The 2nd-4th week of August is a great time to plant hostas. They have time to get established in their new surroundings before winter dormancy and come up fresh in the spring.
For those in Minnesota, I will bringing some of these clumps to our retail site in limited quantities so you don't have to pay for shipping. If you expect to want a large number, please email Tom in advance with the day you'll be coming and how many you'd like.
Retail Site Closing
Our retail site (1636 Como Ave, St. Paul MN) is closing August 15, 2009. We will continue to ship online orders until late September.
Small & Mini Hostas
We have one of the largest collections of small & mini hostas available for sale, with 126 varieties.
Minnesota Hosta Society Cut Leaf contestants show the potential of mini hostas in their beautiful and creative displays! Thanks to all for their generosity in sharing your talents!
Marcia Fluer, former Twin Cities reporter/anchor and University executive and her actor husband, Phil Ross, have turned their backyard into a railroad garden. It features dozens of miniature hostas, alpine plants and hand-crafted village houses, businesses and townspeople. They call it the "Big Buck and Chipmunk Short Line Railroad" and say it's a "Golden Valley wonder." Thanks Marcia and Phil for the fun visit that Laura, Joe and I had and also for allowing us to share your creation on our website! Very, very cool and original!
New on our website
Photos of our Advanced Starter hostas showing their large size and root systems.
Hosta Forum: We have a new forum for discussing various hosta topics under the “Home” heading on our home page.
Tom Carlson to speak:
HostasDirect’s owner, Tom Carlson, will speak at Minnesota Master Gardeners Annual Meeting at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus on Saturday, August 8th at 3:30 PM. The public is welcome.
Tom's Personal Display Garden
Is now only open for viewing when the retail site is open, which is Thurs/Fri 11-6 and Saturday 9-4 thru August 15th. However, if you are traveling from out of town, please e-mail Tom.
Homemade Deer & Rabbit Repellent
Here's a recipe Minnesota Hosta Society member Marlee Sander uses to discourage deer and rabbits from eating hostas:
3 eggs
1 Tbsp garlic juice (or minced garlic, finely ground)
1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup water
Healthy squeeze of liquid dish soap
Mix in blender and store in refrigerator as concentrate.
To use, add three parts water to one part mix and spray on plants.
In the spring, spray every couple of days while plants are growing fast. In early summer, you might want to cut back spraying to once a week, continuing through fall.
Special thanks to Marlee!
You might also consider Wireless Deer Fence. We continue to get great reviews about this product, though we have no affiliation.
In this issue:
3 new ways to save!
(in addition to our already-low sale prices)
BUNDLES: These groupings offer beautiful arrays of hostas at low prices.
CLUMPS: We ship at least 3 divisions still attached to each other for a more natural look.
GRAB BAGS: You pick the price point and maturity; we pick you the best hostas for your money.
Bundle and save big with group packages
Big Beautiful Blues (save $6.80)
Smaller Beautiful Blues(save $6.80)
Fast Growing, Sun Tolerant (save $4.75)
Here Comes the Sun! (save $6.80)
Mini hosta "Mouse" (save $5.85)
Movies: That's Showbiz! (save $6.75)
Outdoor Perfume: Fragrant Blooms (save $7.80)
Raining Cats & Dogs (save $7.80)
Ripples & Piecrusts (save $7.80)
Spiritual Garden (save $4.80)
Summer Wedding (save $6.80)
Take $15 off H. 'Justice'
We have cut the price of Justice dramatically, from $44.95 to $29.95. This is a really good deal for anyone who loves irregularly colored leaves!
Reminders
Now is about the time to stop fertilizing so your hostas can slow down before dormancy.
Keep track of when and how the sun hits areas of your garden so you can move the right plants into and out of those areas.
There are still at least two months ahead for planting and enjoying your hostas!
On behalf of my workers and myself, thanks very much for your business and telling your friends about our company!
Tom Carlson, President
HostasDirect, Inc.
P.S. We greatly appreciate any hosta photos you can offer including clumps, leaves, blooms, gardens, containers and others. Garden photos also welcome! Thanks again!
