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Hosta
Plaintain Lily

Hostas are excellent low-maintanance shade-lowing perennials. Hostas are also called Plaintain Lilies by many gardeners. They come in many varieties, colors and sizes. There seems to be no end in sight to the number of new varieties that breeders are coming up with. The newer varieties are more expensive than the old standbys, but in general Hostas are not that expensive. My favorite is still the traditional green and white varigated variety Hosta 'Ginko Craig'to the left.

As I previously mentioned, Hostas come in varieties ranging from five-feet high to miniature four-inch varieties. Hostas are easy to divide in both the spring and the fall. Most varieties do not have to be divided that often. I would not recommend dividing them more than every three years.

Hostas are easy to grow. However, slugs and snails can become a real menace. They eat and cut up the leaves. There are some Hosta varieties that are labeled "slug resistant". These varieties have thicker and waxier leaves. Also, I have found that instead of mulching around my Hostas, I place small gravel or sand. This practice seems to deter the snails and slugs, but not totally.
The all green Hosta above produces beautiful spikes with fragrant lily-shaped flowers in late summer.

Black-eyed Susan
Butterfly Bush
Chrysanthemum
Croscosmia
Daylilies
Epimedium
Helleborus
Japanese Anemone
Tree Peony