Here's what to consider when choosing shrubs, and lots of hosta options
Q. What things do I need to consider when purchasing a shrub for my yard?
If you have a certain space in mind, you will want to find a plant whose needs match what that area of the yard has to offer.
How much of the day is the sun shining there? Full sun is considered six or more hours per day, part sun is four to six hours or just dappled shade for most of the day. Full shade is less than four hours of sun per day or just part of the day in dappled sun.
Is this a low spot or the top of a berm? Tops of hills or berms tend to dry out quicker and low spots may collect more water, even standing water.
What kind of soil do you have? Clay does not drain well and may restrict roots that are not vigorous growers. Sandy soil is very porous, so water drains away. Loamy soil with a good amount of organic matter is considered a richer soil.
Do you know the pH of the soil? Most plants grow best in neutral pH range of 6.5 to 7.5. Higher than that would be acidic and lower than the neutral range is alkaline.
How much room do you have in the area you want to fill? What is the maximum height and width?
What do you want and like in a plant? Flowers, colorful foliage, pointy or smooth leaves, straight trunks or contorted, certain colors, etc.?
Once you have analyzed all these aspects, you can begin your search for the perfect shrub to fit your space by finding a plant that prefers all the things your location has to offer.
Q. I have lots of shade in my yard and have lots of hosta. I really like hosta but would like more than just the green (or green and white variegated). Are there many other colorations of hosta?
You are in luck. Hybridizers have been trying to create more variations of hosta to broaden the interest and appeal of this shade favorite.
There are chartreuse, yellow, variegated with a combination of these with other shades of green, and even almost-white varieties. Some even combine several shades/colors into one leaf.
Some hosta have a brighter or darker color of midrib and/or veins and/or leaf edges that create an interesting contrast.
There are hosta that show a reddish tinge on part of the leaf during a period of the plant development (usually in spring, but sometimes also in fall), referred to as a blush. Some newer hybrids are getting a little deeper reds and purples that are longer-lasting.
The different colors occur in the plants depending on levels of chlorophyll (green) with Anthocyanins (red — increased by more sun) and Carotene (yellow — which is more apparent later in the summer, into fall, as chlorophyll naturally diminishes).
There are lots of options out there now and more appearing all the time. Filigree and White Feather are white. Lady in Red is mostly white with red midrib and veining and frilly edges. Raspberry Sundae is green and white with a splatter of red up the midrib. Halcyon is bluish.
Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Master Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: What to consider when picking out shrubs, and colorful hosta options
