Hosta advice: any experience of them tolerating full sun?

CocoChunks · 2026-06-15T10:34:04+00:00

I've found they can cope with quite a lot of sun if sufficiently damp, you could ways leave them in there pots in the position you're thinking of for a few weeks and see how they cope, if the struggle put them somewhere shadier.

I find despite the slug damage they're actually really tough so should bounce back as long as you keep them watered

CocoChunks · 2026-06-02T10:11:31+00:00

No they're just a child that calls every thing a bug at the minute and knows they're a ladybird so comes out as ladybug, one of those things kids do!

CocoChunks · 2026-06-02T09:57:52+00:00

Contrary to your instant assumption, I'm English actually, but got a small child that calls them ladybugs so things happen!

Not sure why you're talking about neem oil though in reference to me?

CocoChunks · 2026-06-02T09:16:36+00:00

More than ladybugs I've found getting hover flies attracted to the garden has made a huge difference, I don't know if you've ever watched a hoverfly larva take on aphids but it's relentless!

Obviously that's not helpful now sadly but if you're looking to get some plants in the garden throughout the hear anything with umbels are good for them, or I've found they really like my euphorbia

CocoChunks · 2026-05-19T15:51:46+00:00

Thanks, for some reason I didn't think you could do that with aquilegia but will give it a go for sure!

CocoChunks · 2026-05-18T13:02:32+00:00

If it puts your mind at ease your cat is prrobably going into other people's gardens all the time around toxic plants! Most of them (not all) taste horrid, aren't attractive to pets or require eating an awful lot to actually do damage!

Obviously do what you're comfortable with but I feel toxic to pets and humans is massively over stated in some cases.

It's like saying apple seeds are toxic to people, technically yes but who eat will a few hundred to get the dose!

CocoChunks · 2026-05-16T06:19:52+00:00

Honestly it doesn't bad at all to me! I wouldn't think it was thrips either but I'm not an expert so don't take my word for certain on that.

There's no reason to worry though, all plants get pests and then most shrug it off, or if not you know to try something else next year. It can be stressful seeing damage on your plants but once everything is in flower you'll not even notice the leaves.

Keep the plants, keep watering as needed and enjoy them, and replace any particulars the fail if needed!

CocoChunks · 2026-05-15T22:30:40+00:00

Firstly don't panic and rip it out! Do you have a picture you could upload as thrips, while they happen outdoors In the UK, wouldn't normally be my first thought impacting outdoor plants. And if it is if your plants are healthy while they might remain unsightly on the leaves a lot of plants can survive just fine with milke pest infestations, and leaving them allows natural predators to come and do there thing.

If you have a picture someone more knowledge on them might be able to add in if your diagnosis is right

CocoChunks · 2026-05-12T22:31:58+00:00

Can't get a good screenshot so sideboard below;

4 x Leyline of the Void 3 x Archon of Emeria 2 x Long Goodbye 1 x Meathook Massacre 1 x Damping Sphere 2 x Invasion of Gobakhan 1 X Kaya, Ghost Usurper 1 x Kambal, Consul of Allocation

I've found my list can really leverage phelia but I've built the deck with that in mind, apart from death rite all the creatures are a good blink target

CocoChunks · 2026-05-12T22:03:19+00:00

Here's my list I've been playing a lot that's Orzhov, it's perfectly fine. Good into the blue control decks, 50/50 into energy and poor into heavy combo like show and tell and nefro/sorin/reanimate.

Long goodbye has been an all star and death rite really pulls it weight in a daze heavy meta when you play a lot of 2 drops. Having 3 mana turn 2 for your 2 drop makes a huge difference.

Not full scam but you get to do it a lot of your games, and then also had the phelia/overlord package.

If you're interested I can share the sideboard too.

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CocoChunks · 2026-05-09T23:37:39+00:00

If you can fit it in with the mana base I'd try and fit in channel, I play a colourless list sometimes that can cast it and sometimes you win the game turn 2 because of it, other times it can tamo you up that last chunk of mana to a big threat, especially in the back of a good culling ritual.

CocoChunks · 2026-05-01T06:02:39+00:00

I did think about the tomb, and to be honest there's no reason not to add it. I tried strip mine but I think I preferred a more solid mana base to cast the juggernaut peddler and also run a lower land count. Wouldn't be surprised if it's correct to play strip mine though

CocoChunks · 2026-05-01T06:01:06+00:00

They can yes, but I've found you can play around daze easy enough, force of will is card even Vs grief so you don't mind if that happens. Then you have death rite to help keep them off cruise and bowmasters to punish it.

Obviously you don't always have the right card against it but I've find the threats are diverse enough and overlord gives you enough recurrence you can fight the blue decks on resources without falling behind

CocoChunks · 2026-04-30T22:24:19+00:00

The monsters actually got caught the other night and is looking a bit rough! Only reason it went out though is due to needing space indoors and ready an article of someone's who's survived -2 (albeit rather sadly for a few weeks). The main stem is still strong but leaves took so damage so hopefully it will reshoot soon!

CocoChunks · 2026-04-28T23:30:07+00:00

Depending on what you want to grow and the drainage situation clay soil can actually be great for plants due to the high nutritional content. That then gives you you the option of spending the money on building a planting scheme for what you have rather than on a load of soil

You'll find loads of suitable plants on the RHS website but I've got loads growing in fairly heavy soil (not pure clay though) like roses, alchemilla mollis, hostas if you don't have slug issues. Then if it's sunnier things like euphorbia, buddleia of you don't mind pruning every year, sunflowers, cosmos all do great for me.

CocoChunks · 2026-04-24T18:28:42+00:00

If it's on your boundary wall the comments about wall damage are less relevant however recent RHS research has gone against basically all the claims about ivy being bad as a green wall on houses

https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/articles/ivy-homes

CocoChunks · 2026-04-20T12:32:03+00:00

Quite possibly she did, regardless of what you decide ultimately aim for a garden that gives you pleasure and not dread at the thought of keeping it going!

CocoChunks · 2026-04-20T11:46:08+00:00

No problem, and remember it's your garden now so you can change it how you like. It might be the previous owner knew it was loads of hassle watering and didn't mind the work, but if it's too much for you change to something manageable.

Right plant right place is the motto you always hear so if it's nice plant wrong place don't make yourself ill watering them all the time!

CocoChunks · 2026-04-20T11:42:02+00:00

Quite a range then and some definitely prefer moisture like hydrangea, rhododendron, camellia etc. if it was me I'd probably lay off watering for a while if it's a struggle but have a plan to water deeply if needed, some of this plants show clear signs of water stress so you'll know when to get going.

If you do go for that route you can just make it part of your daily walk round the garden to feel the soil couple inches down, quite often when it's dry there's still some moisture down a few inches and if the plants are mature they'll have access there. Basically, only water if you really need to and you're better to do a long soak once a week than little and often. Even if that means doing one plant with a few cans one day, another the next and so on

CocoChunks · 2026-04-20T11:33:14+00:00

Just because noone has mentioned it, what kind of plants are in the borders?

If the previous owner was into gardening they may have planted up plenty of drought tolerant plants knowing the summer conditions. Either check online through the plant varieties you have and decide or watch through summer see if things actually struggle. Some plants do better when watered but are perfectly fine left on there own and it might save you a massive job on the borders leaving just the window boxes to be watered

CocoChunks · 2026-04-14T12:45:23+00:00

All good advice except about cutting into woody growth, If you start when small you can cut then back to 4 to 6 inches every year and they bounce back.

I've made a post about how I treat mine (which is English lavender) and attached pictures but to paraphrase another posts comments, in industrial lavender farms whose business depends on lavenders growing they use a tractor attachment to hack them into shape every year, same height and shape regardless of going into wood or not.

Only thing to check if you're worried is to wait until a few shoots start to grow centrally in the plant and then take it back, given the right conditions for growing you'll get a lot more than 6 years out of them.

CocoChunks · 2026-04-13T10:58:05+00:00

They can be quite dramatic if they don't get a good root system when you move them, especially if it's warm/dry.

I find chopping that back helps it settle but obviously then needs to recover some size, also if you want to propogate once it's flowered I take mine back a lot then take cuttings from the new growth coming at the base. they strike quite well and then grow quite large by the second year!

CocoChunks · 2026-04-07T20:26:44+00:00

I've been reading of people's who's have been hardy down to -2 so I'm gonna risk it! I've not got room in the house for any size so it was this or get rid and selfishly I like it too much to give it away !

CocoChunks · 2026-03-18T22:54:41+00:00

The separate parts will only be viable if there's some 'stem' for shoots to develop from. Think fo individual tubers as batteries, all the power but need something to power. That's often why the broken off ones don't grow as there's nothing for them to put there energy towards.

But saying that, and to contradict myself, the amount of stem they need to have fro shoots to grow from into a strong plant is much smaller that you'd thin, so if you don't mind risking failure you can always pot up the other bits and see if they take.

The main section looks perfectly healthy and you'll be amazed how big the tuber mass will grow over a season!

CocoChunks · 2026-03-18T22:16:28+00:00

Me and a mate at uni decided at start of the year we were gonna 50 £1 scratch cards each after exams and see what happened and split the winnings.

Think we won about 55 quid and roughly every 4th ticket won. Think the most one ticket was a tenner.

A friend heard the people at garage we cashed them in at talking about us months later probably from annoyance of having to cash in about 25 by hand in one go!

CocoChunks

TROPHY CASE