There’s a few caveats when choosing and growing hostas, however. Alas, if deer like to roam in your garden, they are very likely to eat your hostas before you can enjoy them. Hostas are susceptible to damage from slugs and caterpillars. In unusually hot summers, hostas might suffer from sun or heat damage. Be sure to divide your hostas every 3-4 years to keep them at a manageable size and to keep the root systems healthy; divide in fall just as they’re going dormant. When designing a shade garden that includes hostas, you’ll want to consider a few of their characteristics when choosing them, including size, shape, texture, color, flowers, and form, as well as companion plants. We’ll cover each of these below, along with suggestions of hosta varieties. Popular varieties include “Blue Mouse Ears” (pictured), ‘Sun Mouse’, ‘Stiletto’, ‘Little Caesar’, ‘Mini Skirt’, and ‘Tiny Tears’—perfect for a fairy garden. Some gold varieties have red stems, including ‘Lipstick Blonde’ and ‘Fire Island." Hosta flowers also sometimes come in attractive colors: ‘Aphrodite’ has large, fragrant double white flowers. In a large hosta planting, a mix of leaf shapes adds interesting visual texture. For rippled leaf edges, try ‘Wiggles and Squiggles’ or ‘Neptune.’ The term substance is often used to describe hosta varieties which have a somewhat thicker leaf than others. This thickness can be found in smooth or corrugated leaves and it provides resistance to slugs. Some varieties known for heavy substance include ‘Neptune’, ‘Sum and Substance’, ‘Whirlwind’, ‘June’, ‘Maui Buttercups’, or ‘Empress Wu’. As you get more familiar with different varieties and their growing habits, you will become more adept at designing with them. The shade garden above has a wonderfully balanced design with a dynamic color palette (including a purple heuchera for contrast), as well as a mix of shapes, sizes, and a balance of solid to variegated leaves.
