Hosta Blue Mouse Ears
Hosta Blue Mouse Ears
The Hosta Blue Mouse Ears quickly develops into a sturdy wee cracker of a plant.
Performance in our garden
When I first planted the Hosta blue mouse ears in the back garden it kinda got lost. I wasn’t really surprised, I mean, it’s a little plant and easily overwhelmed by others.
In the Autumn of that first season, I decided it would suit our needs best if planted in a pot.
In the Spring of the following year, I was pleased to see the sturdy shoots poking through the compost. Mind you there should be little doubt of success with Hostas as they can survive extremely low Winter temperatures, even in pots.
Look how well it flowered in the Summer. Let’s face it Hosta’s are not generally grown for their flowers. However, no one can deny the charm which the blooms and blue foliage bring to this particular Hosta.
Blue mouse ears along with all the other Hosta’s in our garden are planted in a shady position.
Of all the plants which we grow in pots, none do better than the Hosta’s and so easy to keep free of slugs when grown in containers.
I would highly recommend my new little favourite.
Plant description
The generally trouble-free Hosta blue mouse ears is a must for that shady border.
Choose the position wisely if planting directly in the border. Hosta suffers if given too much sun. A north or East facing position is ideal.
At a height of 15cm/6in the compact clump-forming dwarf Hosta with blue/green leaves and pale purple/lilac flowers is easily lost in the border, unless planted at the edge.
It is one of those perennial plants which would look good in the rockery, however, most rockeries are positioned in a sunny location. Easy to move around and so happy when planted in a pot.
Hosta blue mouse ears will grow in most soil types , however, it thrives best of all in acidic to neutral soil.
Generally speaking, Hosta is all about the foliage, although the leaves are quite exceptional with this plant the blooms are also very special.
Height – 15cm/6in
Blooms – purple/lilac flowers above blue/green foliage
Hardiness – fully hardy perennial
Position – East or North facing
Soil – preference for acidic to neutral
- RHS Award of garden merit *
Mail order
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Progress with our new house build,
this is how our new house is looking at the moment.
They do say that moving house is one of the most stressful things we have to do in our lifetime, this time around it has gone right off the scale.
Estate agents, to be honest, they could not have been more helpful.
Solicitors, go out of their way to find complications, don’t keep you up to date with what’s going on. Between the three sets of solicitors involved, they could not confirm the date on which we were moving out of our place in spite of all house owners having agreed upon a date three months previously. eventually they agreed on the date with only two weeks left until moving out date. Well you would think that would be the end of that matter. However a couple of days ago one of the solicitor companies came up with a little problem and informed us that as they had to go to a convention on that date, no solicitor would be available to transfer the cash. Well I had no option but to agree upon another date.
House builders, These are the guys in which you are handing over a lot of cash. Is it just me! I would expect them, if not to be all over you to at least be helpful and converse with you, help you to make the right decisions regarding all those little or not so little extras that one adds when purchasing a new house. Keeping you up to date with build progress and most of all reply to your telephone and e-mail messages. Well to be honest the service which we have had has been deplorable from the management. On the isolated occasion when we managed to get hold of the general manageress she would at least tell me that the entry date was looking positive and it would be fine to organise removal people etc.
It’s now only a week until we move out of our present house. I have had no luck in getting in touch with the usual manageress. Apparently she likes to see to everything herself! I came across a business card which the site manager had given me back in August. I decided to give him a call. Great guy, easy to talk to. Unfortunately he informed me that due to the very cold weather, progress was not up to date and completion would be a couple of weeks later than anticipated.
An insight into my experience in buying a new home, you may well sail through it..
Ah well, off to take some medication in the form of amber liquid.
This is my last post for the foreseeable future.
Thank you, good to know it is not a totally mad idea to try in Glasgow, will head out next weekend to buy some wisteria. If I ever get any flowers on it I will be back with photos…
Hello Lucy
Your question makes me think of the late TV gardener Geoffrey Smith. Hi lived in Yorkshire and several times he mentioned the growing conditions in Glasgow were more favourable than that of Yorkshire on the East coast. I might add in a South facing situation you will likely have more success than those in Aberdeen. Good luck.
Hello Alistair, I am not sure where to post this question so hope it is ok to add it to this page. I found your site while I was trying to research whether it is possible to grow wisteria in Glasgow. My house has a south facing wall, but it is directly on a lane. I am not sure how sheltered a wisteria plant would need to be to flower. I saw your article on wisteria in Aberdeen, and your suggestion of trying Chinese wisteria, but wondered if west coast Glasgow might be too cold and windy? I have always loved wisteria so would be interested in your thoughts about how it might fair here or if there is another similar plant that would be better to try. Thank you
Hi Rose, thanks for dropping by. Will soon get going again.
Hi – have just started to read your blog. Wow – I take it you will be starting all over again in a new garden. I shall follow you with interest as I too moved to a new build in Glasgow at the end of September and am longing to get started.
Greggo! Can’t wait till Friday,so exciting. Well,it won’t be boring. Don’t get totally pissed on your home brew.
A wee cracker it is! Good to see some of your writing tonight! Thought I would give you a ring after the Trump election. I’m sure everyone is elated in you neck of the woods. Ha! time for a spot of ale myself. Good evening Alistar.
Thanks Sue
Happy New Year to you also.
Hi Alastair, good luck with your new house and happy new year!
Hi Ray, thanks for dropping by. We have just moved to Give, in temporary accommodation waiting the completion of our new home. Everything in a total muddle, only got access to my website from the tablet which I am hopeless with.
I have been growing these for about two years. Love them. They don’t bloom as large as yours. I call them one of my close up plants, because you need to be close to appreciate them.-Ray
Thanks Donna,also wishing you a merry Xmas and a very happy New year.
That Hosta is indeed beautiful and the flowers are mind-blowing. I hope I will get it here in the USA. Oh! I envy you — you live in the UK — I think gardening is in the blood and gene of you all. Only think that I watch on TV are any kind of garden-related program created by either BBC or ITV — I basically watch them on YouTube on TV. I greedily consume up each such programs and thus I think you all have lots and lots of varieties of plants and flowers which we don’t get here in the US.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year
Well I wish you luck….we built our house when I changed jobs….it was a most stressful experience but one that I had to flow with or surely lose my mind….hoping it all works out for you my friend. I have been away as you may know healing up. I hope to be back blogging in the New Year. Wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!
Hi Sunil. Seven weeks and it should all be behind us. Have a great Xmas.
Hello Alistair, I can’t understand why solicitors seem to be almost universally terrible. My experience with them is that they are stuck in the past and long overdue to be replaced with automation and technology. There are some gems out there but few and far between. I know that if the company I work for behaved the way most of them do, I would quite rightly expect it to be fined heavily, then promptly go out of business. There’s simply no excuse in this day and age. I hope your ordeal is over soon and you can move.
Hello Nadezda
The house we live in at the moment is relatively new to us, however, we are moving once again.
Hi Sarah
We move out of here on Wednesday, going into temporary accommodation. Perhaps I will have internet access with my tablet, but to be honest, I am not very good with it.
Oh Alistair – it’s remarkably stressful. Thank goodness for that amber nectar! It is nearly three years since we moved into our barn conversion – our 1st morning here was Christmas Eve. Here’s hoping your move goes better than anticipated! On the altogether less stressful subject of hostas. I love Hosta flowers & can clearly remembering asking a grower about the flowers on a particular Hosta & he had no idea if they were blue or white or scented. He said, ‘who notices the flowers?’ ARRRRRGHHH!
Hi, Alistair! I thought (have no idea why) that you have moved yet and are living in your new home. Looking at your photo, understand it isn’t ready for living at least two weeks or so. As we say in Russia ‘a moving is worst than fire’, because it depends on many things.
The hostas are so unpretentious plants, I love them. And yours have amasing abundant flowers, very pretty!
Moaning, not usually my thing, yes, we will no doubt get back to some kinda normality.
Good grief!
Our moving day was a hilarious farce looking back. Sigh.
I think we can all share our own horror stories … but … get thru the hiccups somehow … and it will all be worth it.
Thanks Linda, keep up the good work and have a great Christmas.
You won’t be disappointed, Ellen
I will definitely be buying this for next year. I cannot usually grow hostas as I have a no kill policy in terms of my garden. I will put it in a container with slug barrier tape and I can’t wait to see it! Thanks for sharing this Alistair. Good luck with your move . The stress will go once you are in and you will think it was all worth it, I am sure.
Wonderful post, Alistair, thank you so much for sharing the information and lovely photos.