We know January can feel like the longest month in the garden calendar — so consider this your little dose of green in the grey. Betsy and Mandy are back with a Season 2 preview episode of Hosta La Vista: The Friendship Plant Podcast, and we have a lot to look forward to together.

We're hard at work planning a season we think you're really going to love — new guests, new gardens, new stories, and the same love for hostas and friendship that brought us all together in the first place.

Season 2 kicks off May 9th with legendary hosta hybridizer Bob Solberg of Green Hill Hostas. Bob has introduced around 100 cultivars to the market including Guacamole, Curly Fries, and Cracker Crumbs — so if you've ever wondered who's responsible for naming hostas after your snack cabinet, we found him. He was doing food-named plants before it was cool.

If you're planning to attend the Midwest Regional Hosta Society Convention in Madison, Wisconsin this July, come find us — Betsy and Mandy will both be there and would love to meet you in person.

While you wait for May, catch up on all of Season 1 — every episode is available now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so Season 2 finds you the moment it drops. Got questions or just want to say hello? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Hosta La Vista Podcast.

See you in May — we cannot wait.

Betsy and Mandy

Protect your hostas from frost with a cardboard box — that's just one of the practical gems Gail Russo shares in this Season 1 finale of Hosta La Vista. We're visiting Gail and David Russo of The Russo Garden in Cedarville, New Jersey, for a deep dive into their stunning multi-habitat landscape featuring hostas, daylilies, sunny and shady beds, ponds, and water features.

Learn how the Russos grow and sell hosta seeds through Facebook's Seed Growers group, overwinter seedlings, and collaborate with a nursery to bring new varieties to market. Whether you're curious about hosta seed growing for beginners, fall garden prep, or how to design a diverse shade garden, this episode is packed with actionable advice.

Gail also contributes articles to the AHS e-Newsletter — a free quarterly publication from the American Hosta Society available to members and non-members alike. She's actively looking for gardeners to feature, so reach out if you'd like to share your story. Read her July issue here: https://americanhostasociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/July2025.pdf

Topics covered:

• How to protect hostas from frost using cardboard boxes
• Growing and selling hosta seeds
• Overwintering hosta seedlings
• Designing a multi-habitat garden with shade and sun
• Seasonal hosta care tips for fall
• Contributing to the AHS e-Newsletter

Subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you don't miss Season 2. Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram, or email us at [email protected].

Ever wondered how to manage irrigation in a shade garden, or what it looks like when someone turns a passion project into one of the most remarkable nurseries in the country? This episode has answers.

Mandy made the trip from the Midwest to Salem, Oregon to walk the four acres of display gardens at Sebright Gardens — and came back with stories worth sharing. We sit down with co-founder Kirk Hansen to talk about how he's built a living collection of over 1,000 hosta varieties alongside hardy ferns and epimediums, making Sebright one of the largest shade-garden nurseries west of the Mississippi.

Kirk started Sebright as a private passion project in 2003. Today it's a destination for shade gardeners, plant parents, and hosta collectors from across the country — and yes, they do ship beyond Oregon's borders.

In this conversation we get into the real nuts and bolts of managing a large shade garden: irrigation strategies, the challenges of growing under established trees, how to curate companion plants that complement hostas, and what the visitor experience is actually like when you walk those mossy paths yourself.

Whether you're designing a shady corner of your backyard, dreaming of a Pacific Northwest road trip, or just fell down the hosta rabbit hole recently — this one's for you.

Topics covered:

• Irrigation strategies for large shade gardens
• Growing hostas and shade plants under trees
• How Sebright Gardens grew from a backyard project to a destination nursery
• Curating 1,000+ hosta varieties alongside ferns and epimediums
• What to expect when visiting Sebright Gardens in Oregon's Willamette Valley
• Shipping plants across state lines — what's possible and how it works
• Shade garden design inspiration from the Pacific Northwest

Follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Got questions or a story to share? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Hosta La Vista Podcast.

Most hosta enthusiasts dream of visiting a few great gardens. Danny Lawson of Wichita, Kansas visited every single AHS sanctioned hosta display garden in the United States and Canada. Every. Single. One. And we caught him just before he crossed the finish line.

Danny is the Editor of The Hosta Journal, President of the Wichita Hosta Society, and one of the most quietly respected voices in the American hosta community. He was also instrumental in bringing the AHS display hosta garden to Botanica — Wichita's beloved botanical garden — putting his hometown firmly on the national hosta map.

In this conversation we dig into his journey from curious collector to seasoned curator, what goes into producing one of the most respected plant publications in the hobby, his favorite cultivars, and the stories and friendships built across a lifetime of visiting the finest hosta gardens in North America.

We also play our signature Finish the Rhyme challenge and a This or That segment — because even the most serious hosta people know how to have fun.

Topics covered:

• Visiting every AHS sanctioned hosta display garden in the US and Canada
• The AHS hosta garden at Botanica in Wichita, Kansas
• Editing The Hosta Journal — behind the scenes of a world class plant publication
• The Wichita Hosta Society and shade gardening in the Great Plains
• Favorite hosta cultivars and what makes a standout shade garden
• Building community through the American Hosta Society display garden program

Follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Got questions or a story to share? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Hosta La Vista Podcast.

Tucked away outside of Independence, Iowa, In The Country Garden & Gifts is the kind of place serious hosta collectors love — a family-run nursery with over 700+ hosta varieties, a carefully curated collection of rare and exclusive offerings, and a reputation that has been quietly growing into something the entire hosta world is paying attention to.

This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy sit down with Josh Spece to dig into how he built one of the Midwest's most respected hosta destinations from the ground up, with his family by his side every step of the way. We talk about how he curates his standout collection, what goes into selecting exclusive varieties, and how he balances a thriving mail-order business with the in-person magic of his nursery events.

Whether you're a seasoned collector hunting your next grail plant, a new homeowner just falling in love with shade gardening, or someone who has been watching the hosta world evolve and wants to know who's shaping its future — this episode is essential listening.

Topics covered:

• How Josh Spece and his family built In The Country Garden & Gifts into a must-visit Iowa hosta destination
• Curating 700+ hosta varieties and the strategy behind exclusive offerings
• Running a family nursery with heart — balancing mail order and in-person events
• The stories behind Josh's favorite plants and what excites him about what's coming
• Why In The Country Garden & Gifts is a Midwest road trip worth planning
• What's next for Josh Spece and the future of hosta collecting and breeding

Don't sleep on this one. Follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Got questions or a story to share? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Hosta La Vista Podcast.

Introverted: But willing to talk hostas. That pretty much describes Joe Rand and Todd Fussy of Lazy Toad Farm in Clearwater, Minnesota, and honestly, it might describe you too if you're listening to this podcast.

This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy sit down with the dynamic duo behind one of Minnesota's most delightfully unexpected farms — a place where over 1,000 hosta varieties grow alongside handcrafted pickles, cut flower CSA subscriptions, honey, and a merch shop that fully understands the assignment. It's the kind of place that names a doormat after a hosta called Striptease and sells mugs celebrating varieties like Hanky Panky — because why wouldn't you.

Lazy Toad Farm is a thriving farm rooted in community, creativity, and an absolutely serious commitment to shade gardening done with personality. Joe and Todd have built something genuinely special in Clearwater — a farm that takes hostas seriously and everything else with a wink.

We dig into how they curate their hosta collection, run a cut flower CSA bouquet subscription, preserve produce into some truly legendary pickle flavors, and host Open Farm Days that draw gardeners from across the region. Whether you're a plant parent, a pickle enthusiast, a cut flower devotee, or just someone who appreciates a farm that gives the whole hobby a little more fun — this episode is your people.

Topics covered:

• The story behind Lazy Toad Farm and what makes it a Midwest must-visit
• Growing and curating 1,000+ hosta varieties in Minnesota
• Running a cut flower CSA and handcrafted pickle operation alongside a nursery
• Open Farm Days — what to expect and why you should go
• Shade gardening, community, and building something meaningful through plants
• Why Lazy Toad Farm might be the most entertaining follow on your social media feed

If you've ever felt personally called out by a tee shirt that says "Hostas Over Humans" — welcome home. Follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Got questions or a story to share? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Hosta La Vista Podcast.

Let's set the scene. Two women from North Alabama. One Mitsubishi Outlander. Nine days. Over 2,500 miles. And at some point along the way, a very serious conversation about whether clothes were really necessary for the rest of the trip or if that suitcase space could be better used for hostas.

Spoiler: the hostas won.

This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy sit down with Julie Lewter and Susan Ragsdale of the Hosta Society of North Alabama to relive their legendary 2024 Excellent Midwest Hosta Visit — a road trip so thoroughly documented on Facebook that their followers watched in real time as a perfectly normal SUV slowly transformed into a mobile jungle. By the time they crossed back into Alabama, there was considerably more green and considerably less legroom than when they left.

Julie and Susan hit ten states — Alabama, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee — stopping at some of the most celebrated hosta gardens and nurseries in the country. They came. They saw. They absolutely did not practice restraint.

Their stops included:

• Hostas on the Bluff — Fairview Heights, Illinois, perched on the bluffs overlooking the St. Louis skyline
• In The Country Garden & Gifts — Independence, Iowa
• K&K Gardens — Hawkeye, Iowa
• Hosta-Store-Hollandale, MN
• Rock Landscaping and Garden-Baldwin, WI
• RayArt Shady Oaks Garden-Menomonie, WI
• Uniquely Hostas-Elroy, WI
• Land of the Giants-Milton, WI
• Audrey Temner's Garden-Appleton, WI
• Al's Autobody and Arboretum-Walworth, WI
• Hornbaker Gardens — Princeton, Illinois
• David Bowe-Ohio
• And more stops that may or may not have contributed to the clothing situation

You can relive the whole adventure yourself — Julie and Susan chronicled every glorious mile on Facebook under The Excellent Midwest Hosta Visit, and the photos and videos are all still there waiting for you. Fair warning: you will immediately start planning your own trip.

And the best news? The Excellent Midwest Hosta Visit 2.0 is coming in 2026. These two are not done. Not even a little bit.

Whether you're a seasoned hosta collector with your own road trip bucket list, a shade garden enthusiast who lives vicariously through other people's plant hauls, or someone who has simply never considered abandoning their wardrobe in a motel room for the greater good of their hosta collection — this episode is for you.

Topics covered:

• The Excellent Midwest Hosta Visit — 9 days, 2,500+ miles, 10 states
• Must-visit hosta nurseries and gardens across the Midwest
• What happens when two hosta lovers are completely unsupervised with an SUV and a credit card
• How to plan a multi-state hosta garden road trip
• The Hosta Society of North Alabama and what local hosta societies are all about
• The Excellent Midwest Hosta Visit 2.0 — what's coming in 2026
• Why your car will never look the same after a hosta road trip

Got questions, a road trip story, or just want to commiserate about suitcase space? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Hosta La Vista Podcast.

If you've ever watched a hosta seedling push through soil for the first time, wondered what that strange spot on your hosta leaf means, or stood nervously beside a show table hoping your entry would impress a judge — David Teager has something to say to you.

This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy sit down with one of the most genuinely multifaceted contributors in the hosta world — AHS Judge Emeritus, YouTube educator, Facebook community admin, web designer, seed grower, and all around hosta revolutionary.

David's YouTube channel at @davidteager is one of the best resources anywhere for gardeners wanting to grow hostas from seed. Practical, clear, and built from real experience — if hosta seed starting is on your radar, start there.

He also serves as admin for both the Hosta ID and Hosta Diseases and Pests groups on Facebook — two of the most valuable resources in the online hosta community for identifying unknown cultivars and diagnosing plant problems. David brings that same dedication to the Delaware Valley Hosta Society, where he is an active member and the web designer behind their online presence.

As AHS Judge Emeritus, David has spent years evaluating the finest hostas in the country and in this conversation he shares practical insights, cautionary tales, and the generous encouragement that has made him one of the most beloved figures in the hosta world.

Topics covered:

• How to grow hostas from seed — tips from YouTube channel @davidteager
• Hosta seed starting for beginners and experienced growers
• Identifying hosta diseases and pests via the Facebook community
• Hosta ID — how to identify unknown cultivars
• What AHS show judges look for at a hosta show table
• The AHS Judge Emeritus designation
• The Delaware Valley Hosta Society — community, membership, and web presence

Follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Got questions or a story to share? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Hosta La Vista Podcast.

If Hornbaker Gardens isn't already on your must-visit list, it's about to be. This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy sit down with Dave Hornbaker, second-generation co-owner of one of Illinois' most beloved destination nurseries — a place that grew from a dream on a patch of prairie into a full-scale garden center, event venue, and hosta lover's paradise.

Dave walks us through the whole story — from the early days of digging in the dirt alongside his family to building a nursery with a reputation for sweeping hosta collections, thoughtfully curated companion plants, and landscapes that stop you in your tracks. Hornbaker Gardens isn't just a place to buy plants. It's a place that makes you feel something.

We dig into their philosophy of gardening as an art form, what keeps the Hornbaker family grounded in their mission to inspire, and why gardeners from across the Midwest keep making the trip to Princeton, Illinois year after year.

Whether you're a seasoned hosta collector, a plant parent dreaming of your next road trip, or just discovering the world of shade gardening — this conversation will leave you refreshed, inspired, and itching to get your hands back in the dirt.

Topics covered:

• The origin story of Hornbaker Gardens — from prairie to plant destination
• Building a second-generation family nursery in the heart of Illinois
• Hostas and companion plants that define the Hornbaker Gardens experience
• Gardening as an art form — the philosophy behind the landscapes
• What makes Hornbaker Gardens a Midwest road trip worth taking
• Running a garden center and event venue side by side
• Inspiration for shade gardeners at every level

Follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Got questions or a story to share? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Hosta La Vista Podcast.

This week on Hosta la Vista, we sit down with Chuck Doughty — owner of Cochato Nursery in Massachusetts and newly elected President of the American Hosta Society. Chuck is a 35-year veteran of the hosta world, a hybridizer, collector, grower, and one of the most passionate voices in the hosta community today. This conversation covers everything from how a single plant — Francis Williams — launched a lifelong obsession, to what it really takes to build a respected shade garden nursery from scratch on a small plot of land behind an 1820 farmhouse.

Chuck shares the full Cochato story: how the nursery began as a native plant operation, evolved into one of New England's most beloved hosta destinations, and why their display gardens — planted with companion plants, dwarf conifers, sedges, and shade perennials — are the heart of everything they do.

On the growing side, Chuck gets specific. He walks us through his exact hosta fertilizing routine — starting with 10-10-10 in early spring before growth begins, followed by Plant Tone once the soil warms up, and fish emulsion or Super Thrive for plants that need extra nursing. He explains why so many hostas underperform in home gardens (hint: people never feed them), and tackles the tricky problem of root competition from maple trees — and which plants like Pennsylvania sedge, Solomon's seal, and Christmas fern can fill those difficult dry spots where hostas struggle.

Chuck also shares what he looks for when selecting new cultivars for the nursery: thick, corrugated leaves that hold up against rabbit damage, bold blues, and bright colors built for durability. He makes a strong case for hostas in containers — including ones he's kept thriving for 12 years without changing the soil — and shares his dead-simple overwintering method: just lay them on their side.

As the new AHS President, Chuck talks candidly about his goals for the hosta community — getting hostas planted in public spaces and municipal parks, growing AHS membership, reaching younger gardeners through social media, and why supporting local independent nurseries matters more than ever in a world of big box store hosta selections that often disappoint.

We also play Finish the Rhyme (Chuck nails both — Frog in My Throat and Elegant Fog), and he reveals in This or That that he'd rather explain why a hosta isn't patented yet than deal with irrigation paperwork any day.

Chuck closes with something simple and true: hostas are the common denominator, but it's really about the people.

Whether you grow hostas in a shade garden, collect rare cultivars, or are just starting to discover what these incredible shade perennials can do, this episode is full of practical hosta growing advice, nursery wisdom, and community heart.

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