This week...Hostas

With their lush foliage hostas are ideal ground-cover plants, particularly for shady areas

- GRAHAM RICE

HOSTAS are cold-tolerant hardy perennial plants grown mainly for their attractive leaves. From a tight, slowly expanding crown at soil level, pointed buds emerge and unfurl in spring. Later, in summer, many varieties produce upright stems that carry flared mauve or white trumpets that are sometimes heavily scented.

The leaves are often heart-shaped, or narrower and more elliptical, or even sword-shaped, and often feature a network of veins and may be puckered.

Variety of colours

The colours, and patterns of colours, in the leaves of hostas are many and varied - and they come in a huge variety. Colours may include combinations of blue, grey-blue and blue-green shades, a huge range of chartreuse, yellows and golds, and many with a central gold or white splash in the centre of the leaf or colouring the margins.

Varieties of hostas with red stems and red colouring in the leaves are also slowly becoming available. The colouring may change as the months pass before the first frost cuts the leaves down.

How to buy

MAIL-ORDER suppliers offer hosta plants singly or in packs of three or more for ground-cover use. Hostas are sold by mail-order nurseries as plugs, as plants in a variety of sizes. Plugs need to be potted and grown on to a larger size before planting, while potted plants can be planted as soon as they arrive and will grow away well. Some DIY stores and retail nurseries offer plants in large pots, and these are ideal for creating impact instantly.

Hostas by size

Miniature hostas: mounds of foliage 8in (20cm) or less tall. 'Paradise Puppet' has wavy edged green leaves 8in (20cm).

Small hostas: 9-14in (23-36cm) in height. 'Blue Mouse Ears' has blue cupped leaves.