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First Frost
Issue 26 | February 2009    
                   
  What's new for 2009?
This
newsletter contains a list of all the new, and re-introduced, varieties we plan to have for sale in 2009.
We had hoped to do a complete listing of all available varieties for 2009, but there isn't enough room! Instead, we have created a PDF of our 2009 catalogue you can download and print off - see here for more details.
 
                   
                   
 
  H. 'Arctic Blast' £20.00
H. 'Beckoning' £15.00
H. 'Blue Baron' £10.00
H. 'Blue Hawaii' £12.00
H. 'Blue Flame' £10.00
H. 'Blue Jay' £10.00
H. 'Blue Maui' £10.00
H. 'Bold Edger' £10.00
H. 'Boyz Toy' £12.00
H. 'Bridegroom' £12.00
H. 'Bright Glow' £8.00
H. 'Cathedral Windows' £20.00
H. 'Chickadee' £12.00
H. 'Dawn's Early Light' £15.00
H. 'Daybreak' £10.00
H. 'Déjà Blu' £10.00
H. 'Devon Gold' £10.00
H. 'Extasy' £18.00
H. 'Faith' £15.00
H. 'Frosted Mouse Ears' £18.00
H. 'Frozen Margarita' £12.00
H. 'Fulda' £10.00
H. 'Ginsu Knife' £20.00
H. 'Goldbrook Glory' £15.00
H. 'Goldbrook Grayling' £10.00
H. 'Golden Sculpture' £15.00
H. 'Great Arrival' £12.00
H. 'Hacksaw' £12.00
H. 'Harpoon' £10.00
H. 'Heart and Soul' £12.00
H. 'Heart Throb' £10.00
H. 'Hirao Supreme' £10.00
H. 'Holy Mouse Ears' £20.00
H. 'Hush Puppie' £12.00
H. 'Ice Prancer' £15.00
H. 'Jerry Landwehr' £18.00
H. 'Johnny Angel' £15.00
H. 'Jurassic Park' £15.00
H. 'Katie Q' £10.00
H. 'Katsuragawa Beni' £15.00
H. 'Lakeside Down Sized' £10.00
H. 'Little Stiffy' £12.00
H. 'Lonesome Dove' £12.00
H. 'Majesty' £12.00
H. 'Marmalade on Toast' £10.00
H. 'May' £15.00
H. 'Mohegan' £12.00
H. 'None Lovelier' £15.00
H. 'Ogon Tachi' £15.00
H. 'Old Glory' £12.00
H. 'Olympic Silver Medal' £8.00
H. 'Pamela Lee' £12.00
H. 'Paradise Ocean' £8.00
H. 'Paradise Sunshine' £12.00
H. 'Parhelion' £12.00
H. 'Peanut' £12.00
H. 'Pewterware' £12.00
H. 'Plug Nickel' £8.00
H. 'Prairie Sky' £12.00
H. 'Purple Passion' £8.00
H. 'Red Salamander' £12.00
H. 'Spartacus' £20.00
H. 'Star Light Star Bright' £15.00
H. 'Stirfry' £12.00
H. 'Sum Cup-o-Joe' £20.00
H. 'Teeny Weeny Bikini' £15.00
H. 'Titanic' £15.00
H. 'Viking Ship' £18.00
H. 'Vulcan' £18.00
H. 'Whirligig' £10.00
H. 'White Christmas' £12.00

The new varieties are always popular, indeed three of the new varieties we had for sale in 2008 were sold out after the first day of the first show, Harrogate Spring. We have managed to get hold of further supplies of these varieties as they are stunning:

H. 'Mourning Dove'
This small cultivar has wonderfully subtle colouring from the creamy yellow margins through to the smokey blue centres. It was the first variety of the year to sell out.
H. 'Nancy'
Another small variety, this cultivar is spectacularly yellow in the spring. The leaves are lutescent so the intensity of colour seems only to get better as the season progresses. If you are looking for a plant to lighten a dark corner of the garden then this could be an excellent one to consider.
H. 'Nightlife'
We planted this medium-sized cultivar alongside H. 'Nancy' in our display at Harrogate, just to illustrate how well they go together. The leaves emerge blue-green and then turn more grey-green as the season progresses.
PSST... don't forget, we operate a waiting list for special requests
If you have your eye on something not listed as available, and the plant cannot be split immediately, then you can always go on the waiting list and be first in line when the plant is ready.
   

Re-introductions for 2009
As collectors, our passion lies as much in the old varieties as in the new. One of our particular joys is the ability to re-introduce older varieties when they have long since fallen out of the wider market, for whatever reason.

Following special requests in 2008, we split a number of giant cultivars. As a result we will have supplies of the following for sale this year:

Blue Mammoth
H. 'Blue Mammoth'
A favourite among collectors of giant blues.

Domaine de Courson
H. 'Domaine de Courson'
A fantastic sport of
h. 'Sum and Substance'.

Lady Isobel Barnett
H. 'Lady Isobel Barnett'
Another fabulous sport of h. 'Sum and Substance'.

Great Expectations
H. 'Great Expectations'
An old favourite that is very slow to grow but very much worth the wait.

Krossa regal
H. 'Krossa Regal'
An elegantly tall variety that makes a statement.

Pathfinder
H. 'Pathfinder'
A slow grower but a lovely plant once established.


H. 'Potomac Pride'
This cultivar really earns its keep as a rich dark, glossy-leaved background to other planting.

Thunderbolt
H. 'Thunderbolt'
Often requested for its dramatic colouration.

In addition we have very limited supplies of:
H. 'Corona'
H. 'Elisabeth'
H. 'Herkules'
H. 'Riptide'
All these plants are direct splits from our collection and so have excellent root systems. Because the leaves are already huge, they will need staking until they establish.

 
     
 
Next month: Some tips on starting a hosta collection...
     
             
  The advice and opinions contained within this monthly newsletter have been formed over more than 30 years of experience with the Hosta genus. We are constantly learning and refining that knowledge and would welcome any suggestions that readers of this newsletter would like to make so please contact us.  
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