CAROLYN'S SHADE GARDENS

Clockwise from upper left: Rainbows End, Stranded on a Sandbar, Mouse Madness, School Mouse, Twinkle Little Star, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Leather and Lace.

The hostas available at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens for spring 2025 are described below with photos.  We are very excited about the broad selection of cultivars we are offering this year!  This online catalogue will be updated regularly to indicate when plants sell out or are in short supply.  In most cases, the mini/little hostas are in 3.5-4.5″ wide pots, and the bigger hostas are in 6-8″ wide pots. Please read the pickup and order information carefully.

How to Order (sorry no mail order): Hosta supply is limited so please don’t order without double checking this online catalogue.  Please send an email to carolyn@carolynsshadegardens.com (or reply to the notification email) with the plant names, quantities, your name, cell number, and preferred pickup day: Friday, May 30, or Saturday, May 31 (you will always get your first choice).  We will send you an acknowledgment of your order, usually within 24 hours.  Please contact us immediately if you don’t get an acknowledgment.  Payment is by cash or check, although you can use credit cards to purchase additional plants at pickup.

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Hosta in Containers:  If deer are an issue in your area, hostas, especially miniature hostas, are perfect for you as they thrive in containers of all sizes and can be left out all winter on your porch or deck.  There are 17 miniature hostas in the strawberry pot above, which stays in place all year round without damage from freezing.

What does hosta “sport” mean?  A sport is a mutation from an existing hosta usually producing a plant with a different leaf color or form, e.g., the 2024 Hosta of the Year ‘Mini Skirt’ is a sport of ‘Mighty Mouse’.

What does Hosta of the Year mean? Only 30 hostas, out of the over 7,000 registered hosta cultivars and as many or more unregistered cultivars, have received this award from the American Hosta Growers Association, making them exceptionally superior plants.  You can’t go wrong picking one of these winners for your garden.  Click here to see all 30 Hostas of the Year.

Photos appear above the descriptions.

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MOUSE EARS HOSTAS

I am a big fan of mouse ears hostas.  They are so wonderful—from their round, rubbery, slug-resistant leaves to their lovely, proportionate, bell-shaped flowers (unlike most other hostas, I would grow them for their flowers alone) to their adorable habit—and they make a fun collection.

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‘Blue Mouse Ears’: 2008 Hosta of the Year; 8” tall by 19” wide; very blue, round, and thick leaves; short, dense clusters of striking lavender flowers in July; tight and elegant symmetrical habit; rubbery leaves make all mouse ears hostas slug resistant; the original mouse ear and still one of the best; shown in top photo with dwarf Solomon’s seal, an excellent companion for little hostas, available in this catalogue;  $15   limited quantity available

.‘Frosted Mouse Ears’:  7” tall by 18” wide; leaves 2 ½” long by 2 1/4′’ wide; round, frosted, blue-green leaves with yellow margins becoming creamy white later in the season; thick, slug resistant; attractive proportional purple flowers and habit similar to its parent ‘Blue Mouse Ears’;  $18  available

.‘Green Thumb’:  newer introduction; 2″ tall by 10″ wide; no mouse in its name but definitely a mouse ears hosta; a more vigorous successor to ‘Green Mouse Ears’ with thick, very round, dark green leaves; forms a dense, tight clump; it’s adorable!   $18   available

.‘Mighty Mouse’: 4″ tall by 8″ wide; leaves 3″ long by 3″ wide; almost round blue-green leaves with a yellow margin fading to white in the fall; lovely compact, bell-like flowers; possibly the most adorable mouse ears hosta, definitely the cutest name;  $15   available

.‘Mini Skirt’:  2024 Hosta of the Year; 5″ tall by 13″ wide; leaves 2″ long by 1 1/2″ wide; my favorite mouse ears hosta and now recognized as superior by its much-deserved Hosta of the Year Award; forms a miniature mound of very wavy, thick, blue-green leaves with wide, heavily ruffled creamy yellow margins; lovely compact, pale lavender flowers with purple stripes in early summer; a sport of ‘Mighty Mouse’ and a vigorous addition to the mouse ears clan;  $22   available

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‘Mouse Madness’: newer introduction; 5″ tall by 12″ wide; small mound of thick, rounded, frosty blue leaves with a bright white margin; a recent addition to the collectible mouse ears family;  $20   available

.‘Mouse on the Moon’: newer introduction, rare; 6″ tall by 14″ wide; thick, blue-green, undulating leaves with wide creamy margins; new to the mouse ears clan, a vigorous and fast-growing “mouse” but variegated; forms a tight clump; cute, lavender, bell-shaped flowers;   $20   available

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‘Our Mouse’: new introduction by well known hosta hybridizer Doug Beilstein, exclusively available in our catalogue; 7” tall by 14” wide; leaves 2 1/2-3” long by 2 1/4-2 3/4′’ wide; lime green leaves with wide blue margins; a sport of ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ and a significant improvement over the similarly colored ‘Holy Mouse Ears’, which is no longer available;   $22   available

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‘School Mouse’: 8″ tall by 12″ wide; forms an attractive mound of thick and slug-resistant, blue-green leaves with very wavy and seer suckered yellow edges; perfectly proportional lavender flowers in early summer; a sport of ‘Church Mouse’;  $15   available

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‘Sun Mouse ‘: 6″ tall by 18″ wide; leaves are 3″ long by 2″ wide, the best yellow mouse ear; very similar to ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ but with glowing, round yellow leaves that hold their color well into summer; proportional lavender flowers in midsummer;   $15   available

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OTHER MINIATURE AND LITTLE HOSTAS

What is a miniature hosta?  The American Hosta Society defines miniature hostas by their leaf size.  The leaf blade area, length x width, can be no greater than 6 square inches.  Clump spread and height are irrelevant.  Little hostas have leaves bigger than the AHS definition but are still small enough to place at the front of the border or in a container.

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‘Appletini’: 6” tall by 14” wide; leaves are 3 ½” long by 2 ¼” wide, striking very glossy gold and pointed; the brightest little hosta in my garden; short, pale purple flowers in August; excellent in containers for an eye-catching accent; a personal favorite;   $18   limited quantity available 

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‘Country Mouse’: rarely available;  4″ tall by 14″ wide; tiny round, blue-green leaves encircled with a pure white margin; adorable, dense, flat clump of tiny leaves are perfect for rock gardens, containers, and along woodland paths;  lavender flowers in mid-summer;   $20   limited quantity available

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‘Crumb Cake’: customer favorite; 4″ tall by 12″ wide; leaves 3″ long by 2″ wide; wavy and shiny, round honey-gold leaves with mahogany stems;  good substance, rapidly forms a very tight flat mound in the ground and excellent container plant (photo);  mahogany scapes have pretty lavender flowers in summer;   $15   available

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‘Lemon Delight’: 12″ high by 30″ wide; leaves 3 3/4″ long by 1 1/4″ wide, rippled, green-centered with a chartreuse margin, the opposite variegation to ‘Twist of Lime’; bright purple flowers in July; makes an excellent dense ground cover or edging;   $15   available

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‘Lemon Lime’: 12″ tall by 36″ wide; leaves 4″ long by 2″ wide; dense mound of narrow wavy gold leaves tolerant of sun and brighter colored with direct sunlight; bright purple flowers in July; outstanding low ground cover hosta, spreading rapidly as illustrated by the photo of my stand;   $15   limited quantity available

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‘Little Squirt’: recent introduction; 3 1/2″ tall by 7″ wide; leaves 2″ long by 1/2″ wide;  ruffled and shiny, narrow green leaves on a tiny plant; the long narrow, folded and ruffled leaves on short petioles in a tight compact clump make it look like a pincushion; vigorous grower; white flowers in late summer; newly introduced and very desirable!   $20   available

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‘Munchkin Fire’: 4″ tall by 9″ wide; forms a diminutive fountain of very narrow brilliant gold leaves tapering to a sharp point; glows in full shade and holds its bright yellow color all season long; lavender flowers in midsummer; another customer favorite;   $18   limited quantity available

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Hosta venusta ‘Nikko’: this tiny hosta, a cultivar of the smallest hosta species, is so rare that there is very little information about it; leaves 1.5 long x .75″ wide bright green edged with a wide ivory margin streaking to the center; purple flowers in July; growing well in my tiny trough (photo) and probably best in a container;   $25   limited quantity available

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‘Stranded on a Sandbar’: 2024 introduction; 7″ tall by 14″ wide; variegated form of very popular ‘Lettuce Wrap’ (chartreuse hosta at the top) from hosta breeder Bob Solberg  with crinkled, rounded, chartreuse-yellow leaves edged by wide, yellow margins that turn creamy-white by mid summer; red leaf stems add a three-color effect; light purple flowers in late summer;   $25   available

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‘Surfer Girl’: last offered in 2012; 6” tall by 18” wide; leaves 2” long by 1” wide, medium green with heavily rippled foliage reminiscent of ocean waves; purple flowers in July; creeps to fill in a wide area; excellent for troughs or edging the front of the border;   $15   limited quantity available

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‘Tiny Gems’: first time in our catalogue; 4” tall by 14″ wide; thick blue, heart-shaped leaves are pointed, folded, and wavy, forming a vigorous mound of thick blue foliage; descended from the smallest hosta species, H. venusta, and possibly the smallest blue hosta; pale lavender flowers in summer;   $20   available

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‘Twinkle Little Star’: first time in our catalogue; 8″ tall by 16″ wide; leaves 4″long by 3″wide, extremely compact mound of wavy, folded and twisted, intense blue leaves; star-shaped habit; pale lavender flowers in summer;   $20   available

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Polygonatum humile, Dwarf Solomon’s Seal: 6″ tall spreading plant; flowers with little white bells along arching green-leafed stalks; excellent companion for smaller hostas in containers or in the ground (surrounds ‘Praying Hands’ in photo); very rare;  $18   limited quantity available

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BIGGER HOSTAS

small, medium, large, and giant

I say this every year, but this really is the best selection of “bigger” hostas we have ever had with mostly recent introductions featuring vibrant colors, unique leaves, and unusual habits.

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‘Autumn Frost’: best seller, medium, 12″ tall by 24″ wide; a color variation of and improvement on ‘First Frost’ with icy blue leaves and very wide, brilliant, creamy yellow margins; light lavender flowers in late summer; spectacular specimen!   $32   available

.‘Ben Vernooji’: first time in our catalogue in 2024, very popular, medium; 15″ tall by 30″ wide; incredibly thick, heart-shaped blue leaves with very wide yellow edges, feathering to the center; large lavender flowers in summer; looks great all season long, great slug resistance;   $29  limited quantity available

.‘Blue Cadet’: small to medium, 12″ tall by 24″ wide; heart-shaped blue leaves with heavy texture;  fast growing blue edger that forms perfectly round and compact mounds—a very useful hosta in the garden; purple flowers in midsummer;   $19   available

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‘Blue Hawaii’:  first time in our catalogue; large; 31″ tall by 45″wide, descended from one of my favorite hostas, H. tokudama, with the white flowers, deeply saturated blue color and the great substance of its parent; produces an upright, architectural stand of corrugated intensely blue leaves that hold their color; beautiful, white, lightly fragrant flowers in mid-summer; great slug resistance;   $27   available

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‘Coast to Coast’: giant, 30″ tall by 36″ wide; thick, puckered, solid gold leaves with wavy edges; upright, vase-shaped habit makes for a striking specimen; attractive pale violet, proportionate flowers in midsummer;    $27   limited quantity available

.‘Fire Island’: customer favorite; small, 10″ tall by 15″ wide; striking for its arresting gold color, red stems, and red coloring at the base of the leaf; great in larger containers where the red stems really show up or for the front of the border; lavender flowers in midsummer;   $27   available

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‘Firn Line’:  medium, 20″ tall by 31″ wide; a superior sport of ‘First Frost’ with wide ivory margined leaves surrounding a blue center; similar to ‘Blue Ivory’ but more vigorous with much better substance; pale lavender flowers in mid-summer;   $27   limited quantity available

.‘Forest Nymph’: new introduction by internationally famous hosta breeder Bob Solberg, exclusively available in our catalogue; small, 9″ tall by 18″ wide; leaves 5″ long by 2 1/2″ wide, ruffled cream to white margins extend down the leaf stem with leaf blades of varying shades of green and chartreuse, heavily rippled and lightly twisted foliage; lavender flowers in mid-summer;   $25   available

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‘Gigantosaurus’: first time in our catalogue; giant, 30″ tall by 72″ wide; large blue leaves with a wavy yellow margin, interesting corrugated texture with deeply impressed veins—the massive size makes it a standout; pale lavender flowers in early summer;   $27   available

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‘Leather and Lace’: first time in our catalogue; small, 11″ tall by 27″ wide; heavily wrinkled and corrugated, blue-green leaves contrast beautifully with the serrated yellow margin, which turns white in summer; forms a very unique, tight, ruffled pinwheel; lavender flowers in late summer; $25   available

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Liberty: 2012 Hosta of the Year; giant, 35″ tall by 40″ wide; narrow blue-green center with striking, wide, bright yellow margins; pale lavender flowers in summer—one of the best!; a sport of ever popular ‘Sagae’ with the same excellent, upright, vase-shaped habit; this specimen was growing in a lot of sun when I took this photo!   $32   available

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‘Paul’s Glory’: 1999 Hosta of the Year; large, 25″ tall by 36″ wide; heart-shaped leaves with blue-green margins, centers turn gold as the season progresses; particularly valuable as it is equally beautiful in the fall when many hostas look bedraggled (left photo 5/10, right photo 10/18 with toadlily); an absolutely stunning specimen hosta at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens; light lavender flowers in midsummer;  $25   available

.‘Rainbow’s End’: 2021 Hosta of the Year; medium, 11″ tall by 21″ wide; very distinctive, striped hosta with shiny, substantial, bright yellow leaves and dark green margins jetting towards the center—each leaf is unique; showy red stems with dark lavender flowers in late summer;   $25   limited quantity available

.‘Raspberry Sundae’:  small, 10″ tall by 22″ wide; beautiful cream and green variegated leaves with striking red stems extending into the leaf base; lovely compact habit; deep lavender purple flowers on burgundy stems in late summer;   $29   available

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‘Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’: first time in our catalogue, small, 9″ tall by 17″ wide; eye-catching sport of ‘Striptease’ with the characteristic white lightening bolt dividing the wide yellow border from the darker center; very unique twisted and cupped leaves and upright habit; lavender flowers in mid-summer;   $25   available

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Instructions for Ordering are at the beginning of the catalogue.

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Photos of School Mouse, Munchkin Fire, Autumn Frost, Coast to Coast, Fire Island, Gigantosaurus, Walters Gardens Inc.