Choose well, and hosta can stand the heat
While seeking out shade in the heat of early June, my mind goes to hostas and their shade-loving companions. I grow a few hostas in my garden and love the texture and color they add, especially in combination with perennials like variegated Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’; Japanese painted fern, Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’; and hellebores. Bill Hudgins, owner of the Buckhead garden shop Lush Life, is known for his extensive collection of Japanese maples and the way he deftly incorporates them into his garden. Beyond maples, though, he has stunning combinations for shade, including hostas. A favorite is the large-leaf Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ paired with a wonderful green and gold variegated grass, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola.’ He admits, though, that the blue-leaved forms tend to fade in the intense heat. Other winners for him include H. ‘Gold Standard’ with gold leaves edged in green and H. ‘June.’ For companions, he uses ferns and epimedium as well as boxwood. He also grows hostas in pots including H. ‘Sum and Substance’ ( I love the huge chartreuse leaves) and H. ‘Francee.’ When I caught up with Jack Driskell, a horticultural technician for the new Smith-Gilbert Arboretum in Kennesaw, he talked about hostas that have done well for him despite heat and dry weather. These include H. ‘Sague’ (leaves are a dark blue-green center and a cream edge), H. ‘So Sweet’ (shiny green with a cream edge and growing in a pot) and H. ‘Spritzer’ (gold when they first emerge).
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Make a place to enjoy water
With the drought, I find myself thinking about how nice it will be to have water in my new garden, even just a small feature. I still haven’t decided what style it will be, but I know it will be self-contained and easy to install. No matter what type of garden you have, water is a welcome element. It appeals to our sense of sight, sound and touch. Last year when I visited with landscape designer Jim Ford in his Richmond garden, I was enchanted with his granite coin water garden. Although this style is popular in Japanese gardens, the characters on the coin are Chinese (an 18-inch Zenigata basin) and, according to Jim, the translation is, “I learn to be content.” He adds that “you feel peaceful as soon as you see it.” And, you don’t have to worry about using much water. Traditionally in Japan, it was placed at the entrance to a garden with a ladle resting on a piece of bamboo. The source of water would have been a spring, allowing visitors to take a drink and then wash their hands before entering. Today, this water feature is more symbolic. Jim uses plants like dwarf acorus and Acorus ‘Ogon’ to complement the granite coin.
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