Several areas planted with hostas have become too much, too many, too close together. I’m not inclined to do anything about it. Yes, one wide spreading hosta is crammed into the next, and there are too many large leaves too close without the textural contrast I prefer, but overgrown is preferable to the alternative, almost always. As problem go, this is one that I can ignore forever.

Inexcusably, several large leafed, blue hostas, beautiful to my eye, are reversions from superb variegated types that were eventually overwhelmed by the more vigorous blue leafed hosta. One year, a section of blue leaves got its start, and by the third year the variegated part of the hosta was gone. Certainly, all gardeners (or maybe most, I excuse) occasionally look the other way when something must be done, until it’s too late, and here this has happened more times than I’ll admit to.

Two large, blue leafed hostas popped up several years ago in the upper level of the pond just below the deck. One is at the edge, with the other starting at the edge of one of the two small waterfalls. As its roots have expanded, the flow of water has been obstructed and now there is a slight leak in the pond as the water level has risen. For now, this is not much of a problem, but someday the hosta, or at least the roots must be cut back.

My wife doesn’t like that the wide spreading hosta blocks the view of the waterfall, but I am intrigued by the idea of the hosta growing with no soil. How it survives the winter with no insulation from soil, I don’t know, but it’s staying, at least for now.

There are many other hostas in the garden, and recently my wife has taken an interest to share photos of striking variegated types to share with friends. Many of these have been divided and divided again over the years, and only occasionally can I recall where the original clump was planted. While I generally favor the largest leaves, I notice small leafed hosta seedlings on occasion, and several have been transplanted to spaces where they will not be lost under neighboring foliage. Certainly, none will be anything of note, but there is always a particular interest in a plant that developed here.