 |
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Hostas
Hostas—I just can’t say enough about them! They are excellent perennials that come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, color variations, and textures. Yes, there are many more (2000+) than the three varieties many people are familiar with—no more are they just fillers for a shady area, but instead have become a collector’s delight! AND - very exciting news - our COMPLETE SELECTION of hostas (and peonies!) is now available for mail order as bare root plants! Visit our online store for details! We try to grow unusual varieties that will fit into many situations such as specimen plants, edgers, groundcovers, and background plants. The sizes indicated are sizes at maturity, which generally take a few years to attain (be patient—it’s worth waiting for). Also, although hostas can generally be divided quite frequently, they look their best when you allow them to get to their mature sizes in order to see them in their full glory. Come see some great specimens at the farm—we’d love to share our addiction with you!! Some additional, general information:
As we don’t use chemicals, I’ve found a great source for an all natural slug and snail control called “Escar-Go” (great name, huh?!). It is safe for pets and other wildlife and can be obtained through a company called Gardens Alive. Come and see our Hosta display beds at the farm where you can see more mature specimens ‘cause we all know that baby Hostas often look different than their adult versions! We have well over 200 different varieties of hostas planted in our shade display beds for you to drool over! Also, please remember that not all Hostas will be ready for sale at the same time (especially some of the new varieties), or we may be sold out of a particular kind. Please check with us (815-521-9535 or contrarymary@contrarymarysplants.com) to find out our current availability, especially if you are coming for particular ones! Another thing you Hosta fanatics might think about..why not join a Hosta Society to share your passion?! A couple you might want to check out: The Northern Illinois Hosta Society and The American Hosta Society. One last thing; a great resource for pictures is the Hosta Library. Now, on to the pieces de resistance!!! A printable version of our catalog is also available. Be sure to look for the Named Cultivars: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Home | Plants | Online Store | Farm & Nursery | Seminars Contrary Mary’s Plants and Designs
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
indicating current Contrary Mary Favorites—
Deeply cupped
& heavily corrugated blue-green foliage, near white flowers in June/July. 
‘Abiqua Elephant
Ears’
We here in the “Land of Lincoln”
are proud of “our” fabulous President, and this handsome devil deserves to
be inaugurated into your Hosta collection! Sporting very corrugated, thick
blue-green foliage that is robust and dependable, he makes a great
medium-sized anchor. Pale purple flowers.
This provocative sport of (what else!) ‘Climax’ has green
heart-shaped foliage with very wide yellow margins. An eye-catching,
impelling specimen plant with pale lavender flowers!
A smashing new mini with long narrow, ruffley foliage
that is green with yellow margins; forms a horizontal, distinctive little
mound. Would look INCREDIBLE with a hosta like ‘Maui Buttercups’ or ‘Lettuce
Salad’ for contrast! May not be ready until late summer.
‘Alex Summers’ is a way-cool sport of ‘Gold
Regal’ that boasts bright golden margins surrounding lush green centers; a
great specimen! Lavender flowers.
A nice large hosta from Olga Petryszyn that has slightly
shiny, very large, heart shaped foliage that is medium green with creamy
yellow edges. Horn will be tootin’ for this beauty (oh, has pale lavender
flowers too!).
A sensational new misted
hosta! This plant has misted green foliage with a white center-foliage is
slightly twisted. Pale lavender flowers in July. Wow!
Having driven through Alligator Alley several times, I
can attest that anything named for it would have to be exceedingly tough,
and this baby is no exception! A sport of ‘Dick Ward’, it has pebbled, very
heavily corrugated nearly round foliage with yellow centers and wide
blue-green margins. A slug would definitely chip a tooth if he chews on this
one! Near white flowers.
This beauty was introduced at the 2010
Midwest Hosta Convention and is destined to be a classic! It has a blue-green
center and wide creamy margin; great substance and is quite civilized! Pale
lavender flowers.
‘American Hero’ is a rough and tough ‘Revolution’
sport with wide, deep green margins and a white to cream speckled center. Its
foliage has great substance and twists slightly which makes it a real
standout in the garden! Walters Gardens donates a portion of the proceeds to
Greencare For Troops, which provides landscape services to families of those
deployed in the Armed Forces. A great plant and a great cause! Lavender flowers.
An outstanding specimen that’s a sport of ‘Choo Choo Train’ with green leaves and a wide gold margin. Pale
lavender flowers. Can form a massive clump! 
This Hosta was named in honor
of Mildred Seaver and is a tetraploid version of ‘Sea Thunder’ with much
wider green margins, thicker leaves, and a more upright habit than its
parent. Lavender flowers top it off in August. A beauty!
This striking specimen hosta has a dark green leaf that
has a creamy yellow center that changes to a clean white mid-season. A
vigorous grower with great substance and pale lavender flowers.
A BRILLIANT golden beacon, especially in the spring—found
wandering the wilds on Honshu Island! A great grower and EXTREMELY limited!
A very RARE beauty with gold-margined dark green
elongated foliage and a distinctive upright growth habit. VERY, VERY limited!
This vase-shaped hosta has frosty blue foliage with wavy
margins and twisted leaf tips; also has cool white undersides and lavender
flowers. Shiver me timbers, this is a cool one!
‘Autumn Frost’ is an awesome new sport of ‘First
Frost’ with bright yellow margins surrounding frosty blue centers. Margins
may lighten to cream in the summer; has the incredible substance you would
expect coming from such great parentage! Lavender flowers.
‘Avocado’ is a real treat for your garden!
It has very wide deep green leaf margins that are striking and showy (much
more vivid than its parent ‘Guacamole’!) Oh, did I mention its fragrant showy
pale lavender flowers too?! 
This awesome tetraploid sport of ‘Abba Dabba Do’ has long,
dark green, ruffled foliage with a limey margin and light lavender flowers. Paradise is found with this dramatic specimen plant! May not be available until late
summer.
This little cutie from Bob Solberg has very blue heart
shaped foliage with a compact growing habit and lavender flowers. What can I
say…awww!
This little darlin’ is a “gotta-have” for your mini collection, with precious
bitsy leaves that are deep green with streaky white margins. A copious
producer of precious pale purple flowers; may not be ready for adoption
until late summer!
This diminutive damsel has mighty moxie! Looking very
similar to a miniature ‘June’ (a definite hosta fan fave!),
she has awesome substance and scads of lavender flowers. Don’t wait too long
to take her home!
‘Bashful’
This little cutie is a seedling from ‘Blue Cadet’, and has
creamy mottled spring foliage, becoming greener as the season progresses. New
growth still has that mottling effect, so it looks neat all season! White flowers.
This one’s a beautiful blue sport of ‘Lakeside Beach
Captain’; thick- substanced and loads of fun with pale lavender flowers.
Another limited one!
Can’t you hear this large
sport of ‘Blue Angel’ calling to you.! A beauty with heart shaped leaves that
emerge green and then turn gold with wide blue-green margins. Near white
flowers too!
Rich blue-green, heavily
corrugated foliage, slowish growth rate, imposing background plant. Near
white flowers in late June. 
I just LOVE dark green hostas for their ability to play
off of brightly colored foliage—they really make a statement and allow your
eyes to focus and rest to be able to take in the whole garden picture. This
one is no exception as it is very dark green and forms a distinctive mound
of unruly foliage. Pair her with ‘Key West’, ‘Blaze of Glory’, ‘Madam’, or
‘Fat Cat’ for a show-winning combination!
This heavily substanced hosta has very dark green,
corrugated foliage and makes an outstanding foil. A real knockout! 
A very flashy looking hosta
with bright yellow foliage and lavender flowers. Hot!
This old favorite forms a dense blue clump with
heart-shaped leaves-very slug resistant. Lavender flowers in July.
A yellow-edged sport of ‘Fragrant Blue’ (a Contrary Mary
fave!) with fragrant pale lavender flowers…very hot!
‘Blue Hawaii’ evokes its tropical paradise
namesake with its intensely blue, immensely thick foliage; rather torturous
as I’m writing this as the snow is coming down! Foliage becomes slightly
cupped, and it is one of the BEST hostas for vivid blue coloration. Very
limited; get her before paradise is lost! Pale purple flowers.
A precious sport of ‘Halcyon’ with creamy white centers
and blue margins in spring, morphing to bright white margins and blue green
center in summer. Great texture like its parent; lavender flowers too!
A remarkably blue hosta (the
bluest?!) with heart shaped leaves of great substance; it forms a neat mound
that stands out in the garden. Lavender flowers in July.
Huge mound of
slug-resistant, deep blue foliage-slowish growth rate. Near white flowers
mid-June/July-wowzers! 
One of the very best small
hostas (and how could you resist the name!), it has very good substance and
almost round leaves. It forms an adorable little mound and has pale purple
flowers in July and a medium to slow growth rate (so be patient!) 2008
Hosta Grower’s Hosta of the Year!
‘Blue Wu’ is a sport of the GARGANTUAN ‘Empress
Wu’, and is clearly destined to become another big, impressive mama! With
HUGE blue green leaves and great substance ya just KNOW I’m classifying this
one as a “gotta-have”; need I even say it is VERY VERY limited?! Pale
lavender flowers, ?36” ht (or more?)
‘Blueberry Muffins’ is a delicious new
addition (I’m even making myself hungry!) with nearly round, very puckered
and very blue foliage that is held aloft by red petioles! Don’t worry though,
the slugs won’t find this one appetizing! Lavender flowers.
As yummy as it sounds, this newbie is a sport of ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ (long a Contrary fave!) with very cupped and distinctive foliage that has
white borders. Great substance and yet another “100 yard” Hosta that will
zip outa here fast! Near white flowers.
A BRAND NEW intro by the
Solbergs that is a cross of ‘Blue Cadet’ and ’ Fall Bouquet’ with very blue
foliage that is uniquely folded and forms a tight adorable mound. Purportedly
holds its color magnificently! Pinkish flowers in July.
‘Bogie and Bacall’ has medium green foliage
with a sexy white margin; great growth rate too, sweetheart! VERY limited
engagement. Lavender flowers.
‘Boyz Toy’ has it goin’ on….foliage emerges
bright chartreuse with red (yup, that’s what I said) leaf tips! The red will
fade, and the foliage turns bright yellow and glossy--this is one sassy mini!
Vivid purple flowers.
This sport of (you guessed it!) ‘
A distinctive small hosta with
dark green leaves that twist and curl upward at the tips (very Contraryish!)
Lavender flowers.
This is a real eye catcher
with very puckered and textured bright gold leaves with a wide blue margin.
White flowers.
A beauteous specimen with heart shaped foliage that has
VERY wide creamy yellow margins and deep green centers. Near white flowers
too! 
A phenomenal specimen
that has very corrugated gold leaves with a wide green margin. Great
substance and a moderate grower; near white flowers.
This sport of ‘Halcyon’ has blue-green foliage that is so
thick it’s almost rubbery! This is definitely one that will be an unusual
standout for texture! A somewhat slow grower, it may not be ready until late
summer. VERY limited!
Crusading for a blue hosta? This lovely Tardiana from Eric
Smith is very blue and full of substance, with heart-shaped leaves and light
lavender flowers. Dreamy! 
A darling new mini that is the
reverse of ‘Pandora’s Box.’ Lavender flowers in July.
Now THIS is a tempting hosta! She has dark green ruffley
leaves (piecrusted) that have a glassy texture, purple petioles, and purple
flowers…yum! May not be ready until late summer and in VERY limited
quantities.
This sport of ‘Gold Standard’ has heavy substance and
bright gold foliage with very wide dark green margins and pale lavender
flower. A fast grower too!
‘Carnival’ is a bold, bright festival of
color! It forms a large mound of dark green foliage with creamy edges. Make
merry (mary?!) in your garden! Lavender flowers.
A T. Avent intro, this beauty
has a dark green center with light green edges and lavender flowers. Very
limited quantities!
This little charmer is really the cat’s meow of minis!
She’s got golden centers and dark green margins; great substance too! May not
be ready for adoption until late summer!
‘Cathedral Windows’ is a tetraploid sport
of ‘Stained Glass’ that surpassed its parent regarding vividness and
distinction! It pass the “Ten Yard” test (does it stand out from afar?!) with
its gold center and very wide dark green margins and great substance. This
beauty even has pale lavender FRAGRANT flowers! 
A very rare and limited sport of ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’
with intensely gold almost round foliage that is wavy and unruly—makes quite a statement! Get her before she flies out of here!
‘Celestial’ is a classic hosta that has
dark green foliage with cream edges that streak into the center…makes a
divine specimen! Very pale lavender flowers.
‘Celtic Uplands’ has dark green, shiny
foliage (inherited from its yingeri parent) held aloft by red petioles, and
forms a distinctive vase shaped mound. You’ll be saying gosh and beggora when
you see its unique spider shaped dark purple flowers that appear late; also
sets viable seed!
This doll’s a REAL looker, with BRIGHT gold, very
corrugated and unruly foliage; would REALLY pop paired with dark green Hostas! Very pale lavender flowers.
‘Chain Lightning’ is a white-centered
stroke of brilliance for your Hosta collection! It has thick grey-green
foliage with a stroke of creamy white through the center; great contrast and
would look AWESOME with weirdo ones like ‘Corkscrew,’ ‘Totally Twisted’ or ‘Tremors’,
or with dark beauties like ‘Midnight Ride,’ ‘Black Jack,’ or ‘Irish Luck!’ Lavender flowers.
This charming small hosta has a medium green center and
light margins—leaves have a twist at the tip! With white flowers, this
oldie but goodie is a hit!
A wiggly-squirmy-wormy kinda
guy with very narrow, bright foliage. This mini munchkin is a must!
An adorable little mound of
light gold foliage that is oval-shaped and slightly wavy, it has pale
lavender flowers in July—a real cutie! 
This newbie is a medium sized Hosta with very bright
gold, crinkly, wrinkly, and rumpled foliage that produces purple flowers on
eye-catching red scapes. Catch her before she
zooms away; may not be ready until late summer!
An absolute precious mini that is a sport of ‘Baby
Bunting.’ She has roundish yellow leaves that streak into the dark green
edges. Center turns to near white by midsummer. As if that wasn’t enough for
the cute-o-meter, she has tiny very dark purple bell shaped flowers in July.
Say it together: AWWWW!
This seedling of ‘One Man’s Treasure’ has very
distinctive foliage that is wide, deep green, heavily veined, slightly
rippled and open facing atop VERY deep red petioles. The foliage forms an
upright mound so its red legs are very visible! Purple flowers; may not be
ready until late summer!
A VERY bright eye-catching hosta that starts chartreuse
and changes to a glowing yellow in summer; also has bright shocking red
petioles that make an awesome contrast to the bright foliage. Likes morning
sun and may not be ready until late summer!
‘Cherry Tomato’ is a unique sport of ‘Cherry
Berry’ and features long lance-shaped white leaves with dark green margins. A
vigorous mini, it also has very unique dark purple flowers that are held by
red petioles…superb! 
This intensely blue and deeply cupped Hosta forms a large
vase shaped mound; perfect as a focal point! Somewhat slow grower and has
near white flowers.
This GIANT behemoth has huge deep green unruly foliage of
awesome substance; you’ll definitely need to make room for him! A slow mover
with pale lavender flowers; not available until late summer, but sure to
ride outa here fast!
This dreamy guy has long, pointed, wavy blue foliage that
has a distinctive leaf tip twist….an upward reaching, dynamic Hosta that is
in VERY limited supply; don’t let this fantasy pass you buy (get it?!)
This awesome beauty has very thick ruffled limey gold
leaves with piecrust edges and white flowers. A unique and outstanding
specimen plant..woo-hoo!
This precious little pixie has blue, wavy and VERY thick
foliage topped by an abundance of lavender flowers. Great contrast to some
of the rounder foliaged mice! Not ready for adoption until fall.
A distinctive hosta with almost round foliage that is
gold-margined and green-centered and has pale lavender flowers. The buzz is
that it’s a GREAT grower too! VERY limited!
This beauty has intensely corrugated, puckered, thick deep
green foliage that is highly slug resistant and pale lavender flowers…a real
standout; might be one of the most “puckery” there is! May not be ready until
late summer, but well worth the wait!
‘Clifford’s Stingray’ is a bold, brazen,
eye-catching hosta with wide dark green margins and bright white centers
that feathers down the leaf. Great substance too! Pale lavender flowers.
This eye-catching sport of ‘High Noon’ has apple green
leaves with bright gold margins and great corrugation. A specimen hosta for
sure!
This ‘Glory’ seedling has thick, blue-green foliage
reminiscent of angry storm clouds that turn shiny and dark green in summer and
pale purple flowers. This is one beautiful storm you’ll want to weather!
This is a REAL stunner and immediately recognizable—with
apple-green leaves that show dimpling at maturity and fantastic pie-crust
edging, it creates an open clump due to its foliage being held horizontally.
Pale lavender flowers in summer...get this one fast as it’s rare and in very
limited quantities! 
This Solberg Hosta has heart shaped yellow foliage
overlaid with white wax to give it a creamy look. Also has bright purple
petioles and orchid colored flowers…yummy!
A great dwarf with heart
shaped, shiny green leaves. Great grower! Lavender flowers.
This glacial hosta has frosty lime foliage that is heart
shaped, rippled and serrated with icy white backs. Very distinctive and
definitely a collector’s plant!
A real bizarro, worthy of
collectors and Contrary Mary customers! It features dark green, highly
twisted upright leaves. Guaranteed you won’t confuse THIS one with any others!
Blooms very late (September) with pale purple flowers. A gotta have and a 
‘Corn Belt’ is another one of those “10 yard”
Hostas…we have an AWESOME specimen in one of our display beds that ALWAYS
elicits comments! It forms a mound of bright gold centered, dark green
margined, slightly rippled foliage; a bright beacon aptly named for our area!
White flowers.
This exotic treat has heavily corrugated, rich gold
foliage with rippled margins that is CONVEXLY cupped…unusual and distinctive!
Lavender flowers.
This unique ‘Pathfinder’ sport has heavily freckled and
misted green and white foliage, changing to bright green by late summer. A
definite “gotta-have” for all you Contrary Hosta
Collectors and very limited to boot! Lavender flowers.
ANOTHER NEW mini, this
one is a sport of ‘Shiny Penny’ with slightly wavy, gold-centered leaves with
a ˝” wide green margin. Great edger, trough plant, or for your fairy garden!
Yes, Contrary DOES love her wine, and this baby’s no
exception! This is another “100 yard Hosta” that is distinctive and a
“gotta-have”, with VERY shiny, VERY pointed, VERY waxy bright yellow leaves
with purple petioles and DEEP cranberry colored scapes; I REALLY love this
one! Again, oh, so limited!!!
‘Cream Cheese’ is as delectable as it
sounds; with its VERY bright variegated edges (changing from cream to white)
and deep purple flowers, you’ll NEED this one to add some zip to your small
guys collection! Pair her with ‘Dixie Chickadee,’ ‘Designer Genes,’ ‘Cherry
Tomato,’ or ‘High Society’ for stunning combos! 
This little gem is a cross between ‘Cinnamon Sticks’ and
‘Cracker Crumbs’ and has honey gold round shiny and waxy leaves that form a
cute little mound. Very slug resistant and a great grower (and yummy to
boot!)
I REALLY love Hostas with
round, cupped, distinct Contrary foliage, so this one is a definite new Fave! A very deep green, she looks as if she’s holding
her foliage out to you (??”more please”??!). A real charmer in short supply;
white flowers.
Another distinctive “cupper,” this one has nearly round,
blue, small cupped foliage and near white flowers. Nice!
A real eye-catcher with ruffled
arched blue-green foliage that folds to reveal its white leaf backs! Lavender
flowers.
Talk about a distinctive hosta…wow, this is it! A seedling
of ‘Pineapple Upside Down Cake’ from Bob Solberg, this one will jump out at
you from afar! It has chartreuse narrow curly foliage that lightens to near
white in summer. Did you know that hostas have a common ancestry with Yuccas
and Agaves? I didn’t, but after viewing this guy I can sure see it! Good sun
tolerance; has purple scapes that produce lavender flowers. VERY, VERY, VERY
limited and not available until late summer; collectors only!!!
This is another distinctive one with nearly round
blue-green foliage with gold margins that change to dark green centers with
white margins in summer. Pair her with an elliptical-foliaged one like
‘Chopsticks’, ‘Dragon Tails’, or ‘Praying Hands’ for an AWESOME contrast in
leaf-shape and texture! May not be available until late summer.
A NEW hosta that is the
reverse of ‘Last Dance!’ Very eye-catching with light yellow, heart shaped
leaves that have a wide light green margin. Has great texture and pale
lavender flowers; likes morning sun for best coloration.
This frolicking beauty starts out a bright yellow, turning
to pale yellow later in the season. MAGNIFICENT pie-crusted edging and an
upright grower with pale lavender flowers will have you singing for joy!
‘Dancing Stars’ is a child of ‘Dancing in
the Rain,’ and has FAR surpassed its parent in vigor! It boasts a blue green
edge with BRIGHT white centers, and has MUCH thicker substance (no more slug
bait, yeah!) Light lavender flowers.
This hosta has very thick blue foliage with an un-even
yellow border that morphs to medium green by summer. A really unique
combination that looks unbelievable with gold-centered hostas like
‘Rainforest Sunrise’, ‘Stained Glass’, and ‘Wylde Green Cream’! FRAGRANT
pale lavender flowers too!
Talk about
intensity in the spring! This one is brilliant lemon yellow with much ruffling
and corrugation of its heart-shaped leaves. Foliage loses its intensity in
summer; lavender flowers.
I absolutely LOVE this hosta!
It has intensely blue very round, corrugated leaves and near white flowers.
Another “gotta-have”! 
This sport of ‘Blue Boy’ has blue-green foliage with
yellow margins and a cream “lightning bolt” dividing them! VERY unique! Pale
lavender flowers too!
A brand new intro with bright
gold linear leaves and strikingly contrasting rich red petioles. Purple
flowers with red scapes. WOW!
‘Devil’s Advocate’ has immense blue-green
foliage with margins that lighten up to a showy apple-green as the season
progresses. He’ll be big like his mama ‘Blue Angel,’ and will form an upright
vigorous mound. White flowers.
All green form of ‘Halcyon’
with VERY shiny dark green foliage and pale lavender foliage. Great as a
foil.
An adorable mini with medium green centers and light edges (the opposite of ‘Dixie Chickadee’, just to confuse ya!!!)
This little sprite has shiny foliage with dark green edges
and creamy yellow centers with adorable scattered freckles adorning it. Great
substance and lavender flowers; may not be ready until late summer!
A darling mini with long
narrow yellow leaves with a teensy wavy edge. Bet your garden fairies would
like to take a ride on this one! Lavender flowers.
This great Beastie is a ‘Riptide’ seedling with frosty
grey-green foliage with waxy white backs and purple scapes with lavender
flowers. Undulating-- looks almost in flight! AWESOME collector’s hosta and
great for breeding programs!
An AWESOME sport of ‘Blue Angel’ , this beauty has HUGE
heart-shaped blue-green leaves with a creamy white border. Lavender flowers
top it in early summer..a MUST as a specimen! 2009 Hosta Grower’s Hosta of
the Year!
This very rare gem has rippled, bright gold foliage with
AWESOME substance and pale lavender flowers…may be the “gold standard” of
yellow hostas! A Sieboldiana type, so is a slowish grower.
This is one phenomenon you’ll
welcome to your garden! It is a sport of ‘Halcyon’ with the same powdery
blue, thick substanced foliage with the addition of a pure white margin.
Lavender flowers in summer.
This is one gigantic girl!!! MAY be the biggest hosta in
cultivation with humongous dark green leaves that have groove-like veining
and pale lavender flowers. Outstanding!!!
This sport of ‘Captain Kirk’ (what else!) has white
centers with dark green foliage…seems as bright and eye-catching as its
parent, and good substance and growth rate too! Lavender flowers; may not be
ready until late summer.
A tetraploid sport of ‘Warwick Essence’ with rounded very
thick medium green foliage and gorgeous FRAGRANT white flowers!
(Yes, I know but that IS how they spell it!) This one will
make you swoon (don’t use THAT word much, do ya?!) with its wedge shaped
foliage and flashy variegation of white center and wide blue-green edge.
Lavender flowers too! May not be ready until late summer.
This sport of ‘Sea Fire’ has glowing yellow center with
thin deep green margins…very pebbly and great substance, y’all! Lavender
flowers.
This is a “gotta-have” (EVERYBODY’s gotta have faith
right?!) that has huge nearly round leaves that are a glowing yellow and have
so much puckering/bumpling/warting that it looks like the colors are
forever changing and are in motion! Near white flowers too! Best in morning
sun.
ANOTHER new cutie,
this is the green-edged sport of ‘Cheatin’ Heart’ (gotta have one to balance
the other!) It has pale lavender flowers in July.
This is a real diva! She is a sport of one of my all time
FAVORITE Hostas, ‘Designer Genes’, with brilliant
gold centers, white margins, and BRIGHT red legs and scapes….great
contrast! Purple flowers; not ready until late summer!
Yep, we’ve got a couple of these around here that AREN’T
in pots! As to the ones that are in pots, they have lovely rounded very
corrugated bright yellow foliage and an upright growth habit that she
inherited from her parent ‘Sagae’! She’s one cool cat!
This NEW sport of ‘Sum & Substance’ introduced by Bob
Solberg has remarkable GIANT leaves of bright chartreuse with dark green
edges. Pair him with ‘Lady Isobel Barnett’ for a Jaw-dropping combination.
Glossy and with great substance, lavender flowers….in VERY limited quantities!
Brilliant yellow spring
foliage has great texture and red petioles that extend up into the base of
the leaves. Foliage becomes chartreuse in mid-summer. Lavender flowers.
Another lovely sport of ‘Halcyon’ with foliage changing from a blue center with a gold margin in
spring to dark green center with a creamy white margin in summer. Great
substance and pale lavender flowers. American Hosta Grower’s Association Hosta of the Year 2010!
A tetraploid sport of ‘Kabitan’ that is more upright
and vigorous than its parent. It has long wavy yellow leaves with wide dark
green leaf margins. Purple flowers.
This hybrid out of ‘Cold Heart’ from Alttara Scheer is amazing! Has a frosty bluish cast over
yellow, gradually attaining an almost orange
phosphorescence if given some sun….zowie!!! Has
white leaf backs and lavender flower….need I say that this Contrary Hosta is
VERY limited??? Not sure of its eventual size other than it is a medium
Hosta.
This great hosta has frosty-blue foliage and fragrant
pale lavender flowers in July. 
A Contrary Mary favorite! This plant has it all—very
fragrant flowers Aug-Sept, brightly variegated foliage, a fast grower, 1998’ s
hosta of the year. Another must!
‘Fragrant Queen’ is a sport of (you guessed
it!) ‘Fragrant King,’ but of course improved with a much wider bright white
margin surrounding a deep green, glossy center. Very large, near white
fragrant flowers too!
As you would expect, this newbie makes an OUTSTANDING
architectural presence in the garden, with huge, very steel blue foliage that forms an arching vase shaped
mound. VERY unique and truly another “gotta-have”!
Near white flowers. I’m unsure of his final size, but large!
Ooh-la-la! This sport of ‘Cajun Sunrise’ has unusual color
changes; starts gold in spring, then evolves into a rich orange-gold that
gets her noticed from across the garden! Smooth, great substance, and pale
lavender flowers make this enticing creature a “gotta-have”!
Another great combo—a sport of ‘Guacamole,’ very fragrant flowers, bright gold foliage—a great
specimen hosta. 
This ‘Spritzer’ seedling has shiny, rippled bright yellow
foliage with a twist at the tip of the leaf…cool! Lavender flowers too…we ALL
need more friends! May not be ready until late summer.
This medium Hosta is a standout and a must for all
collectors! It has cascading, ruffled, brilliant gold foliage with pointed
tips; this one will not be ignored! Needs some sun for best coloration;
lavender flowers and VERY limited!
‘Frosted Frolic’ has nearly round
blue-green foliage with wide creamy edges--the foliage has thick substance
and are held rigid and somewhat upright, and some streaking of the border
occurs. A merry little guy with lavender flowers.
Okay, everyone knows how I LOVE ‘Blue Mouse Ears’, and this
one’s his little cousin! A little squirt with the same unbelievable thick
substance and blue-green to dark green foliage with a wide white margin. A
slow grower, and won’t be ready until late summer, but I’m afraid (yup),
another “gotta-have”! Oh, and dense clusters of purple flowers too!
This cross between ‘Korean Snow’ and ‘Faithful Heart’ has
bitsy misted shiny, slightly wavy foliage and pale purple flowers. A must
for your mini collection; not adoptable until late summer!
I REALLY love this one as it for sure is another 100
yarder! VERY bright and vivid, especially in spring/early summer, with bold
citron yellow piecrusted and wavy foliage held by vivid cranberry red
petioles; also has marvelous bright red scapes topped with deep purple
flowers. Forms a dense compact mound too! VERY limited and a Contrary fave!
This is a real STANDOUT…the foliage starts out bright
chartreuse in the spring with deep red, almost black petioles with the color
extending up into the leaf undersides. As the season progresses, some leaves
turn all gold and some are gold with irregular green leaf margins; VERY
unique! Foliage is also very shiny and of good substance; deep purple
flowers produce fertile seeds. VERY, VERY limited!
‘Funny Mouse’ is another new mini that is
the reverse of ‘Snow Mouse.’ She has blue green centers and wide white
margins, and is gonna squeak outta here quickly (VERY LIMITED!), so trap her
while you can! Charming thick lavender flowers.
‘Gemstone’ is a ‘Venusta’ hybrid, and has
rich blue foliage and a great growth rate; definitely one for your collection!
Light purple flowers.
Most aptly named, as this great one has VERY blue VERY
cupped VERY corrugated foliage that is upright and vase shaped. Pale,
fertile, pretty flowers too….need I say limited?!
This subtle sport of Hosta yingeri has shiny dark green
foliage with a very narrow white edge…different! Also has cool spider-shaped
purple flowers.
Betcha don’t know who THIS one was named
after! History lesson….it was our 11th Vice President under James K. Polk!
Now if any of you make it on ‘Jeopardy’ and this comes up, feel free to give
Contrary Mary credit for reminding you! (We are entertaining AND
educational!) Anyway, ‘George M. Dallas’ (the Hosta, not the VP) has sharply
contrasting variegation with dark green centers and gold margins, and just
for fun the leaf tip has a distinctive twist! Lavender flowers.
A spectacular new hosta that has blue-green leaves with
misted green and white centers that change to green in mid-late summer and
pale lavender flowers in July. 
This is the FIRST of the gold leafed Mouse Ears….yeah!
Precious little rounded medium gold leaves of terrific substance, this little baby also has perfectly proportioned pale purple flowers. Not
available until late summer, and sure to scamper outa here fast (?maybe with Rosie chasing behind???!)
This sport of ‘Elegans’ is REALLY cool…it has a blue-green
margin and a leaf center that changes from gold to green during the season;
medium green streaks appear between the two. The weird part is that the margins
exhibit more waviness and corrugation than the center which causes a
puckering effect…unusual! White flowers.
An enchanting streaky mini which forms a nice clump that
is slug resistant. Cute as a button, with lavender flowers!
Oh me, oh my, ‘Goodness Gracious’ is a
flashy sport of ‘Satisfaction,’ with heart-shaped foliage that is dark green
with very wide yellow margins; deeply veined and great substance too! Would
look outstanding paired with ‘Fragrant Queen,’ ‘Vulcan,’ Golden Meadows,’
and/or ‘Prestige and Promise.’ Lavender flowers.
Although ‘Great Arrival’ is a reversed
sport of ‘Great Expectations,’ it does not have the abysmal growth rate of
its parent, nor does it experience spring desiccation burn (whew!). It has
very large, thick margined foliage that morphs, from blue green leaf center
in spring turning deep green, and bright gold leaf margin in spring turning
creamy white. Great garden presence! Near white flowers.
According to Hosta Guru Mark Zillis,
this is one of the BEST gold leafed cultivars with piecrust edges, so ya KNOW ya hafta have this one! Very pale lavender flowers.
‘Grecian Vase’ is a lovely chartreuse
foliaged hosta that is a vigorous grower and makes a bright beacon in the
garden. Foliage is slightly rippled and stays a nice limey-green.
An adorable companion to ‘
This is one eerie and unique sport of ‘Blue Angel’; in
the spring it emerges NEAR WHITE, gradually changing to a bright light
yellow and then finally to blue-green! Not sure how big it’s going to
actually get; has white flowers. 
Another
member of the ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ family, it has chartreuse/gold foliage with
wide green edges, fragrant white flowers. 
A striking sport of ‘Blue Angel’ with misted white and green leaf center surrounded by a
blue-green margin and near white flowers in June/July—a showy specimen or
background plant! 
This sport of ‘Striptease’ (of course!) is a stable
cultivar that has a VERY wide, bright yellow leaf centers with dark green
edges. A real show in your shade garden!