Hosta La Vista

Only hosta people would find this perfectly normal. Pull into a working auto body shop on a back road in Walworth, Wisconsin — the smell of primer in the air, cars in the bays — and then walk around back to discover one of the most breathtaking hosta arboretums in the Midwest. That's exactly what awaits at Al's Auto Body & Arboretum (hostafest.net), where owner and self-described "owner, operator, weeder, waterer, planter, potter, and slug-slayer" Al Ritchey has spent over three decades quietly building a five-acre hosta paradise beneath a canopy of oak, hickory, and walnut trees.

This might be our quirkiest episode yet — and that is really saying something for a hosta podcast. But here's the thing: this is exactly what hosta people do. They carve out a niche in the most unlikely of places, and before you know it, 500+ varieties are growing behind the shop and Master Gardeners are busing in from across the region.

Al is a natural conversationalist with a great story — a lifelong car guy who started planting hostas in 1991 just to landscape around his shop, and never stopped. Today, he calls the arboretum his therapy: "If I get frustrated in the shop, I take it out on the weeds."

His first introduction, Compadre, mutated from the Emerald Tiara family over 20 years ago after contact with a pre-emergent herbicide. Al watched it carefully for years to make sure it held true, and named it Compadre — a "friendship plant" — before finally releasing it for sale. He waited nearly 20 years to introduce it, which tells you everything you need to know about this man's patience and his standards.

But the showstopper? Burlesque — a sport of the beloved Strip Tease hosta, and Al's most spectacular introduction yet. Worth serious money in the hosta world, Burlesque cannot be tissue cultured, which means the only people who own it got it directly from Al himself. This is a collector's plant, full stop.

If you're anywhere near the Lake Geneva area this spring, mark your calendar: Hosta Fest 2025 — celebrating 25 years — runs May 24–25 from 9am–5pm, May 26 (Memorial Day) from 9am–2pm, and May 31 & June 1 from 9am–5pm. Admission and parking are free, and there are over 450 hosta varieties on display with at least 175 for sale, including large specimen plants. No one leaves empty-handed.

📍 Al's Auto Body & Arboretum | W6866 N Walworth Rd, Walworth, WI | hostafest.net | (262) 275-2800

Welcome to a special midweek episode of Hosta La Vista for hosta lovers, shade gardeners, perennial enthusiasts, plant parents, cut flower fans, and anyone who finds joy in beautiful gardens.

The countdown is on for the upcoming American Hosta Society Ohio Convention happening June 11–13 in Dublin, Ohio, and we’re joined by longtime hosta enthusiast, hybridizer, and organizing committee member Doug Beilstein to share an insider preview of one of the gardening world’s most anticipated summer weekends.

Still on the fence about attending? This episode might convince you to go.

Doug gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming, including 14 spectacular tour gardens filled with inspiration for hosta lovers, shade gardeners, perennial collectors, landscape enthusiasts, and anyone who loves seeing how passionate gardeners design their spaces. If you enjoy garden tours, open gardens, botanical travel, or finding new ideas for your own yard, these gardens alone are worth the trip.

We also talk about one of the weekend’s biggest highlights: the Thursday night BBQ at the home of Jeanne and Dick Barbee—a gathering full of plants, stories, friendship, and the kind of garden magic that happens when passionate plant people get together.

But this episode goes far beyond the convention.

Doug shares stories from his fascinating journey in horticulture, including starting a blueberry farm with his brother, meeting icons, and becoming one of the hobby’s respected hybridizers. We talk about some of his many hosta introductions over the years, including favorites like World Cup, Cup of Grace, Leapin’ Lizard, and Road Rage, along with the stories and inspiration behind them.

Gardeners, perennial lovers, and plant geeks alike will enjoy Doug’s insights into plant breeding, hybridizing, and what it takes to create memorable plants that stand the test of time in real gardens.

Doug also reflects on his memories of legendary hosta figures, including Mary Chastain of Lakeside Hostas, Van Wade and shares stories about the friendships and experiences that shaped his gardening life.

Whether you grow hostas, perennials, cut flowers, cottage garden favorites, or simply love listening to gardening podcasts while working in the yard, this episode is packed with garden stories, plant inspiration, and plenty of laughs.

In this episode:
• A preview of the 2026 Ohio Hosta Convention in Dublin, Ohio
• Details on 14 inspiring tour gardens
• The Thursday BBQ at Jeanne & Dick Barbee’s home
• Stories behind famous hosta introductions like World Cup and Road Rage
• Conversations about hybridizing, perennial gardening, and shade plants
• Doug’s blueberry farm beginnings, naming hostas
• Memories of hosta history and the people who shaped the hobby

Love hostas, shade gardening, perennial gardening, cut flower gardens, plant collecting, flower farming, horticulture, or garden travel? You’re in the right place.

Still thinking about attending? Registration is open now at hostaconvention.org.

Follow Hosta La Vista so you never miss an episode featuring hosta growers, hybridizers, garden personalities, and the joy of building a beautiful garden. Visit our website at hostalavista.org

If you've ever grown Guacamole, Curly Fries, or First Frost, you've already met Bob Solberg's work. In this Season 2 premiere of Hosta La Vista, we sit down with the legendary hybridizer behind Green Hill Hostas — a nursery that grew from a backyard passion project into one of the most respected names in hosta breeding worldwide.

Bob has introduced around 100 hosta cultivars to the market over his career, and he's still as excited about the future of hostas as ever. In this conversation he shares what the hybridizing process actually looks like, the story behind some of his most beloved varieties, his friendship with fellow hosta legend Loleta Powell, and what he thinks the next generation of growers needs to know.

Whether you're a seasoned collector, a new plant parent who just fell down the hosta rabbit hole or curious about starting your own breeding program — there's something here for you.

Topics covered:

• How Bob Solberg hybridizes hostas and what he looks for in a new cultivar
• The stories behind Guacamole, Curly Fries, and First Frost
• How Green Hill Hostas grew from backyard to global nursery
• Bob's friendship with Loleta Powell
• What's next for hosta breeding — and why the best may be yet to come
• Advice for new and younger growers getting into hostas

Follow or subscribe on Spotify, Youtube or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode, and share with a fellow plant lover to help us grow. Find us on Instagram and Facebook at hosta la vista podcast. Drop us a comment, say hello, and let us know what you'd like to hear next. Remember, you can always email us at [email protected].

Hosta Vista Podcast — Season 2 premieres MAY 9TH! Every Saturday all summer long, your favorite hosta and gardening podcast is back with new episodes featuring plant experts, nursery owners, landscape designers, and disease specialists.

If you're a plant parent who started with a monstera and is ready to take your passion from indoor to outdoor, this is your next obsession. Hostas are the ultimate shade garden plant — and we have the experts to prove it.

Season 2 guests include hosta expert Bob Solberg, Christina Brinkmann, Al Ritchey, and Dr. Warren Pollock — plus convention coverage, storytellers, and so much more. We can't wait for you to hear it all.

Whether you're a beginner gardener or a seasoned hosta collector, there's something here for every plant lover. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode — just hit the + (follow) button in the corner to get notified the moment new episodes drop.

Find Hosta Vista Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads. Questions? Email us at [email protected]

Music by Tomasz Redman

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.