One of the most versatile and easy-to-grow perennials, hostas offer nearly endless design possibilities in the landscape
Anyone who has created a shade garden knows the growing challenges that shade can present. Hostas, which are grown primarily for their decorative foliage, are one of the most fool-proof plants for shady areas. Also known as plantain lily, these reliable long-lived perennials come in a wide range of colors, patterns, textures, shapes and sizes, performing well in most growing zones.
Hostas complement many other shade-tolerant plants, whether used as a background plant or assuming a starring role. They make an invaluable addition to beds, mixed borders, woodland settings, containers, foundation and mass plantings. With hundreds of varieties to choose from, some gardeners will even design an entire shade border using nothing but hostas.
Here are some hosta garden design ideas, along with basic principles to consider, to get you started.
Hosta leaves can add unique beauty and texture to floral arrangements of all kinds. Their wide, shapely leaves work wonderfully as greenery to complement delicate blooms. While hostas are prized in the garden for their bold foliar displays their versatility also shines indoors when cut and showcased in vases. Read on to discover how to use hostas to create jaw-dropping flower arrangements.
Why Use Hosta Leaves for Arrangements
Hostas offer numerous advantages as filler foliage for bouquets and centerpieces
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Interesting shapes and colors – Hosta leaves come in spear, heart, oval, and round shapes spanning cool blue-greens to vibrant yellows. This diversity provides options to suit any design.
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Thick, sturdy leaves – The heavy substance of hosta leaves makes them long-lasting as cut greenery. They won’t wilt as fast as lacy ferns or delicate herbs.
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Great textural contrast – The bold hosta leaves contrast beautifully with wispy fragile blooms to create visual interest.
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Long vase life – Cut flowers may only last a week while cut hosta leaves can persist 2-3 weeks in water.
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Cost effective – Using hostas from your garden provides free filler versus buying cut greens.
Overall, hostas are an excellent greenery choice to elevate flower arrangements with beautiful textures and shapes.
Tips for Using Hostas in Arrangements
Follow these tips to maximize the impact of hostas in your flower arranging:
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Cut leaves early in the morning using a sharp, clean blade to get a smooth cut.
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Select young, pristine leaves and avoid older foliage with blemishes.
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Immediately place cut leaves in deep, cool water and recut stems every few days.
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Consider the vessel’s shape and scale when choosing hosta leaf size.
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Use floral foam, chicken wire, or a grid base to hold leaves in more complex designs.
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Mix various hosta leaf types together for more dimension.
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Intermingle leaves and blooms so flowers emerge through foliage.
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Position hosta leaves low as a foreground base to let flowers take the spotlight.
Hosta Leaf Pairings for Stunning Arrangements
Hostas pair exquisitely with all types of garden flowers. Here are some classic pairings for gorgeous designs:
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Hostas and hydrangeas – Contrast frilly hydrangea blooms with big hosta leaves.
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Hostas and roses – Let intricate rose blossoms “float” amidst broad hosta leaves.
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Hostas and peonies – Combine huge, fluffy peony blooms with spear-shaped green hosta foliage.
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Hostas and astilbe – Use feathery astilbe plumes to soften bold hosta leaves.
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Hostas and zinnias – Add pops of color with bright zinnias against variegated hosta leaves.
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Hostas and ferns – Mixing finely cut ferns with hosta leaves creates lovely textures.
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Hostas and sunflowers – Allow cheerful sunflowers to tower over a base of hosta leaves.
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Hostas and lilies – Choose hostas with complementing colors to showcase elegant lilies.
Don’t limit yourself to these combinations – hostas allow for endless creativity with all flower types!
Design Inspiration: Beautiful Hosta Leaf Arrangements
Looking for ways to incorporate hostas into your floral designs? Here are some gorgeous arrangements featuring hosta foliage:
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Hosta leaf rose sphere – Circular-cut blue hosta leaves form a unique textured base to showcase romantically tangled roses.
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Hosta leaf runner – Alternating green and gold hosta leaves interspersed with bud vases create a living table runner.
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Hosta leaf wreath – Adhere hosta leaves in a wreath form, embellish with ribbon, and tuck in flowers for a stunning wall or door hanging.
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Oversized hosta leaf urn – Giant hosta leaves holding water become natural vessels to display dramatic individual stems.
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Hosta leaf orb – Suspend circular-cut hosta leaves around an oasis ball for a trendy globe arrangement base.
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Hand-tied hosta bouquet – Use spear-shaped, variegated hosta stems radiating out from a hand-tied bouquet for visual depth.
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Hosta leaf garland – String hosta leaves together and intertwine with vines or fairy lights to make a festive fireplace or banister garland.
Let your imagination run wild playing with hosta leaves – their versatility suits any floral design you can dream up!
Preserving and Storing Hosta Leaves
To use cut hosta leaves over an extended period, here are some preservation methods:
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Air drying – Hang hosta leaf bundles upside down to air dry fully, maintaining color for months.
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Pressing – Press hosta leaves between books or wax paper using weights for indefinitely preserved foliage.
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Freezing – Blanch then freeze leaves flat in bags to thaw and use as needed.
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Silica gel – Place hosta leaves in an airtight container layered with silica gel crystals to absorb moisture.
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Floral preservatives – Use floral sealants, glycerin sprays, or other commercial preparations to extend hosta leaf lifespan.
With proper drying, pressing, or chemical treatments, cut hosta leaves can provide beautiful greenery all season long.
Design Showstopping Arrangements Using Hostas
With their stunning diversity of shapes, sizes, and colors, hosta leaves are a floral designer’s dream come true. Their hardy nature enables them to last far longer than delicate blooms. Follow the inspiration and tips here to incorporate hostas into all types of bouquets, centerpieces, and displays. Give hostas a chance to shine in your next floral creation for big, bold impact. Your arrangements will truly stand out with the addition of these versatile, garden-fresh foliage stars.
HOSTA GARDEN DESIGN IDEAS
1. Plant Hostas in ContainersShowcase a single specimen in a decorative container and display in a prominent shady spot. Place the container on a deck or patio, use as a lawn accent, as a welcoming entryway specimen, or a focal point at the end of a pathway. Since plants in containers dry out more quickly than those in the ground, check moisture levels frequently during hot spells. Shadowland® Diamond Lake is a larger variety, with thick corrugated blue-green leaves that make a bold statement in the garden. |
2. Combine With Other Woodland PlantsWhen gardening with hostas in a woodland setting, combine with other shade lovers. Include trees, shrubs and perennials with foliage in different sizes, colors and shapes, as well as flowers that bloom at different times. This engaging shade border features Shadowland® ‘Waterslide hosta, Let’s Dance® Rave® reblooming hydrangea, Primo® ‘Black Pearl’ coral bells, and Primo® Pistachio Ambrosia coral bells. |
3. Group Potted Hostas on a PatioAdd elegance to a shaded patio by planting hostas in containers or as edging. For months of color, choose companion plants with different colored foliage and flowers. The hostas growing on this patio include Shadowland® ‘Hudson Bay’, ‘Autumn Frost’, and ‘Coast to Coast’, plus varieties of coleus, sedum, coral bells, foamy bells and begonia. |
4. Create a Focal Point with a Large HostaFeature a large hosta specimen in an island bed or underneath a shade tree. Hostas come in many foliage colors, including shades of green, blue, blue-green, chartreuse, and gold. In this serene backyard, the fine green leaves of ferns provide a contrasting backdrop to showcase the blue-green textured foliage of Shadowland® Empress Wu. Other hostas with chartreuse and variegated foliage add pops of bright color for additional contrast. |
5. Plant a Row of Hostas as a Bold BackgroundMass a medium to large hosta variety at the rear of a woodland border as a background plant. Here, the bold variegation and large puckered foliage of Shadowland® ‘Seducer’ provides a stunning backdrop to the colorful hues of Heart to Heart® ‘Raspberry Moon’ caladium, Heart to Heart® ‘Scarlet Flame’ caladium, and Catalina® Midnight Blue wishbone flower. |
6. Brighten Deep Shade with Variegated or Gold TypesLighten up a deeply shaded fence line with variegated or gold foliaged hostas and other brightly colored perennials. Mass 3 to 5 varieties of the same plant together so the design doesn’t become too busy. Use tall varieties in the back, with short plants at the front. This spacious backyard shade border is planted with Shadowland® ‘Coast to Coast’, ‘Hudson Bay’, ‘Seducer’, and ‘Wheee’ hostas, along with Dolce® ‘Wildberry’ coral bells, and Fun and Games® ‘Eye Spy’ foamy bells. |
7. Edge a Path or BorderUse a small to medium-sized hosta such as Shadowland® ‘Coast to Coast’ as pathway or border edging. Mix in other hostas and shade perennials with contrasting colors, foliage patterns and shapes to create depth and drama. Add neutral-colored green plants such as ferns and vinca to help tie it all together. |
8. Contrast Foliage Colors in PlantersGroup containers together on a patio, deck or porch for a more impressive display. Use hostas with gold or creamy white variegated foliage as punctuation marks against serene green or chartreuse foliage to make the hostas stand out more. This artful arrangement includes Shadowland® ‘Autumn Frost’ and ‘Coast to Coast’ hostas, Proven Accents® Sweet Caroline Bewitched Green With Envy™ sweet potato vine, Colorblaze® Lime Time® coleus, and Lemon Coral® sedum. |
9. Soften the Edge of a Water FeatureAdorn the edge of a pond, pool, or stream with hostas and other shade lovers. Use a mix of green, silver, variegated and colored foliage, as well as white flowers to illuminate deeply shaded spots. This pond rimmed with rocks is softened with shade-loving perennials, annuals, tropicals and groundcovers. Plants include Shadowland® ‘Wheee!’ hosta, wormwood, dichondra, euphorbia and sedum. The bold tropical foliage of elephant’s ears and caladium add pops of color and texture. |
10. Mass for a Mosaic of ColorsMass different hosta varieties in shade gardens or along a slope for a mosaic of color. For a captivating display, use varieties with different sizes, leaf color, shapes, textures, and variegated patterns. This hosta planting includes the large bold leaves of Shadowland® ‘Empress Wu’ in the background and the small variegated crinkled leaves of Shadowland® ‘Wheee’, which is massed in the foreground. Hostas have the added benefit of flowers that bloom in summer, with some varieties being fragrant. |
6 Creative Ways to Create a Hosta Garden That Will Impress // Gardening Tips
FAQ
Can you use hosta leaves in a flower arrangement?
- Big, textured hosta leaves are gorgeous on their own, or mix them with a few blooms.
- A classic flower arrangement ingredient, roses, mixed with some unconventional choices: hosta leaves, geraniums and variegated foliage from a butterfly bush.
What flowers go best with hostas?
Spring-flowering companion plants for hostas include allium, bergenia, cranesbill (Geranium), daffodil, hyacinth, muscari, spurge (Euphorbia), Solomon’s seal, trillium and tulips. Summer-blooming companions include astilbe, begonia, impatiens, lady’s mantle and wishbone flower (Torenia).
Do hosta leaves make good cut flowers?
Hosta foliage is perfect for cutting. With so many different colours and textures available in the genus you can add silver, variegated, heart-shapes, crinkly or smooth leaves to a flower arrangement.
How to arrange hostas in a flower bed?
Gesila One more piece of advice. When planting in a narrow, long bed, don’t line the hostas in a row. Zig zag them, here are some examples: One forward, one back, one to the left or right, kind of like a triangle. Two back with one in the middle. Three in the back, two in the middle, etc.
What should I do with Hosta flowers?
After pollinators enjoy them for a day, cut Hosta flowers for flower arrangements. Their unique scapes of tubular blooms are perfect for adding height, and they have a surprisingly long vase life. Give the hosta flowers a chance to bloom.
What hostas have red flowers?
Hostas with Red Flowers. Akane – This hosta is in the media for size with incredible green leaves. Its name is derived from the Japanese word for red because of the beautiful red/deep maroon flowers. Kokuryu – This variety has leaves the color of pale sunlight shining on brilliantly green grass.
What color are hostas leaves?
Aphrodite – The green of this hostas leaves is in the median of the color spectrum and it produces large, glaringly white flowers. It grows to 24 inches tall and 60 inches wide at maturity.
Do hostas produce flowers?
While hostas are known for their foliage, they do produce flowers in early to midsummer. These flowers can be white or lavender and may excite some gardeners while others find them a distraction. This leaves you with a choice: do you cut or keep your hosta flowers?
Are these Hosta plant ideas worth copying?
Have a look at these hosta container ideas to create beautiful plant combinations for shaded spots in your garden. These hosta plant ideas are all worth copying if you want to invite lush tropical vibes into your home and garden, even if you live in a cold climate!
What are the different types of Hosta flowers?
Within the varieties that do, there is a myriad of different flower types. Almost all of the hosta blooms sit atop long stems, but that is where the similarities end. The most common flower color is a light purple, but you can also find hostas with blue flowers, pink flowers, and red flowers. Most hosta blooms are in the shape of a trumpet.