Plantain Lily

Hosta Patriot

• Position: partial or full shade
• Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: fast-growing
• Flowering period: July and August
• Flower colour: lavender-blue
• Hardiness: fully hardy

  
  Puckered, olive-green leaves with irregular, white margins and spikes of funnel-shaped, lavender-blue flowers in July and August. This vigorous, variegated hosta is perfect for illuminating shady areas of the garden. One of our recommended plants, it makes an eye-catching groundcover plant for a fertile, moist, well-drained border.
  

• Garden care: You'll get thicker, lusher leaves if you give your hostas a really good feed. An annual mulch in spring or autumn will help to keep the weeds down and is an easy way to improve soil and boost nutrient levels. Add a generous mulch of about 5-10cm (2-4in) deep of garden compost or leaf mould around the plant. Spraying the leaves regularly with a high nitrogen fertiliser during the growing season will also help to boost leaf size.

  
  Water your hosta well as soon as you plant it and from then on water regularly during their first growing season. Give them a water about once or twice a week around the base of the plant, avoiding the leaves. Little and often can be disatrous as it's encourage the plant to produce roots closer to the surface in a desperate quest for moisture.