Hosta Garden Appreciation
Print
EmailOur hosta collection boasts 160 varieties.
I must admit, when I first started my job here (and for the majority of my life), I never really thought much about hostas. They seemed so typical, as I could find them in almost every yard that had some sort of landscape. Things changed within a couple of years after being exposed to the hosta garden here at the Horticulture Gardens, although I was a little stubborn at first to change my view. Renata must have done something right when designing
the layout of our hosta collection because every year I am more and more charmed by these hardy, tough, reliable perennials that come in a number of textures and sizes.
The hosta garden has really been shining lately, too – it is maturing and growing into its space, and they are eager to be noticed. Plus, what a great space to work in. I can take credit for maintaining the space, but our past perennial garden manager, Renata Reibitz, had the vision of designing and installing what you see now.
When you visit the hosta garden, you can get a feel for how each one of our 160 varieties fares in our Michigan climate. There are spots that provide more sunlight and deeper shade, so you can take comparative notes on how certain varieties grow in these conditions. A few of my personal favorite varieties are pictured, including ‘Raspberry Sorbet’, a simple, small, yet stunning little hosta that I am always attracted to every year.
I love prepping the garden in the spring when the foliage is emerging from the soil, watching their blooms shoot up at different times throughout the summer, seeing bumblebees fall asleep on top of the flower towers, and appreciating the mayapple that came with some hostas that were donated by the late and great Jerry Nester. I feel joy when seeing reactions from our garden guests when they discover the hosta garden for the first time – they are amazed and full of wonder, and they get a kick out of all the names.
And in the fall, which is coming up shortly, the ivy backdrop shines a brilliant red, setting the perfect stage for the color change as our hostas prepare to go dormant for the winter. When visiting the gardens, make sure you head north of our orientation plaza and see this garden for yourself before moving on to our stunning annual gardens. Take the time to appreciate a hosta today! For a full list of our Hosta inventory visit our Hosta Inventory page.
