If you’ve shopped for perennials at BB Barns Garden Center, then you know we major on hostas. There’s a reason for that. Our perennial buyer, Chris Stone, loves her hostas. It wasn’t always true love, though. Like many who move to Western North Carolina, when she and husband Pat bought their “forever home” (their affectionate term for their charming mountain home), Chris was discouraged. Her previous job was crew leader at Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion. In Chris’ words, “All hot colors, reds, oranges, Tiffany roses, purples.” From the sunny land of Morocco, aka Orlando, she had to adjust to her new elevation (2800′), shade, and the fact that she now lived on the side of a cliff.
Sound familiar? In our top ten questions asked to the Outside Sales Staff at BB Barns, right up there in the top five is, What do you plant on a bank?
If you know our red-headed Chris, then you won’t be surprised that for her, step one was to change the topography. Six years, 25 dump trucks of dirt, and 100 tons of rock later, she had the nickname ‘The Dirt Girl’ (dubbed by the men hauling the dirt), and no longer a cliff, but a fairly steep bank to create her garden on.
Now, brick pathways traverse the embankment, and hostas and Japanese maples are the showstoppers of the garden. Chris did what BB Barns encourages their customers to do. No, not the dirt hauling and rock carrying. But, instead of yet another “Wall of Juniper” for slopes, treat that sloped space as part of the landscape. Plant trees and shrubs, and Chris would say, hostas.
When asked what she considers the triumph of the garden, Chris replies, “Serenity.” In this picture, ‘Stained Glass’ hosta, ”Dragon Wing’ begonia, ‘Viridis’ Japanese maple, a creek made by she and Pat, and for a touch of personal serenity, a hammock.
Blue Star creeper, ‘Feeling Blue’ Deodar Cedar (the lowest of the dwarf cedars, reaches 2-4′ tall and 6′ wide), Ajuga and ‘Halcyon’ hosta line the brick pathway.
Hostas seem to be that plant that is either loved or hated in the garden. Chris believes it’s lack of popularity with some is because we’re unfamiliar with all the cultivars and uses. Hostas are great on slopes (if you can duck-walk up it, you can plant it), can fit into almost any niche in the garden, in sun or shade (depending on type), are a perfect way to cover up the dying foliage of spring bulbs, have late summer into fall blooms, and can be be massed for show or planted separately as specimens. Chris has grown the hosta section at the store to include her now favorite mini hostas. But, the best thing about hostas? Their zone. Most are zoned 4-9, many are 2-9. That’s like, Denali to Charleston. Talk about versatility.
Chris’ colorful mini hosta garden. Most minis stay an adorable 8″ tall and 12″ wide, and are amazing spreaders which makes propagating easy. They’re planted to see each specimen separately.
‘Mouse Ear’s Hosta. Remember Epcot? Chris’ favorite mini is the Mouse Ears collection.
This cutie is ‘Stiletto.’ It gets 6-8″ tall, 12-18″ wide, blooms mauve/lavender in August. Zoned 2-9
‘Hush Puppie’ hosta gets 6″ tall and 16″ wide. A vigorous spreader.
Halcyon hosta, not a mini, fills a corner perfectly. at 18″ tall and 36″ wide. The blue leaves makes for a pretty spectacular showing.
When Chris first arrived at BB Barns, she thought she’d work there until she was finished landscaping her “forever home.” But, as all good gardeners know, no garden is ever done. Her hostas may shine in the garden, but Chris fell in love with conifers, grasses, and Japanese maples (16 of those to be exact), too.
‘Standing Ovation’ Little Bluestem grass, ‘Duke Gardens’ Japanese plum yew, ‘Black Dragon’ Cryptomeria, Weeping redbud, and a fun orange container for color.
A picture really is worth a thousand words. Seiryu Japanese maple. And, check out the chairs in the far right of the picture overlooking the creek. That gives you an idea of the slope of the Stone garden.
A welcome spot near the mini hosta bed. Chairs around a fire pit.
It took 10 years and a lot of going up and down a bank (We do live in the mountains!), and although the garden is not finished (she and Pat want to build new terraces), the Stones can relish the serenity of a job well done with vignettes like this one to enjoy. Japanese forest grass makes a great color combination with a burgundy Japanese maple, and mimics the movement of the water.
Morocco is a long way away from Western North Carolina. Hot tropical colors have been replaced with cool mountain hues, but if there is anyone who now knows what can be planted on a shady bank, that is well above Epcot’s sea level, Chris Stone is it. Who wouldn’t want to mimic her garden?
Header picture: ‘Lady in Red’ lacecap hydrangeas; a great choice for a slight, shady slope.