I’m thrilled to see any foliage pop out of the ground after a long winter, but there’s something especially refreshing about hostas. The leaves are so perfect when they first unfurl and the bunnies and slugs haven’t yet taken any bites.
Here are some hostas that are opening in my yard right now. I have some green-and-white cultivars too, but they are barely poking out of the ground right now, so they didn’t make this gallery.
This is the gorgeous ‘June’ which sends up lavender flowers on 20-inch scapes:
‘Rainforest Sunrise’ was the 2013 Hosta of the Year winner:
‘Golden Tiara’ is one of my favorites. It fills in an area very quickly and really brightens up the shade:
‘Guacamole’ grows 22 inches tall with 36-inch-tall lavender flowers. The leaf centers will turn gold as summer progresses.
And my whopper is the classic ‘Frances Williams.’ The plant grows 22 inches tall and sends up 30-inch scapes with white flowers. I adore those gigantic leaves:
I used to wrinkle my nose at hostas, but over the years I’ve learned to appreciate how reliable they are. They aren’t hampered by black walnut juglone or competition from tree roots. They tolerate heavy shade and some will even thrive in full sun. And most cultivars are hardy to Zone 3. After losing a lot of perennials over the last two very harsh winters, I’m ready to give more hostas a try.