shades goes from blue to green, and the transformation occurs already in the middle of the season.

There are hosts with unchanging color, which retain their original color of leaves all summer.

Features of cultivation and types of hosts

Another name for this culture is plantain lily. It is a ground cover with chic, thick, wide leaves. The plant fits perfectly into most home garden decorative concepts. In the warm season (from spring to the first frost), it grows into an emerald-colored carpet. The host has the following advantageous features:

• love of shade, the ability to decorate well-lit and shaded areas of the garden without difficulty;
• unpretentiousness to conditions of detention and care;
• the ability to form a fairly extensive green cover on the site in just 2 years.

Advice. The optimal light intensity for planting hosts in the garden is partial shade. In such an environment, the color and texture of the leaf will be most intense. Different varieties have different lighting requirements from each other, but in general the fluctuations are not too great.

The popularity of the host is determined by its varietal diversity. It is important to decide on the species even before planting the plant. Your idea and implementation of the idea may depend on this. There are hundreds of varieties and hybrids today, plus new ones are bred annually. The photo will help you choose the one that suits you.

Among the most popular are the following varieties:

• Wavy. It has green leaves with white inserts and wavy veins. This perennial grows actively in large areas in a short period of time. The flowering of the variety occurs in July-August. In September, it must be pruned to improve the health of the greenery.

• Plantain. Larger view with heart-shaped leaves. His flowers are especially beautiful - white, delicate bells. It belongs to the most undemanding varieties of light.

• White-bordered. Neat, low bush. Green foliage has a white outline. Grows well near water bodies, loves clay soil.

• Numerous hybrid varieties. Their common feature is extreme endurance and unpretentiousness. Stronger than classic varieties. Florists are especially interested in 2-3-colored hosts.

How beautiful it is to plant hosts in their summer cottage, in the garden

To use a plant in the landscape, before breeding, you need to find a permanent place for it and decide what to plant next to the hosta. Transplanting the culture is undesirable. It is recommended to renew plantings after 6-10 years.

For your information! The host is capable of forming a dense green cover at the landing site in 2 years.

The place should be shady, calm with slightly acidic wet soil. For lush growth, you should immediately pinch the appearing pedicel. The beauty of the hosta is in the leaves, and the flowers are rather inconspicuous, so you can do without flowering.

Handsome host in the country

When planting, it is important to keep in mind that every year the plant will become more luxuriant, which means that you will need good space around.

Choosing a site for planting a plant

You can grow hosts in the garden even in the center of the site, even in the background. Only it is worth considering what plants the hosts are combined with. Based on the shade of the leaves, neighboring flowers are selected. For example, blue will look stylish with white, yellow with red, and other shades with green.

Important! If you have doubts about the selection of a place, then you can try to plant them in different areas and observe where they grow better. This place can be chosen as permanent for the next season.

With the arrival of autumn, the leaves of the plant are not cut off. The bush under the snow will serve as a shelter for the root system.Foliage removal is carried out in the spring.

Ornamental use of culture

The host in the garden is like a dress for a lady. You can choose a variety and style for any occasion. In order not to be mistaken with the choice, you need to adhere to a simple technique, which is based on well-known design postulates. The bush is placed in the composition or accentuated on it in a solo version. You can experiment with the shape, relief and texture of the foliage, make the plant the main or background element. In any of these cases, you will get a non-trivial landscape.

Solo disembarkation of hosts is not that common. Most often, in this case, designers combine high and low varietal forms, play with the pattern and shape of the leaves. This is not too easy to do, due to small differences in the care of varieties, different periods of their flowering. Monoclumba looks good in a composition with boulder stones or near water.

The host is able to complement the landscape composition if:

• neighboring crops have little foliage at the bottom;
• plants in a flowerbed or in another composition have withered and lost their decorative properties.

Advice. A characteristic property of hosts is to calm down overly bright and energetic combinations on the site.

The flower can also act as a tonic backdrop for overly pale plant groups. Tall varieties (60-90 cm) are used as the main decoration in the design of a flower bed. From them, a composition is built from undersized hosta species or other crops. The smallest representatives of the botanical genus (about 20 cm in height) are good material for decorating rockeries, rock gardens, the front of flower beds. Medium-sized varieties can be supplemented with plants with purple or white flowers.

How to plant a host (video)

Host care includes:

• regular removal of withered old foliage;
• faded buds and peduncles;
• loosening the soil and simultaneously removing weeds;
• mulching.

The hosts are distinguished by good frost resistance, but if the winter is cold and snowless, then the plants can be covered with coniferous branches or a light polyethylene covering.

Growing a host on your site will not be difficult even for novice gardeners. The main thing is to plant these plants correctly and create proper (not too difficult) care for them. And then these perennials will delight the eye with the high decorativeness of their foliage.

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For the first time, Europeans learned about the host, an endemic that grew in China, Japan and Korea, from the descriptions of botanists back in the 16th century. In the 19th century, these beautiful plants migrated from greenhouses to estates. Many summer residents are trying to grow spectacular host bushes in the garden. Landscape tricks, of course, are, and they must be taken into account.

Practical advice from florists for placing hosts in the garden

When planting a plant, you just need to take into account a few nuances:

1. Do not place it in the direct rays of the midday sun.
2. Hosts with green and blue shades of leaves will show their full qualities only in the shade. For yellowish and pale green varieties, diffused lighting is still needed. Only in this way will you achieve maximum decorativeness.
3. In a practical way, you can determine the optimal place for hosts in the garden by planting a couple of bushes in different parts of the garden.

Medium and low varieties get along well with neighbors: peonies, ferns, roses, lamb, lavender, heuchera, volzhanka, dicentra, astilba. You can find the perfect combination of color and shape based on the characteristics of different cultures. Low-growing hosts will also serve as the basis for flowering lilies, phloxes, etc., and will also look great next to spreading cereals: miscanthus, lightning, reed grass.

High varieties are often assigned the role of the core of the flower bed composition. Planting is carried out without background plantings, but with low bulbous, cereal and coniferous plants.The designers' approach to decorating the site with hosts relies on the combination of the flower with many ornamental crops.

Subtleties when growing

How beautiful to plant hosts in a flower bed? To do this, you can apply the following techniques:

• Medium-sized hosta varieties should be combined with lilac or white flowers.
• Varieties with green and blue leaves will show the best qualities only in the shade, and yellow and light green varieties need a lace shade for optimal decorativeness.

The delightful beauty of the hosta bush will be its own on any flower garden. Unpretentious cultivation makes it even more desirable for gardeners. And the ability of a culture to grow in the most unpopular areas of the garden makes them even more attractive. Only they must be protected from strong drafts! A calm, damp area in the shade - and the plant will look spectacular.

In landscape design, the hosta is valued precisely for the decorativeness of the leaves. Hosta is a perennial herb, all the beauty of which lies in foliage of different colors and shapes. In landscape design, this shrub is valued precisely for the decorativeness of the leaves, and its flowers play a secondary role in the design of plots, squares and parks.

A huge number of hosta varieties with leaves of different colors allows you to create all kinds of color compositions, giving the garden a fabulous splendor.

Host varieties

In appearance, the bushes resemble a plantain - they have the same massive leaves with large veins. The roots of the plant are strong, compact, the hosta tolerates transplants well. In addition, culture has a number of other advantages:

• unpretentiousness - the plant does not require special care;
• the ability to land on any soil - hosts grow both on clay soils and on sandstone or black soil;
• compatibility with any kind of flowers, shrubs and trees;
• the ability to land on any site: whether it is the sunny side of the garden or a shady corner;
• variety of types and shades;
• the possibility of long-term cultivation;
• good growth rate - in 2-3 years the bush occupies an area of ​​about one square meter;
• frost resistance - in the southern and central regions of the country, hosts do not need to be covered, they tolerate low temperatures well.

Today there are about four thousand hybrid varieties, each of which has its own distinctive features. From this variety, it is quite difficult to choose the most suitable plant.

However, all varieties can be divided into just a few groups, according to their external distinctive features:

1. Khosta curly is a very remarkable crop with dark green leaves that have a beige or white border around the edges. The leaves are very large, the bush itself reaches 0.6 m in height.
2. The wavy hosta, on the contrary, is white inside, and green at the edges of the sheet. The edges of the leaves are wavy - hence the name of the species. The height of the bushes reaches 75 cm.
3. Bloated varieties are distinguished by green leaves with pointed tips. The peculiarity of the species is strongly pronounced veins, which give the leaves volume. In height, such bushes reach a maximum of 0.5 meters.
4. Plantain varieties are very similar in appearance to ordinary plantains, only they are large in size. The leaves are colored deep green and have a glossy surface. Bushes of plantain hosta rarely grow above 0.5 meters.

Another distinctive feature is the height of the bushes. So, plants are:

• dwarf - up to 15 cm high;
• undersized - from 15 to 25 cm;
• medium - 25-45 cm;
• high - from 50 to 70 cm;
• giant hosts can reach a meter in height.

For example, tall plants are best planted separately, they are an excellent garden decoration in themselves. Medium-sized hosts go well with flowering plants in flower beds.And undersized ones are successfully used in garden design together with rockery or alpine slide, decorative pond, stone borders.

Species diversity host in the garden

A variety of hostas are currently available in specialized stores. These varieties have been developed by both domestic and foreign breeders. And every season completely new varieties come on sale., and this allows landscape designers to compose new compositions from this decorative perennial every year.

The number of hybrids is so great that it is much easier to subdivide them according to the appearance and color of the foliage.

Green, blue, blue, variegated

Lanceolate, oval, heart-shaped

Smooth, compressed, wavy edges

By the height of the perennial

Short, medium, large

Features of growing host

When purchasing a host for your site, you must remember that she:

• does not like strong sun;
• does not tolerate the wind;
• needs regular watering;
• it should be fertilized frequently;
• requires attention and regular inspection for infestation or pests.

There are two ways to plant decorative bushes:

1. With the help of seeds.
2. Cuttings.

The first method is good in that it does not require a lot of time and effort to complete it. However, it must be remembered that most hosts are hybrids, which means they have underdeveloped seeds. The percentage of germination of seed collected from plants, even after treatment with growth accelerators, does not exceed 80%. In addition, there is a high probability that completely different plants will grow from seeds collected with their own hands, unlike their "parents".

Most often, hosts are propagated by cuttings. For this method, it is necessary to separate the process from a 3-year-old bush and dig it in the same soil. At first it may seem that the stalk has not taken root - the leaves will become lethargic, the stem will tend to the ground. But that's how it should be. Timely watering by sprinkling will help the sprout to grow stronger, and after a couple of years a large healthy bush will grow from it, which is then transplanted to a permanent place.

Expressive groups from the host

In group landings, hosts do not know equals. Amazing contrasting combinations are obtained when planting a host with perennials, characterized by carved, openwork foliage, leaves of complex shapes. Such spectacular contrasts are obtained by combining hosts with different types of garden geraniums, with a variety of ferns (maidenhair, dwarf baptismal, ostrich, horned goat weed and Vancouver).

Against the background of powerful, wide leaves, the hosts acquire special expressiveness, the narrow leaves of the Siberian iris, daylilies, and Virginia tradescantia; it is interesting to combine hostas with all kinds of cereal plants, for example, such as spreading boron, sod pike, two-source. Combinations of hosta with geyhera are beautiful and unusual. Heucher foliage, in various shades of crimson-red and beetroot, with a bronze tint, becomes even more expressive against the background of large hosta bushes.

Yellow hosts with golden color of their leaves perfectly set off the color of foliage of shrubs growing next to them. Low conifers make harmonious combinations with most hosta varieties.

Plant care

The hosts do not require special care, but they need minimal attention. First of all, these ornamental plants with massive leaves need water. You need to water the bushes at least twice a week. In this case, the sprinkling method cannot be used - the crop is irrigated with a low pressure stream directed at the root.

If the ground around the hosta began to turn to stone, it must be loosened, solid soil harms the plants, they begin to turn yellow and disappear. Mulching is very useful for this culture; it can be carried out at any time of the season. For this purpose, chopped straw, ripe sawdust are used.

You need to feed the hosts once a month; any fertilizers are suitable for this: phosphate, potassium, and mineral.

Many gardeners do not allow the host to bloom, believe that this spoils the landscape design and disrupts the harmony in the garden. But some people like the delicate inflorescences that the hosts throw out in the summer.

Even before the stage of appearance of boxes with seeds, it is necessary to remove the wilting flowers so that they do not take away the strength of the plant. Dry and withered leaves are also removed. However, before wintering, it is not recommended to cut the foliage from the bushes, this will weaken the plants. In addition, the hosts' own foliage will provide additional heating for the hosts.

Variety of shapes and colors

The colors of the host leaves are very wide. On this basis, five main groups are distinguished: blue hosts (their leaves are covered with a waxy coating of bluish-gray color); green (the foliage of these hosts varies in different shades of green); yellow (host group with yellow foliage); variegata (a group of varieties with a variegated color of leaves with a yellow, white or cream border); mediovariety (in the host of this group, the main part of the leaf is yellow or white, surrounded by a green border).

The shape and texture of the sheet are also varied. The hosta leaf can be smooth or wrinkled; highly wrinkled leaves are a feature of the Siebold hosts (Hosta sieboldiana) and the hybrids created on its basis. The decorativeness of many host varieties is enhanced by deeply carved veins, which give expressiveness to the leaves.

Host leaves are round, oval, heart-shaped; they often have pointed tops. For example, the giant hosta Sam and Subatance, which grows up to a meter in height, has large (up to 60 cm) heart-shaped glossy leaves. There are hosts with narrow lanceolate or ovoid leaves; for example, the Medusa plant, whose narrow, variegated leaves grow almost vertically.

What can harm

In addition to the wind and the scorching sun, these decorative bushes can damage slugs, aphids or various diseases. The methods of dealing with these problems are as follows:

1. It is quite simple to find out about the appearance of slugs on the host - large holes form on the leaves. These pests are very fond of the fleshy large leaves and the humid climate that forms under the bush. You can get rid of them in a simple way - spread coarsely crushed eggshells around the bush. Slugs will not be able to crawl to the bush, as they will hurt themselves on the sharp edges of the shells. Another way is to place several bowls of beer, which are very attractive to slugs.
2. You can get rid of aphids with an antibacterial agent.
3. A common problem with moisture-loving plants is rot and fungus. In this case, fungicidal preparations will help.
4. White cotton rot is another host disease. It appears on the root collar of the plant. Dichloran will help cure the bush.
5. If the leaves on the host turn yellow, this indicates excessive waterlogging of the bush. Hosts need nutritious soil, and frequent watering helps leaching nutrients from the ground. To save a yellowing plant, you need to water it less often and fertilize it thoroughly.

Host species and varieties

Depending on the height of the plants, decorative leaf hosts can act as components of landscaping for a wide variety of landscape design elements:

• Ground covers, the height of which does not exceed 20 cm, are excellent for rockeries, rocky slopes and semi-shady corners of the garden.
• Low varieties up to 30 cm in height will serve as elements of container gardening. They are perfect for decorating borders and mixborders.
• Samples with a height of 30-45 cm will act as a background for flower compositions of natural landscape designs. They look great as solid carpets that serve as a background for medium-sized garden flowers: gladioli, lilies, delphiniums.
• Plants with a height of 45-60 cm will be a worthy framing of ponds and garden paths.Planted next to each other, they create a graceful, beautiful backdrop for flowering plantings.
• The tallest specimens, the height of which exceeds 60-80 cm, look most impressive as single plantings in areas with large areas.

Depending on the plant variety, the leaves can be round, heart-shaped or narrow. The texture of the leaves can also be completely varied: smooth and grooved, crinkled and wrinkled, shiny and matte, with a metallic sheen and waxy bloom. A plant capable of forming dense foliage "caps" is often used as carpet plantings, through the dense foliage of which weeds simply cannot break through.

In addition to the traditional green foliage colors, the palette of plant shades is also very diverse, ranging from pale yellow and cream to deep green and blue leaves that can create an incredibly beautiful background. In landscape design, plant varieties are most often used, forming bushes with a height of 40 to 100 cm, decorated with leaves from 6 to 35 cm long.

Variety hosts First Frost

Spectacular in appearance, fast growing, perennial crop. This variety always looks smart. The color of the leaves, depending on the season, changes from blue to green in the center with a yellow border. The flowers are delicate lavender. Blooms in the second half of summer. The variety is shade-tolerant, unpretentious to soil and care.

Variety Hosts Captins Adventure

Tricolor, medium size. The shape of the leaves is elongated, with pointed tips. Height 40-45 cm. Leaves are yellow-green. Blooms from July to August with small bells. Loves partial shade, moisture and mulched soil.

Variety hosts Blue Ivory

The plant is bluish-blue in color with a white edging on the leaves. Bushes of this variety are of medium growth rate. It blooms with light blue inflorescences, starting in July. The height of the bush reaches 45 cm. An unpretentious culture will not burden you with unnecessary care. Will be a worthy decoration for shaded areas of the garden. Possesses high winter hardiness.

Variety hosts Liberty

Awarded with prestigious awards, the hosta variety has a very beautiful color. Leaves are green-yellow, pointed in shape. It is considered a giant, the height reaches 90-100 cm. The perennial grows slowly, blooms in mid-summer with small lavender inflorescences. The plant creates shade well, fits into the background of flower beds.

Variety hosts Pandoras box

Dwarf variety. The leaves are round-heart-shaped. The color is gray-green with white blotches. The height of an adult bush is up to 10 cm. Suitable for growing in flower beds and pots. The bush looks interesting in the shade. The root system is slowly developing. The bushes are frost-resistant.

Variety hosts Patriot

It is a giant, more than 70 cm high and up to 120 cm wide. This elegant variety will delight you with its frost resistance, unpretentiousness, and immunity to diseases. She prefers places with fertile, moist soil, but does not tolerate stagnant water at the roots. That is why, when planting it, it is advisable to lay drainage material (gravel, expanded clay, broken ceramics).

Hosta variety Golden Meadows

The most beautiful variety with a corrugated sheet plate. Due to the fact that the leaf is stiff, slugs do not attack the plant, and therefore the decorative effect of the bush remains throughout the entire growing season. In the spring, it wakes up early and begins to develop actively: it seems that something is sticking out of the soil. Changes in its development occur every day - many gardeners love the plant for the opportunity to admire its changes. Golden Meadows belongs to large varieties, since its height, with proper care, exceeds 60 cm. A powerful bush, resistant to pests, color change during the growing season - from yellow to green, while maintaining a dark shade of fringe.

Variety hosts Big Daddy

A plant that is often used in landscaping ponds and rock gardens.It is planted in places dominated by "unattractive" trees, as its foliage is able to attract and hold admiring glances. The variety forms strong bluish leaves with well-visible corrugation. The height of the bush is 60 cm, the width is 120 cm. It needs fertile soil, loves moisture without stagnation of water at the roots, it is resistant to frost, infections and pests.

Siebold's hosta variety

Surprise with lavender flowering and ovoid leaves with a gray coating. Corrugated bushes will decorate a shady area of ​​the garden, will be an excellent decoration for the border. Due to the fact that the plant sets seeds, it has become a favorite among breeders, who use it to breed new hosta colors and forms. The height of the bush is up to 40 cm, the width is 60 cm, the color of the leaf is green-gray, it develops well in partial shade, it is undemanding to the composition of the soil, it tolerates frosts of more than 34 degrees.

Variety hosts Brim Cap

Differs in its compactness (height 40 cm, width 40 cm). Small cup-shaped embossed leaves of a dark green color with an uneven border will be an ideal addition to flower beds, ridges and mixborders. High decorativeness even when grown in deep shade, resistant to frost over 30 degrees, undemanding to the composition of the soil, but does not tolerate stagnant water at the roots.

June hosta variety

It is a unique plant that changes the color of its leaves several times during the period of active growth. Features: height of an adult bush - 45 cm, width - 90 cm, frost resistance - more than 35 degrees, not damaged by slugs. The plant prefers shade, since with abundant light, the leaf plate turns pale and loses its decorative effect.

Hosta variety Golden Tiara

A plant that conquers with its chic, embossed, light green foliage with a pale yellow edging. The color of the sheet plate may vary depending on the illumination of the area. The height of the rosette is 45 cm. The pearl of many collectors develops well in the shade, is frost-resistant, loves high humidity.

Hosta variety Cherry Berry

A picturesque bush that combines many shades at the same time, rolling from milky white to dark green. A bush 25 cm high looks exquisite in a flower bed among flowering plants. Grown in fertile, well-drained areas, reproduces in 3 ways, perfectly tolerates partial shade.

Hosta variety Albopikta

Dome-shaped bush with a chic relief light yellow cap of dense leaves. The height of an adult specimen rarely exceeds 70 cm. It grows and develops rapidly. The optimal growing place is partial shade, the ability to change color in accordance with the amount of light, prefers nutritious neutral soils, perfectly tolerates frosts over 30 degrees.

Variety hosts Whirlwind

Differs in rapid growth and undemanding care. The leaf during the growing season is able to change its color several times from white to yellowish-green. The height of an adult specimen is 30 cm, width is 60 cm. The plant prefers partial shade, but feels great in sunny areas (shading from direct sunlight is necessary at noon). As a rule, it is planted in the foreground of flower beds, as a curb, on rocky slopes, near water bodies.

Variety hosts Blue Ivory

A relatively new variety of plants with bluish foliage. A wide bush up to 1 m has an average height of up to 50 cm, it develops well in the shade and partial shade. It is noteworthy that the deeper the shadow, the richer the color of the leaf plate. The plant looks perfect as a tapeworm on the lawn, it is exquisitely combined with bright blue and lilac flowers.

Favorite of designers

Hosta is the favorite of landscape designers. Positive qualities for which she is chosen to design a site:

• A huge variety of species of this plant will fit any landscape design conceived. They differ not only in color, but also in the variety of forms of leaves and flowers.
• This flower is a perennial, some species of long-livers calmly retain their beauty and decorativeness for up to 25 years.
• The host is unpretentious and quickly adapts to the place where she was planted. It will grow well both in the sun and in the shade. The host loves semi-shaded places more.
• Simple to plant and easy to care for, they do not require additional time or cost. They need to be planted no more than once every five years, since by that time her plantation will grow greatly.
• Like any other flowers, it loves water, but an adult plant can do without it for a long time, if the weather is dry or the owners are absent for some time.
• Due to the large leaves that cover most of the land, weeds do not disturb the place where it grows. This eliminates the need for weeding.

  

• The host is not susceptible to infection by various fungi, but in wet weather snails and weevils readily hunt it. This will not do much harm to adult bushes, but young shoots may die.
• This flower is frost-resistant, it will not be frightened by frost. In winter, insulation due to fallen leaves will be enough for them. Only young immature plants need to be protected.
• Combines with any other flowers and plants without clashing. It is this quality that designers love very much, making it a link with all elements of landscape design.
• It will fit well into any place, whether it is a framing of paths or a porch, a pond or an element of an alpine slide. Hosta can be a separate seating area in the yard or grow in a container and decorate a terrace or gazebo.

  

The leaves of this plant provide a nice contrast, allowing for colorful compositions with other flowering plants.

Successful compositions

To create a beautiful composition, you need to decide what the host is combined with. First of all, this applies to low species.

To fantasize is possible and necessary

The combination of several types of funkii in one flowerbed looks great. In this case, you can play on options for the color and shape of the leaf plates. Of course, the light requirements of all plants should be similar.

Tall varieties may well grow on their own, forming luxurious clumps. Such decorations of a shady corner of the cottage look good on the lawn, framed by gravel or shade-tolerant dwarf relatives.

Florists have long been combining the function with other plants in landscape design. Heucheras and hosts complement each other perfectly, but only if they have enough room to grow. Using these plants, you can create a beautiful framing of the path or decorate with an elegant ribbon, for example, a seating area.

When planting a host with a geyhera, you need to think over the color scheme in advance and choose the necessary varieties. Heuchera can bring her bright strokes to the palette - from greens to yellows and purples.

To make the flower bed look as elegant in spring as in summer, you can settle early-flowering bulbous plants next to the host, which do without autumn digging:

• snow-white cannon and snowdrop;
• sky-blue woods and "melange" - with a transition from white to blue - muscari.

Harmony and style

This is perhaps the first definition that comes to mind when looking at the organic combination of lush multicolored brooms and elegant restraint of foliage. Beds of low-growing host and astilb species have long conquered the hearts of flower growers for many reasons:

• perennials feel great in shaded areas, turning nondescript, dull landscapes into beautiful alleys;
• plants live well even in conifers;
• bloom for a long time in the second half of summer where there is very little sunlight due to the lush crowns of trees.

Forming flower beds from astilbe and host of different varieties, you can create fantasy compositions by planting them in even rows or arcs, zigzags, alternating with each other, combining in color - unlimited scope for the landscape designer's creativity.The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise there is a risk of turning the elegant group into a chaotic mixture of everything that was purchased at the flower shop.

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Plants are neighbors

Hosta is not always combined with other plants, since it has about 40 species, different in shape, texture and color. Having landed several different host species side by side, you can create a colorful composition. Such flower beds are created to decorate statues and monuments, a fence and a terrace.

Almost any other will get along with the host in the neighborhood. For example, conifers will favorably emphasize the spreading shape and color of the hosta itself. Dicentra, hellebores or geraniums will help to emphasize the differences in the shapes and textures of the leaves. Hosta varieties with light and silvery leaves will make friends with hydrangea. A well sprawling bush will fit into a Japanese garden so fashionable now, complementing sedge, fern and rhododendrons.

When decorating rockeries, low varieties with blue or dark green leaves are used, growing, they resemble a carpet spread on the stones. By creating a "natural" flower garden, the hosta will fit well with the company of barberries and chamomiles, sedum and phlox. The combination of hosta with astilba looks amazing, the flowers of which, with fluffy colorful inflorescences, favorably set off the leaves of a saturated bush.

When creating vertical compositions, they choose tall flowers such as phlox, lilies or kupena. The hosts will beautifully cover the bare stems of tall roses. Plants with leaves of a different color, for example, Heuchera or Horny Goat Weed, will help to make a bright contrast. The combination of large host leaves with narrow leaves of tradescantia virgin and iris looks very advantageous.

Also, plants with small leaves will reveal the beauty of the hostas themselves, such as meadow lysimachia, budra or periwinkle. Also flowers with carved leaves: peonies, gladioli or ferns. Often when composing a composition, designers plant tall grains next to it, for example, miscanthus, lightning or reed grass. For color and textural separation, wormwood or lavender are planted next to them. Miniature hosta species get along well with lungwort and soft cuff.

Flower garden or flower bed with hosts

Astilba - what to plant next to

A herbaceous shrub will not get lost in a bright flower garden. The plant creates interesting compositions in multi-colored flower beds, the originality of which gets its portion of admiration. Flower gardens fenced with green border look more attractive, especially when the host participates in the design of the flower borders. With the help of designers, you can choose the right varieties with different colors of the sheets and their arrangement in the border. This will be the key to the beauty and uniqueness of the flower garden.

Multilayer border

Hosta curb

Border plants are involved in creating the landscape near the house on the personal plot. They separate decorative and functional areas. Hosta is considered a wonderful plant often used to create a green border. Designers suggest composing compositions of at least three of its types with different heights, planting along the paths. The main thing is the compatibility of the selected varieties of this perennial plant in shape and color, thereby obtaining a unique pattern. Border varieties include miniature Blue Cadet plants with blue leaves or Light Up.

When creating a beautiful and durable garden design, you should listen to the advice of landscape designers regarding the choice of a planting site, lighting, and the neighborhood of plants.

Host types

The types of this spreading bush are so diverse and numerous that only narrow specialists know them all. It is classified by height:

1. No higher than 20 centimeters are ground covers that are well suited for rocky design displays such as rockeries and alpine slides.
2. No higher than 30 centimeters - such plants are suitable for trimming borders and growing in containers for decoration in open spaces.
3. Not higher than 45 centimeters - they create a good carpet among flowering plants in design compositions.
4. No higher than 60 centimeters - these types of hosts will be a stunning decoration around any pond or stream.
5. Above 80 centimeters - tall flowering and colorful plants, planted next to each other, in a separate flower bed, will conquer any plant lover.

There are so many varieties of hosts, they differ not only in color. The leaves of this plant can be narrow, rounded or heart-shaped. To the touch, they are also all different - smooth and rough, matte and wrinkled, wrinkled and shiny, with a metallic sheen and velvety, wavy and with a waxy coating. Given the variety of leaf colors, hosts are distinguished:

• Green;
• Blue;
• Yellow;
• Variegated and with light edging;
• With a green border around the edges.

Popular host varieties

Wavy - took its name from its wavy leaves. It grows in the form of a ball of green leaves with a wide white stripe in the middle. Flowers, in this variety, appear towards the end of summer. For the plant to grow further, the flowers should be cut after they have faded.

Plantain - has large, smooth and green heart-shaped leaves. Its small white flowers look like small bells. It grows well both in the sun and in the shade.

Hybrid hosts are very diverse. Their leaves come in a variety of shapes and colors. The good thing about hybrid plants is that they are more resilient and will suit any designer's idea.

White-bordered very small size. It has green leaves with a white border, which is why its name. Loves clay soil and it is good to plant it near a pond.

Bloated - usually larger than average. Its light green leaves, pointed at the ends, are very large lined with stripes, which gives the impression that they are swollen. It blooms with white or lilac inflorescences on high stems.

Hosta on an alpine slide

The basic varieties of the crop are quite large. They are of little use for alpine slides. But through the efforts of breeders, dwarf plant species have been bred. In addition, some of their properties have been improved. For example, resistance to sunburn, decorative flowers.

New host hybrids

About 20 such hybrids have been obtained. The most spectacular of them are:

• Venus is a plant with small, shiny, heart-shaped leaves;
• Shining Tot has beautiful pale lilac flowers;
• Variegata - a native of Japan, has beige leaves with a light green and green border;
• longissima Maekawa is distinguished by narrow emerald leaves with a ruffled border;
• Ground Master is the owner of narrow and long leaves, which are framed by a yellow stripe, and a very dense root system. It can be planted to strengthen the soil on the shore of the reservoir;
• Kabitan A distinctive feature of the species is lanceolate, folded leaves with a light green center and a dense green stripe along the edge.

Hosta green plantain Venus

Also the hosts Lemon Lime, Vanilla Cream and Geisha look amazing. They are all yellow.

Dwarf hosts

Of the dwarf blue, the following are in great demand:

If it is impossible to acquire dwarf forms, it is quite possible to get by with basic varieties. On an alpine slide in the sun, their leaves will be smaller than in the shade.

Important! Hybrid varieties grow more slowly than base varieties.

Nevertheless, in the rock garden, hosts recommend placing them in the shade of stones or other plants. In any case, they should not be planted at the top, it is worth choosing a place at the foot of the hill. It is even better if the flower garden approaches the reservoir.

What is the host's disease?

The function is resistant to most diseases. The most common host-threatening pests are vole mice that feed on both the foliage and the roots of the plant. To protect the plant from them, frame your flower bed with a mesh border 15 cm deep and 20 cm above ground level.

Another common pest is slugs. They leave large holes in the leaves.It is quite easy to get rid of them by placing containers of beer around the bushes. In a day, the pests will creep into its smell and it will only be necessary to collect them.

Caterpillars, which can destroy the outlet in just overnight, as well as beetles and grasshoppers, are also dangerous to the plant. Spraying with insecticide will help to destroy them.

The function can also get sick with gray rot. Any fungicidal agent will cope with it.

Plants affected by frost can develop phyllostikosis. The disease manifests itself in the formation of brown yellowish spots on the leaf plates. The affected specimens should be disposed of and the soil should be disinfected.

Another strong danger for hosts is the virus, which manifests itself in the distortion of foliage and the appearance of small specks on it. There are no effective ways to combat this disease. There is only one way out - to dig up and burn the affected individuals.

Hosts in solitary landings

One of the features of the hosta, which distinguishes it favorably from many other ornamental plants, is that it is completely self-sufficient in order to be used in individual plantings. Such plantings are also called solitary plantings. For this method of decoration, varieties with large bushes and bright greenery, contrasting against the general background of the garden, are suitable.

We offer you to familiarize yourself with: Do-it-yourself landscape design of a summer cottage

Solitaire landing hosts can be used for the following purposes:

• seating in the corners of the garden to indicate natural boundaries;
• seating on dais allows you to visually make the hosta even larger, which especially emphasizes its flowers;
• finally, an excellent option for solitary planting - half-empty places where there are no other plants nearby; thus not only filling the void, but also highlighting the funkya flowers.

Content:

• Choosing a landing site for a host
• How to choose and buy a host
• Soil preparation
• Landing hosts
• Mulching

This plant turned out to be so practical that there are only flower beds of hostas, which are called hostaries. By picking up different varieties, you can create attractive and original flower beds that keep a beautiful look for a long time and which, moreover, do not require special care.

Under what conditions do hosts grow?

To do this, you need to study the features of varieties with different leaf colors and their reaction to lighting. Which ones prefer only shade, and which ones tolerate direct sun?

Green-leaved

These varieties prefer full shade, but withstand ambient light. An interesting green-leaved variety Plantaginea with fragrant white flowers blooming in late summer. Green-leaved varieties look good next to variegated plants.

Yellow-leaved

Hosts are considered shade dwellers, as their leaves burn out under the influence of the sun. The exception is yellow-leaved varieties that reach the maximum golden hue in sunny places. This also includes aromatic varieties. They require good lighting in order to retain their flavor.

The color of yellow-leaved hosts can range from golden to greenish yellow. The color depends on the variety, place in the yard, geographic region.

There are exceptions, for example Vanilla Cream. Its light yellow-lemon leaves fade in direct sun to a creamy hue. Therefore, the plant is planted in partial shade to preserve its decorative effect.

The golden-leaved Hosta Wogon's Boy turns completely green by autumn. She also needs shading.

Hosts with blue foliage

Halcyon is considered an immortal classic, the ancestor of many modern hybrids. It goes well with the crimson flowers of the garden geranium.

All blue hosts usually grow in full shade. Therefore, Hosta Winfield Blue is a real gift for gardens of any light level, which endures full sun.

Variegated varieties

Variegation is of two types. Foliage is called medio variegated when the center of the leaf is painted with a light color (white, yellow).For example, the leaves of Hosta Undulata Variegata are white in the middle and green at the edges.

Foliage with a light outer edging is called marginally variegated (Hosta Patriot).

Variegated plants can receive slightly more sun than green or blue varieties, although they lose brightness under too strong light.

The lacy shade is perfectly tolerated by the El Nino variety. Medium-sized bush. Elongated, pointed leaves curl around the center, making it look like a whirlpool. Disease resistant, not damaged by pests.

Soil preparation ↑

Dig up the selected area to a depth of 25-40 cm, cover with a layer of humus to a depth of 10 cm and mix with the excavated soil. It is very important that organic matter provides plenty of air space for vigorous root growth.

Having done this once, you do not have to repeat this operation, but your seedlings will take root well and quickly gain strength.

Mulching ↑

To suppress weeds and retain moisture, the hostarium can be covered with bark or pine mulch to a depth of 5-10 cm. Until the hosta has taken root, keep the soil moderately moist by regularly watering the flower bed.

Having bought a hosta once and planted it in a flower bed, you no longer need to pay much attention to caring for it in the future. As a result, you get another beautiful corner of your garden for years to come, even if you abandon it.

Photos by Muffet, Squirrel-Cottage, Bill-Murray, Dianna-Ott

What is uniqueness

Hosts are famous for their non-capricious nature and almost complete absence of problems with growing. In addition, plants are valued for their decorative effect, splendor, and original color of the leaves. They blend perfectly with most of the other flowers, shrubs and trees on the site, helping to form wonderful, picturesque compositions.

Unlike many other garden plants, the hosta prefers to be in the shade. Thus, with the help of this shrub, you can ennoble, make picturesque even those parts of the garden where all other flowers and shrubs refuse to grow.

Important: It is highly recommended to place hosts in semi-shaded and completely shady areas of the garden. This is especially true of blue varieties - in the sun their leaves turn pale, fade.

The uniqueness is also in the amazing variety of species and varieties. You can choose plants of a blue hue, with variegated leaves, with edged, huge, also any form of a shrub, and the height varies from 10 to 150 cm. Note that the selection is not complete, until now biologists are creating new hybrids.

And although many of the host and flowering plants are, they are valued in landscape design, first of all, for their leaves. It is the foliage that is the main decoration and distinguishing feature of the beautiful hosts. Some gardeners generally remove flowering arrows, as soon as they have time to appear, so as not to spoil the uniform color of the plant, not to violate the style of the composition.

Note that foliage can have not only different colors, but also different surfaces: it can be matte and glossy, completely smooth and rough, wavy, similar to paper. The shape of the leaves is also different: elongated, round, sharp, heart-shaped - there is plenty to choose from.

Hosta is remarkable in that it is able to maintain the freshness and beauty of its foliage throughout the growing season. Having built up lush greenery at the very beginning of summer, it remains decorative and picturesque until frost in the fall. The shrub looks great both on ordinary flower beds and during the formation of rocky landscape elements, near a pond, as a border, as a background, an integral element of a flower arrangement.

Original solutions for garden landscaping

For those owners of summer cottages who do not have enough time for watering, caring for the plants planted on the site, professional stylists advise choosing "portable gardens." For example, by placing hosts in huge flower pots, you can change their location at any time by transferring from one section of the garden to another.

Attention! Only undersized species are suitable for planting in pots.

Look here for a lot of interesting solutions regarding the use of hosts in modern landscape design.

Nursing and illness

If there is fertile soil under the host, then you need to feed it several times a year. Compost, humus is suitable for this. It is introduced in the fall in the form of mulch. You should not get carried away with mineral fertilizers, but if you still think that the plant is bad without them, then they should be introduced in the form of granules under the bush after the rain. The use of liquid fertilizers should be stopped in mid-July, otherwise the green mass will build up, and this will adversely affect the preparation of the plant for winter.

Watering should be done regularly - the soil should be constantly moist. Important features of watering:

• water should be poured at the root;
• the jet is weak or medium, but not strong, because it compacts the soil.

Important: if the hosta does not have enough water, it will signal this by darkening the tips of the leaves.

Care consists in loosening and weeding at first, while the hosta is growing. It is necessary to cut the plant in 3-5 years, since during this time it grows strongly.

Diseases that overtake the host:

• Fungal diseases. They appear on frozen specimens. Manifestation - yellow-brown spots on the leaves. Infected plants must be removed and burned, the place of growth must be disinfected.
• Gray rot. It appears on the leaves. Control methods - fungicides with a base - folpet.
• Sclerotinia or white cotton mold. Has an effect on the root collar. You can fight it with dichlorane.

The hosts also have pests - slugs. A clear sign of their defeat is holes in the leaves. Fight - bowls of beer around the plant. After a day, the slugs that have climbed into the container must be pulled out and destroyed.

Healthy Pest-Free Hosta: Whole Leaves

Breeding methods

There are several ways to dilute the host for use in landscape design (pictured). The most convenient is grafting. There is also an option with planting seeds.

Important: the seeds are harvested after the ripening of the fruit - a dense capsule that forms after flowering.

Seed breeding

The success of growing hosts in this way depends on the correct preparation of the seed. The seeds just need to be soaked in growth stimulants. For these purposes, fit "Epin", "Kornevin", you can use aloe juice.

Important: treatment with stimulants must be carried out without fail, since the percentage of similarity barely reaches 80%.

Another important aspect is the sterility of the soil, in which there should be no fungi and other microorganisms. If not disinfected, plants can grow sick. The best solution is to buy the substrate in the store. It must include peat, vermiculite and perlite. Sowing pots must be pretreated with medical alcohol, then pour the substrate. It must be well moistened, spread the seeds on the surface and sprinkle with a layer of substrate about 5-7 mm. Tighten slightly. Cover with transparent film or glass until shoots appear. This will create a temperature of + 18 + 25 degrees. After pecking, the seedlings should be watered regularly and should not be exposed to direct sunlight. But at the same time, the lighting must be sufficient. Before planting in the soil, the plant must be hardened.

Important: when grown from seed, the hosta often loses its varietal characteristics.

Seed host in garden design

Cuttings

This is an accelerated breeding option. It can be produced in spring or autumn (May or September). The hosta bush should be divided into small sprouts, the size of the plant after 2 years depends on what they are.

Cuttings must be cleaned of 1/3 of the leaves and planted in a shaded area. Almost immediately and within a few days, the sprouts will become lethargic, it will seem that they are lifeless. But this is a normal process, after a while they will come to life. Watering should be carried out by sprinkling. It is impossible to moisten the sprouts at the root, as this will negatively affect the root system.The host will reach its peak size in 2 years, it is then that it can be planted in a permanent place.

Different varieties of hosts, planted by cuttings

Site selection and optimal growing conditions

The choice of a place for a flower is very important, because it is supposed to be planted not for 1 season, but for a long time. It is better to take care of the growing conditions in advance, taking into account the following rules:

1. The different varieties of the "queen of shadows" have one thing in common: they like shaded conditions with inconsistent sunlight. Therefore, their flower beds are often located near garden trees or outbuildings. The fact is that if you plant flowers in an open area, then the strong sun can badly affect the coloring of the greenery - over time it will become paler, and burns may also appear.
2. Hosts love moisture, so it will be optimal to plant them in low-lying areas of the garden, where moisture will accumulate after heavy rains, or near artificial reservoirs. If the summer is dry, then it will be necessary to water often and abundantly - flowers do not develop well on dry soils.
3. You need to plant plants only on well-dug soil. Large earth stones must be broken. If you come across rhizomes of weeds, they should be removed.

Important! You need to make a decision on the choice of location taking into account the characteristics of a particular hosta variety. For example, varieties with rich green leaves like strong shade, while plants with yellow-orange greens prefer semi-shading. For them, the best option would be a place that is well lit in the morning hours and almost completely disappears into the shade during the day.

Photo hosts

Read here Ornamental shrubs: selection, planting, care and cultivation in the garden and on the house plot (140 photos)

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What plants does it adjoin

When choosing suitable "neighbors", the first thing to be guided by is the color of the plants. Often hosts are blue with a slight bluish cold bloom - warm greens and light green tones do not go well with this shade. Match blue shrubs and neighbors with matching colors.

Hosts also often have foliage of uneven color: spotty, with a border, strokes. It is better to plant such varieties in the garden against a background of monochromatic plants that can best set off the beauty of variegated leaves.

And since the hosta prefers to grow in the shade, it is better to coexist with the same shade-loving plants. You can plant roses, junipers, lilies nearby, if the variety is capable of growing in rarefied partial shade. Tall varieties are often used as the central part of the flower arrangement, the stem of the flower bed.

Remember that hosta has pronounced soothing properties: external qualities, decorative qualities. That is, by planting a shrub next to bright flowers, you can somewhat muffle the riot and brightness of the latter, make the overall picture more harmonious.

Combination

As for popular combinations, gardeners often plant hosts and astilbe together. This combination looks especially impressive when decorating rocky gardens, alpine hills. Ephedra (especially thuja) are also wonderful neighbors.

They go well with ferns, rhododendron dicentra. Compositions with geyhera, goryanka and rogers are effective. Cute forget-me-nots will be able to shade the splendor of the hosts - flowers in combination with blue host varieties look especially beautiful.

If the bush is small or medium, it goes well with peonies, lamb, lavender, volzhanka. Also, monochromatic undersized varieties will be an excellent backdrop for bright colors. They also look spectacular next to decorative cereals: reed grass, molin, miscanthus.

Tip: Make sure that the plants adjacent to the hosts do not have strong leafiness at the bottom.Otherwise, the foliage can block the host, which will ruin the overall impression of the flower garden.

How to choose and buy a host ↑

1. Avoid bright and colorful colors. One of the most common mistakes when creating a hostarium is to design it from some variegated, golden or white varieties. The flowerbed immediately catches the eye with its variegation, loses its harmony and seems chaotic, disorganized.

Therefore, use mainly green, blue varieties with a delicate pattern and diversify them with the shape of the leaves. The more of these varieties, the calmer the look of your flower bed will be.

The second reason is that the brightness of hosts depends on the amount of sunlight they receive. If they are located in deep shade or next to giant varieties, then variegated species will not be as beautiful as they should be.

For example, a bronze hosta in the shade turns greenish-yellow and loses its attractiveness and its famous shade.

2. When choosing varieties, be careful with giant and large varieties. They grow very quickly and begin to displace other plants. And in order to separate it, you need a crane or, at least, strong male hands.

Therefore, choose places for giants on the hostaria closer to the trees, the roots of which will not allow them to roam. And limit their number: one or three bushes are enough for a small area.

It is better to purchase more medium and small varieties. Small hosts are easy to divide, many do not even require a knife: you just need to pull them apart by hand. They can be divided every 2-3 years and transplanted to empty spaces, preventing them from growing to their full height. And then they will nicely complement the big hosts.

Preparing for winter

A firm opinion has been formed that hosts do not need preparation for winter, but this is not entirely true, certain manipulations before frost are still needed. This is more true for the territories of the middle zone and the northern ones. If the peduncles have not been cut, then this should be done before the seed pods are formed. The soil should be mulched; loose (peat) or other materials (dry grass, rotten sawdust) are suitable for this. In spring, mulch will be an excellent organic fertilizer. It is very important to do this before the leaves lodge.

Mulch should be added with phytosoprine in combination with tobacco dust. This cocktail slugs cannot stand on the spirit. It is not necessary to trim the leaves after yellowing and lodging, because this greatly weakens the plants. In addition, its own leaves will become a natural insulation for the roots.

What is hosta combined with: choosing plant companions

Along with many of the considered advantages, the hosta has one more: it does not compete with other plants and gets along well with most of them. The only exceptions are those who love the abundance of light. For example, roses require a lot of sun, and hosts, as already mentioned, prefer partial shade or even strong shading, so they are not grown together.

Among other colors, the function goes well with the following:

• ferns;
• conifers;
• geraniums;
• lungwort;
• primrose;
• digitalis;
• mountain woman;
• astilba;
• gladioli.

We offer you to familiarize yourself with: We make beds of a unique design on our site

She can not only emphasize their bright flowers favorably, but also show her beautiful sides due to the contrast of greenery (for example, against the background of bright green ferns).

Choosing a landing site host ↑

Since the hostarium is created for many years, be careful when choosing a place for it.

Find a fairly spacious place in your country house or garden, and it can even be a shaded area. Usually, the choice falls on areas under large trees or near the walls of buildings. Note that for variegated varieties, at least the morning sun is desirable.

If your chosen area has a lot of sun or sandy soil that dries out quickly, consider how you will water the hosta.Although the plant tolerates drought, it requires moderately moist soil for a beautiful view, and it will often have to be irrigated in such areas. In addition, during the growth period, this perennial simply needs regular watering.

Benefits of using a host for garden decor

Hosts (funkii) are quite popular plants that can often be found in the garden. The secret of their widespread use is as follows:

1. Unpretentiousness in growing - these flowers do not require any special maintenance conditions or soil components.
2. The plant is a real long-liver - it grows and blooms successfully in the country for 20 years, and sometimes more.
3. It is not without reason that the host is considered the queen of the shade - she prefers partial shade or even heavily shaded places, so she can be used on almost any part of the garden.
4. Greens can have different shapes (round, heart-shaped, tapered) and surface nature (smooth, wrinkled, matte, corrugated, etc.), so it goes well with a variety of colors.
5. In addition to garden design, hosts (especially their green part) are used to create beautiful flower bouquets.
6. Plant varieties are extremely diverse in stem height (some grow up to 19-20 cm, others can rise up to a meter). Thanks to this, you can create a variety of flower arrangements.

Important! Since the hosts live and decorate the site for a very long time, summer residents initially carefully determine the place where the plant will feel most comfortable. To do this, you can plant 2-3 identical flowers in places with noticeably different conditions (shade, soil, level above the ground) and look in a year where the flowers have the greatest brightness and where the greenery grows the most.