A Hosta for Partial Sun? Yeah!

The plan was  to devote most of this spring to adding to my shade garden.   That was, before my dead- grass-ugly-ugly-lawn issue became one huge problem that can not be ignored.  Lots  of work there and it looks like  it’s going to take a couple years to get it back.   But that’s another story…

Back to the shade garden.  I started it three years ago by adding a few flowering bushes – lorepetulums. and a few grasses that will tolerate shade.  I then added hostas and astilbe.  (I once saw a photo of those two together and it’s been my shade garden dream ever since.)

not from my garden - yet!

To my dismay, both the hosta and the astilbe were very slow to take off.  Last year I thought the astilbe were pretty much dead and the hostas were so puny.  Where were those big, delicious mounds of heart-shaped leaves and those stunning  plumes of feathering flowers?  Not in my garden, that’s for sure.  Too hot here in SC?  Even with the dense trees giving them great shade, I had to move three because they were getting just a bit of “dappled” sunlight.  I had almost given up…  I decided to add a drip system back there, and amended the soil around each plant.  Maybe those big trees were sucking the life out of the surrounding soil.

Now, my hostas are  looking great already! Even their companion plants, those half-dead astibe are showing vigorous growth.   And it’s only April!  Woo-hoo.  This shade garden of mine might actually make it.  Time to flesh it out and start adding some more beauties to help with the vision of that lush garden in the shade..

The only area that was still stumping me was the edge of this garden, where the hot summer sun does reach in for a few hours a day.  I’ve already relocated three different hosta deeper into the shade.

Then today I  discovered a hosta that claims it does well in partial sun.  (Well, the hosta didn’t actually do any claiming.  Other people who hold Mr. Hosta in high regard did the talking for him.)  Really?  So did those other “part sun”  hostas.  Checked around with a few garden sites and yep, it seems this new (to me) hosta is GREAT in hot, part sun areas.  More than one gardener called this hosta “the best new hosta to hit the market in the last decade.”  All right, I’m hooked.  What is this miracle plant that I MUST have in my garden?

OK –  here it is (drum roll, please….)  The Stained Glass Hosta

Excerpt from the Santa Rosa  Gardens Catalog On-Line:

“Hosta Stained Glass has gained quite a reputation for excellence.  It made Hosta of the Year in 2006.  It was bred by Hans Hansen from Minnesota.  It gets its name from the shiny highly detailed leaves giving the impression of stained glass in the early morning light.  The large 10.5 inch leaves are a yellow-green with a dark green edging.  The foliage also has a three dimensional effect with its deep veins creating great texture.  In mid summer a scape will emerge from the foliage and rise 30 inches to produce light purple funnel shaped flowers.  These flowers have a lovely scent and will attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds!  Another great feature is its ability to tolerant more sun and heat than most other hosta varieties.”

And  yes, I bought one, ok… three of them.  And I can’t wait to see how they do here in the Part Sun area of my South Carolina Shade Garden.