Hostas

The Best Hostas in the Country?Here at Stafford Lake we endeavour to produce the finest Hostas available. Most of our plants are divided here on site, and a division gives a much better chance of the plant really getting away well. We are also working with an English tissue culture laboratory on increasing the numbers of some varieties to keep up with demand. Currently our stocks of miniatures are increasing well, and these are varieties that you wont see in garden centres, as they need a bit more attention to grow than the more vigorous types. We don’t sell any imported continental plants here.
A few general rules. I have mentioned the best situations for each variety to thrive, but as a general rule golds are better with more sun, blues hold their colour better in shade. This is due to the blue being in fact a waxy cuticle refracting the light, which can burn off in hot sun. Ideally they need morning sun, but not so much later on. Although Hostas are often sold as shade plants, many do well in quite bright situations, but it is important then that they get plenty of water, particularly early in the season. They are not bog plants though, and will suffer from rot if they are in too wet a situation.
Hostas make excellent container plants too, but prefer to be potted on a bit each year, rather than put straight into an enormous pot. The miniatures are really best in containers, as they get lost in the border, but their homes must be fairly shallow and well drained.
Otherwise, you could always follow my own philosophy, which is if you take a shine to a plant, and have a spot where you would like to place one, then give it a go, you might be pleasantly surprised.
You might also like to have a look at the British Hosta and Hemerocalis Society website, www.hostahem.org.uk , to fins out a bit more.
AHS Hosta of the Year. This is a prestigious title, awarded to plants after a vote from members of the American Hosta Association. Only one plant a year is given the award, and the plants have to be good performers in the garden. The first award was made in 1996, so only 18 plants out of approximately 8,000 varieties have won the accolade. We grow most of these award winners here, and where a plant has the award it is mentioned in the text.
Retail Sales. Retail sales are strictly by appointment, please telephone before visiting, but you wont be disappointed, we have a superb selection of high quality plants here, and good advice will be given. We are easy to get to from London, located half way between the J3 M3 and the A3 at Guildford. Cash or cheque please, not credit cards! Call 07738 241871.
Wholesale Prices and Availability We supply a number of prestigious garden centres regularly, and offer the usual labelling, bar coding and pricing using smart adhesive labels. The plants are all our own, no cheap continental stuff, and are all established and well rooted. Call or email us for pricing, availability and terms.