Are you a 'hosta whisperer?'

Hosta plant after the 'hosta whisperer' treated it. For a 'before' look, see the bottom of the blog.

This enthusiastic gardener likes to see all gardens and plants thrive, both in sunshine and in shadows.

On the north, or not-very-sunny side of the house, we have a row of hosta plants. Like many gardeners I love these plants and like to see them shine. This becomes a challenge in late summer as the sunshine has burned some leaves, and the poor plants appear pretty darn ugly.

I prune off the brown leaves on each plant, which, it turns out, is suggested by hosta experts. According to Almanac.com, the sturdy circular orbs should be pruned, as getting rid of all the brown leaves helps ward off problems like slugs and plant diseases.

I also try to shine up the Hosta leaves for an extra special look, and I trim off the flowers after they have bloomed.

Hostas originated in Asia, Wikipedia reports -- from China, Japan, and Korea. Some types are edible and still used in these countries for food, but they are cultivated in this country as herbaceous shade-tolerant plants with colored leaves and stems.

Hostas often thrive in difficult locations, and that led gardeners to be very enthusiastic about them. For example, there is the Mississippi Valley Hosta Society in the Quad-Cities. These folks sponsor a plant sale the first weekend of June; I'd recommend it to anyone who likes or appreciates hostas. There are dozens of plant varieties and patient garden owners ready to talk about the special qualities of what they offer for sale. The 2018 sale was at Duck Creek Park, Davenport. I saw a notice of the event in the Quad-City Times (www.qctimes.com) Home & Garden section, and took right off to buy two new plants.

Hostas are used for many areas of the yard, but mine are happiest in the shadiest places, such as under the weeping mulberry tree. Originally, the plants grew in forested places by the ocean or sea; so they were underneath trees and in maritime climates.

Next, I'm going to divide several of these hostas and plant them in the gardens owned by the three girls in the Baker family, this fall and next spring. Acting a little like a hosta evangelist, spreading the hosta message, one at a time.

Hosta plant before it was cleaned up by the blog's author. Note the petunias in the back; these blooms just appeared in the north-side garden; possibly via the birds who enjoy the bird bath in the area.