I adore Hostas!
They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is hard not to love the lush green leaves and the many varieties mean that you can create a stunning display of luscious green foliage. At Houghton Lodge Gardens, we have a beautiful Hosta bed in the Walled Garden.
Growing Hostas
One of the most asked questions from visitors is ‘How do you keep you Hostas looking so amazing?’ Well, I’m here to give you some tips on how to care for Hostas, so hopefully next season you will have Hostas as beautiful those at Houghton Lodge Gardens
One thing loves Hostas as much as I do: Slugs.
Slugs are infamous for eating their way through the succulent leaves. Our method for protecting hostas is ‘Biological Control’, and we do this using a natural predator to eradicate the slimy assailants.
Nematodes are microscopic eelworms, some are bad for gardening ( e.g. Potato Cyst Eelworm) while others can be used for good. We feed the soil with parasitic nematodes which ‘eat’ the slugs. The nematodes come as a kind of powder, which you dilute in water and then you simply water the soil in the Hosta bed. This is definitely a major factor in why our Hostas do so well.
How to care for Hostas. Hostas need regular watering in dry weather, the soil should be slightly damp up to 15cm down. Watering is particularly important if you keep your plants in pots.
Hosta care over winter
How to care for Hostas over winter. At Houghton Lodge Gardens we mulch all our borders over winter, this keeps the earth warm, adds moisture and feeds the soil. Make sure to check what type of soil you have to choose the best mulch for your garden. Poor soil may also benefit from a general-purpose fertiliser.
Visit the RHS website for more information and to learn more about soil types.
For more information on Hosta care follow this link:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/hosta/growing-guide
Types of Hosta
A difficult decision but I would have to say that my favourite Hostas are:
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‘Church Mouse’ – A miniature Hosta. Blue leaves with a yellow margin which turns blue.
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‘Ripple Effect’ – Small clump forming Hosta. Ruffled yellow/blue leaves.
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‘Captain Kirk’ – 50cm high. Broad ovate leaves. Mid green with an almost tie-dye yellow in the centre.
And remember! If you see us in the gardens and would like to know more, please do ask any gardening questions
See you soon.
Cat, Under Gardener
Find Cat on Instagram for more plants and pictures @cat.kin_
