HOSTA in our Yard in August 2016-- plus a Fall Surprise

Hello Blog Friends,   Hope Summer has been good to you this year... Here on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee,   we have had one of the hottest,  most humid and DRIEST summers I can remember since moving here in 2003...  The drought is horrible... George puts the sprinkler out to water our flowers/yard EVERY morning --and that helps some.  BUT--the big trees are suffering --and truly,  everything just needs a good soaking  (which we haven't had in over 2 months).   I hope this cycle ends soon and I'm hoping for a gorgeous FALL.

Most of the summer,  I have posted pictures of our flowers and our travels.  One thing I have neglected to post is the beautiful HOSTA plants we have in our yard... Since we have LOTS of shade,  and since Hostas generally do well in most conditions,   ours have THRIVED here.   When we first moved here,  I wanted Caladium  (which is more colorful) instead of Hosta ---and actually planted some one year.  BUT--our temperatures get too low in the winter for them  to come back year after year...  SO--I switched to Hostas which are good perennials here.  AND---they 'may' live in full sunlight ---but prefer (and do much better) in shaded areas.

SO---today I'll share you some of our Hostas around the yard.  The pictures were taken  8/19/16 ---so most all of the blooms are gone for the season... (NOTE to Betsy:  Take Hosta pictures earlier in the summer next year!!!!)   BUT---the plants themselves are so pretty  so I hope you enjoy seeing them today...   I know the names of many of our flowers --but have never learned the names of Hostas.  But--I still love them.  You can click on the pictures if you would like to see them larger.

You can see how the Hostas co-habitate with our English Ivy and our Periwinkle Ground Covers.

This Hosta plant get very tall as opposed to some of the others --which are more Ground Covers.

This is one of my favorites,  given to me by a friend.  

Our largest Hosta Plant

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AUTUMN JOY SEDUM

Finally,   I'll show you the FIRST  sign of Autumn  (although we are TRULY still in the heat of SUMMER here this year).    These little flowers are the succulent,  Autumn Joy Sedum.  George's sweet Daddy gave us some of these when we moved here in 2003...  They have thrived --and are EXTREMELY easy plants to grow and care for... Deer don't eat them --nor do the other critters we have around here.  They come back year after year and are such neat plants to have in the yard.

As you can see the flower color here is almost white (with a tiny greenish tint)... These flowers change colors throughout the Fall --and end as a RUST color (matching many other colors during very late Fall).... The next color to come from these beauties is PINK.... They are truly amazing little flowers... IF you want more information about them,  click HERE.

Hope you enjoyed seeing more of our yard today...  Have a good week ---and please send us some RAIN if you are getting some in your area!!!!!

Hugs,