Content
- 1 Benefits of growing blue host
- 2 The best varieties of blue host
- 2.1 Blue Angel
- 2.2 Blue bowl
- 2.3 Baby Bunting
- 2.4 Blue Ivory
- 2.5 Blueberry ala mode
- 2.6 Blue Cadet
- 2.7 Blue Mouse Eyers
- 2.8 Blue Umbrellas
- 2.9 Big daddy
- 2.10 Blue Shadows
- 2.11 Rhythm and Blues
- 2.12 Blue Mammos
- 2.13 Parisian Silk
- 2.14 Love Pat
- 2.15 Krossa regal
- 2.16 Bressingham Blue
- 2.17 Smoke Signals
- 2.18 Fragrant Blue
- 2.19 Canadian Blue
- 2.20 Halcyon
- 3 Hosts with blue leaves in landscape design
- 4 Planting and caring for blue hosts
- 5 Diseases and pests
- 6 Conclusion
Hosta blue is an indispensable attribute of the shady area of the garden. Its blue leaves create a romantic atmosphere on the site. Varieties of different height, structure and shade are used to create unusual decorative compositions. The main advantage of blue hosts is that it does not require complex maintenance.
Blue hosta ennobles shady areas
Benefits of growing blue host
First of all, the blue host is loved for its unusual color. Attracted by the splendor of the bush and the beautiful shape of the leaves. This is one of the few crops that is not afraid of shade from trees and shrubs. It retains its decorative effect until the end of the season, grows in one place for years and does not require special attention.
The variety of blue hosts allows the site owner to show their design taste. They blend harmoniously with most garden plants. With low and medium varieties of blue hosts, it is easy to create various compositions: monoclumba, flower beds, rockeries, rock gardens, borders and mixborders. Large specimens look great in single landings.
The best varieties of blue host
Blue hosts are striking in their variety. Miniature varieties rise 7-10 cm above the ground. The height of giant hosts exceeds 1 m. The size, color and shape of the leaves and the shape of the bush differ. Some varieties develop in an inverted cone, others create a domed bush, and still others grow in width. All of them attract attention with their unusual structure and color, but some are especially fond of gardeners.
Blue Angel
One of the best hosta varieties with a domed squat bush. The leaves are blue-green, streaked with veins, slightly corrugated, large - 40 cm long and 30 cm wide. The diameter of the bush reaches 120 cm, it grows up to 80 cm, and in especially favorable conditions - up to 1 m. White or light lavender flowers appear in July on a stem 120 cm high. The variety tolerates frost and drought well. Great for solo landings.
Blue Angel is ideal as a tapeworm
Blue bowl
A bush with large, textured and dense leaves of a bluish color, which is decorated with white flowers from the middle of summer. The height of the hosta reaches 70 cm, which is why it is often located at the back of group plantings. Leaves of an unusual shape: curved in the form of a bowl. Due to their density, the host is rarely affected by pests and diseases.
The shape of the leaves of the hosta "Blue Bowl" corresponds to the name
Baby Bunting
One of the best dwarf varieties of blue hosta, 15-25 cm high. The bush is dense, the width reaches 38 cm. The leaves are miniature (6x7 mm), heart-shaped. At the beginning of the growing season, they are blue-green in color with light veins, towards the end they turn green. In the middle of the season, lavender inflorescences are formed. Baby Bunting is perfect for rockeries and container plantings.
The leaves of the Baby Bunting hosta turn green at the end of the growing season
Blue Ivory
This variety is striking in the beauty of the leaf: it is bluish-blue with cream edges. The bush is gaining mass at an average pace.Full size - 40 cm in height and 1 m in width - reaches in the middle of summer. Then it forms blue inflorescences. The leaves are heart-shaped, slightly elongated, reaching 25 cm in length. The plant is highly winter-hardy - it can be grown in zone 2. Designers often make it the centerpiece of shade flower beds.
The variety "Blue Ivory" fell in love with gardeners for the beauty of its color
Blueberry ala mode
The height of the bush reaches 65 cm. The leaves are round, wrinkled, shaped like a bowl. The overall blue-green background is complemented by a thin beige border. The flowers are white. It goes well with other crops in the garden.
The plant goes well with other crops
Blue Cadet
The main advantage of this blue hosta is its deep blue-green hue. Small leaves (10x13 cm) are heart-shaped. In the second half of summer, lavender flowers bloom on high peduncles. The bush grows 70 cm in width and 40 cm in height. Designers use the Blue Cadet hosta for framing beds and flower beds, as well as planting along the paths.
Blue Cadet is one of the bluest hostas
Blue Mouse Eyers
A dwarf hosta that resembles many mouse ears. The foliage is very dense, small, oval in shape. The height of an adult plant is 30-40 cm. In July, an ornament appears in the form of lavender inflorescences. Blue Mouse Eyers is perfect for rockeries, rock gardens and container growing.
The flowering period of the plant is July and August.
Blue Umbrellas
Large blue-green foliage resembles umbrellas in shape and reaches a size of 30x25 cm. The height of an adult plant is vase-shaped - 1 m, width - 1.3 m. Flowers are lavender. It tolerates winter well without shelter. In the design, it is used as a tapeworm or the background of multi-tiered flower beds.
Blue Umbrellas looks great in solo landing
Big daddy
One of the best representatives of blue hosts. Lush bushes 50-65 cm high in July form blue inflorescences. The foliage is large (30x20 cm) with pointed ends. The corrugated surface increases the decorative effect of the plant. It resists diseases and pests well, tolerates large frosts well. Big Daddy will decorate any garden with its unusual appearance.
Big Daddy is particularly decorative
Blue Shadows
Appeared on the market recently. The sight of an adult plant in the garden is breathtaking. The leaves are round, dense with a waxy bloom and pronounced veins. The dark green background of the surface is diluted with the dark yellow center. The bush grows slowly, in adulthood it reaches 40-45 cm. "Blue Shadows" are actively used for monoclumbums, borders and rock gardens. They look great near a pond.
Hosta "Blue Shadows" attracts attention with its unusual cupped foliage
Rhythm and Blues
Spectacular miniature blue hosta variety for growing in containers and flower beds. Small, elongated foliage with pointed ends is directed upwards and has a dense structure. Delicate lavender inflorescences appear in August-September. The height of the bush reaches 25 cm, the diameter is 60 cm.
Long Leaves Rhythm and Blues Ideal for Container
Blue Mammos
One of the largest representatives of the blue host. Large wide oval-shaped leaves with a corrugated surface look spectacular. Plant height - 90 cm, diameter - 150 cm. The usual color for the group is gray-blue. Flowers are lilac or white, decorate the bush for a long time. The variety is very hardy to various natural conditions and natural enemies.
The value of "Blue Mammos" in the size of the leaves and endurance
Parisian Silk
Hosta "Parisian Silk" is an extremely gentle representative of its kind. The unusual rich blue color with a silvery bloom on the central vein is impressive. Round foliage and delicate pink flowers also delight the eye with sophistication. The build-up is slow, with a maximum height of 45 cm.
"Parisian Silk" - one of the most delicate representatives of the species
Love Pat
Love Pat is considered one of the bluest hosts. The round, wrinkled leaves are spoon-shaped. The bush grows up to 60 cm in height, while the mass build-up occurs at an average pace. The flowers are light lavender in color. A feature of the variety is the ability to maintain a rich color even in sunny areas.
The peculiarities of the variety appear already in the first years of life after planting.
Krossa regal
The vase bush grows 1.5 m in width and reaches 70 cm in height. The foliage is blue-green, wide and dense, the size is 30x20 cm. In the second half of summer, blue-purple inflorescences appear. The variety is suitable for single planting. It is widely used in the creation of bouquets. Excellent resistance to climatic changes and severe frosts.
Charming bouquets are made from the leaves of "Krossa Regal"
Bressingham Blue
The symmetrical vase-shaped bush grows up to 50 cm in height and grows to 60 cm in width. The growth is fast. A wrinkled leaf, 15x10 cm in size, has a green color with a blue tint. In the middle of summer, large white inflorescences bloom. It is resistant to frost resistance zone 3 (-40 ° C). Looks great in single plantings and monoclumbes.
It is not recommended to plant the plant where precipitation is frequent.
Smoke Signals
Medium-sized lush bush with narrow foliage. "Smoke Signals" is a fitting name because of the top layer, which creates the effect of a dusty surface. The direction of the plant is vertical. Height - 40-45 cm. Flowering begins in June-July.
Smoke Signals foliage seems dusty
Fragrant Blue
The height of an adult bush is 30-40 cm, it grows 60 cm in breadth. The leaves are heart-shaped, bluish-blue, up to 15 cm long. The color of the inflorescences is lilac. Hosta is great for planting on lawns, rockeries, flower beds and containers. Burns form on the leaves under the scorching sun.
Hosta "Fragrant Blue" is universal in application
Canadian Blue
Curtain height 30 cm, width - 40 cm. Leaves measuring 20x16 cm fall in a beautiful cascade. They have a deep blue-blue color, dense structure and a thick waxy coating. The variety pleases with its color saturation throughout the season. Lavender blossoms appear at the end of summer. Designers plant the Canadian Blue hosts under trees, grow them in containers and make them part of the curbs.
"Canadian Blue" has a very beautiful structure of the bush
Halcyon
The blue of the Halcyon hosts creates a fabulous mood. Heart-shaped leaves have deep longitudinal grooves, are distinguished by a dense structure. They reach 16 cm in length and 10 cm in width. Blue bloom on green surfaces is intense. The bush reaches 50 cm in height, spreads out to 70 cm. In July or August, purple flowers appear, exuding a pleasant aroma. "Halcyon" goes well with coniferous and fern representatives of the flora.
Hosta variety "Halzion" gets along well with conifers and ferns
Hosts with blue leaves in landscape design
The simplicity, longevity and variety of blue hosts allows you to create a variety of compositions on your personal plot. In combination with geyher, carnations, lungwort, aquilegia, geraniums and cuffs, magnificent borders are obtained. Fast growing hosts are used for such compositions. In curbs and mixborders, they are planted in the foreground, picking up varieties up to 30 cm.
Varieties of blue hosts up to 20 cm in height become an excellent background for flowering plants in rockeries or rock gardens. Blue hosts fit perfectly into forest-style plantings. They will be appropriate in a natural flower garden with vertical elements: ornamental grasses, cottonweed, black cohosh, bladderwort, steep, echinacea and various umbrella plants.
In spacious mono-planters, blue hosts are also great. A good solution would be to plant them on the lawn. The enchanting atmosphere is created by varieties of large hosts next to garden sculptures.By the pond, bushes 30-45 cm look great in a single planting or a flower garden. Hosts with blue leaves coexist well with conifers. They look spectacular in contrasting combinations with volzhanka, brunners, kupins and daylilies. The composition of blue hosta with a blooming stilba is successfully completed by masonry. The shade needed by the culture can be created with rose, echinacea, or black cohosh.
Planting and caring for blue hosts
Blue hosta grows best in the shade of tall shrubs and trees. In the open sun, the leaves will lose their bluish tint, becoming green. The soil needs slightly acidic, moist, with good drainage. Hosts don't like drafts. The distance between adjacent plants must be at least 80 cm.
Planting is carried out in several stages:
- The soil is loosened by 30 cm and mixed with complex fertilizer.
- Dig a hole and create a drainage layer of 10-20 cm.
- The roots are spread in the hole and covered with earth up to the root collar.
- The soil is compacted and covered with mulch.
- Water abundantly.
Timely watering is important for blue hosts. If the ground dries out, the edges of the leaves will darken. Water must be poured at the root, raising the top. Mulching the soil helps maintain moisture levels.
Feeding blue hosts is carried out from the second year, from spring to mid-summer. Complex fertilizer granules are scattered at the roots. In the fall, the trunk circle is mulched with compost. The beautiful shape of the bush is maintained by removing fresh flower stalks. Before freezing, the leaves are completely cut off. Propagated to the host by root division and cuttings.
Diseases and pests
Most often, the blue hosta is affected by fungal diseases. Phylostictosis appears on a frozen plant after winter. It is identified by brown spots on the leaves. Anthracnose develops from excess moisture and lack of nutrients. It manifests itself as brown spots on the foliage. Fungal diseases are successfully fought with the help of fungicides.
There is no cure for viral diseases. If yellow spots appear on the leaves, the blue hosta should be carefully removed from the site. The surrounding land and tools should be disinfected to avoid contaminating the garden plants.
Blue hosts have many pests:
- aphid;
- nematode;
- caterpillars;
- mice;
- snails and slugs.
Conclusion
Khosta blue is in harmony with many decorative cultures. Tall varieties are planted on lawns or near a pond, undersized varieties - in multi-tiered compositions. They perfectly complement natural forest-style plantings. Against the background of gray leaves, blue hosta plants with bright flowering look great. For successful development, the host needs a fertile, slightly acidic soil with good drainage. In the abundance of the sun, the leaves change color and can dry out.
