Hosta La Vista

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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If you've ever been quietly talked into doing something for the hosta world by someone who made it sound completely reasonable at the time — congratulations. You've been Bobbed.

This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy sit down with Andy Marlow of Hopkins, Minnesota — former President of the American Hosta Society, Photo Editor of The Hosta Journal, master photographer, retired college radio host, and hosta renaissance man. Andy has been growing hostas since 1979 and has spent decades shaping how the hosta community sees and shares these beloved plants.

Much of Andy's deep involvement in the hosta world traces back to the late, great Dr. Bob Olson — AHS legend, former President, go-getter of the highest order, and the man for whom hostas and AHS awards have been named. Dr. Olson had a gift for cheerfully recruiting people into remarkable things. Andy calls it being Bobbed. The hosta world is better for every person Bob ever Bobbed.

In this episode we dig into the art and science of stellar horticulture photography — the rule of thirds, how to frame a winning shot, what separates a good garden photo from an award winning photo, and why light matters as much as the plant itself. Whether you're shooting on a phone or a professional camera, Andy's insights are practical and genuinely game-changing for anyone who wants to document their shade garden beautifully.

Topics covered:

• Stellar horticulture photography tips for gardeners at every level
• The rule of thirds and award winning photo composition
• Framing, light, and technique for hosta and shade garden photography
• Andy Marlow's path from his first hosta in 1979 to AHS President
• Photo editing at The Hosta Journal
• The legacy of Dr. Bob Olson — AHS legend and the original source of being Bobbed
• The American Hosta Society — history, evolution, and what's ahead

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 you've ever dreamed of a garden that feels like it was conjured rather than planted — with winding paths, handcrafted sculptures, a waterfall, a pond, tucked away sheds built by hand, and hostas around every corner — Kathy Pedersen's Heavenly Hostas in Shakopee, Minnesota is exactly that place.

This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy sit down with Kathy for one of the warmest, funniest, and most insightful conversations we've had yet. Kathy is a grower, a guide, and the heart behind one of the Midwest's most beloved award-winning cottage shade gardens — a private wonderland that visitors can actually experience in person, by appointment.

And yes, if she has the plant and you ask nicely, she just might dig up a piece for you to take home. Find her on Facebook — she's responsive, generous, and genuinely loves connecting with fellow hosta enthusiasts.

Kathy shares what she looks for in a great plant, what it means to have a show garden, and how she thinks about micro-climates when designing her layered cottage shade garden spaces. But perhaps the most special part of this conversation is the story of her lifelong friendship with legendary hosta hybridizer Hideko Gowen — and how that relationship quietly shaped her entire path in the hosta world.

Heavenly Hostas isn't just a garden. It's a reflection of decades of passion, friendship, artistry, and an almost unreasonable love of shade plants. The handcrafted sculptures, the hand built sheds, the waterfall, the pond — every corner of this cottage shade garden tells a story. And Kathy tells them all beautifully.

Topics covered:

• Touring Heavenly Hostas — an award-winning private cottage shade garden in Shakopee, Minnesota
• Designing a cottage shade garden with waterfalls, ponds, paths, and handcrafted sculptures
• Understanding micro-climates and how to use them in shade garden design
• What Kathy Pedersen looks for in a great hosta
• Kathy's lifelong friendship with legendary hosta hybridizer Hideko Gowen
• How to visit Heavenly Hostas by appointment and purchase plants directly from Kathy
• What it means to open a private garden as a show garden
• Shade garden inspiration for collectors and beginner gardeners alike

Want to visit Heavenly Hostas or inquire about plants? Find Kathy Pedersen on Facebook — she loves hearing from fellow shade garden enthusiasts and is happy to arrange visits and plant purchases by appointment.

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.

What if gardening wasn't just a hobby — but a path to healing? This episode of Hosta La Vista goes somewhere a little deeper than usual, and we think it might be one you'll want to share.

This week, Betsy and Mandy head to Cuyahoga County, Ohio to sit down with Barb Rauckhorst — President of the North Coast Hosta Society, proud Master Gardener, and someone whose personal connection to the garden goes well beyond beautiful leaves and shade beds. Barb's story touches on something that stopped Betsy in her tracks: horticultural therapy — the practice of using gardening and plant-based activities to support healing, wellness, and mental health.

Barb shares how she fell in love with hostas, what it takes to lead one of Ohio's most active local hosta societies, and what the Master Gardener program really means to the people in it. Her warmth and passion for community gardening come through in every answer — and her personal connection to horticultural therapy gives this conversation a dimension that goes far beyond plant talk.

After the interview wraps, Betsy dives into the history of horticultural therapy — a practice with roots stretching back centuries that is only now getting the mainstream recognition it deserves. If you've never heard of it, you're not alone. Betsy hadn't either — until Barb's story sent her down a research rabbit hole that she is very glad she fell into.

Horticultural therapy is used in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, memory care facilities, correctional institutions, veterans programs, and mental health treatment — and the evidence behind it is growing. If you work in healthcare, wellness, or education, or if you've ever found yourself feeling genuinely better after time in the garden and wondered why — this episode will resonate.

This is one of those episodes that listeners have been passing along. We think you'll understand why once you hear it.

Topics covered:

• What is horticultural therapy and how does it work
• The history of horticultural therapy — from ancient practice to modern treatment
• Horticultural therapy in hospitals, memory care, veterans programs, and mental health treatment
• Barb Rauckhorst's personal connection to healing through gardening
• Leading the North Coast Hosta Society in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
• What the Master Gardener program is and what it means to participants
• Growing membership and community in a local hosta society
• Why gardening is good for your mental health — and the science behind it

To learn more about horticultural therapy, visit the American Horticultural Therapy Association at www.ahta.org.

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 Dr. Mary Lewnes Albrecht — horticulture professor, Master Gardener, botanic garden volunteer, communications director of the East Tennessee Hosta Society, and Vice President of Genus for the American Hosta Society. Mary brings a rare combination of academic depth and genuine gardener's heart to everything she does, and this conversation is one of our favorites.

Mary's love of plants goes back to age five, helping her mom in the yard. She went on to earn her doctorate and spend 16 years teaching herbaceous plant materials at Kansas State University — yes, the same K-State that Betsy and Mandy attended — before joining the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she eventually retired and became a volunteer at the UT Gardens, tending her adopted spot in the hosta garden.

We talk about what the VP of Genus actually does for the AHS — working alongside the hosta registrar, encyclopedia contributors, and education programmers — and Mary shares her refreshingly grounded take on hosta taxonomy: plant families are a human construct, she reminds us, and sometimes you just need to chill about the botany and enjoy the beauty.

On the growing side, Mary gardens in Tennessee, where heat and humidity create a different set of challenges than the Midwest. She's noticed that minis struggle in southern heat, that yellows and whites need more morning sun to perform well in warmer climates, and that some hostas that look spectacular in photos from up north simply don't reach the same size down south. Her current showstopper? Summer's Rainbow — a sport of Sum and Substance — which she received from a friend and which stops every single garden visitor in their tracks.

Mary talks about her favorite large and giant hostas — Blue Umbrellas, Paul's Glory, Liberty, Stained Glass — and makes a compelling case for why big, bold hostas are where the real drama lives in a shade garden. She also shares what she's observed about hostas and human wellbeing, including a graduate student's research that actually measured blood pressure before and after visiting a botanic garden. Spoiler: gardens are good for you.

We also hear about the 2025 AHS Convention in Peoria — the serendipitous connections, shopping at Hornbaker Gardens in 90-degree heat, and why Mary drove 9 to 10 hours and came home with a restrained but respectable 8 new hostas. She tells us why first-time convention attendees should absolutely go — not for the leaf show, but for the people.

We play Finish the Rhyme, and in a Tennessee-flavored This or That, she picks Kansas City burnt ends, Dollywood over the Grand Ole Opry, and Lookout Mountain over Hot Springs every time.

Mary's parting advice is simple and perfect: enjoy hostas, challenge yourself, and try a new one every now and then.

If you love shade gardening, collecting hosta varieties, or just want to spend time with someone who has dedicated her career and her retirement to plants and the people who grow them — this episode is for you.

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This week on Hosta la Vista, we sit down with Don Rawson — hosta hybridizer, curator of the legendary Hosta List database, creator of the Hostas of Distinction website, and one of the most quietly influential figures in the entire hosta world. Don grows on four acres near Grand Rapids, Michigan, makes up to 11,000 intentional crosses per summer starting at 6:00 AM, plants around 20,000 seeds per year, and has introduced over 20 cultivars including Rhinohide, Gabriel's Wing, Razorback, Alligator Rock, Granny's Goosebumps, Catcher's Mitt, Gator Bowl, and Gatorhide. This is the episode hosta collectors and hybridizers have been waiting for.

Don traces his hosta journey from childhood — his mother's plants, falling in love with the genus in the 1980s before the internet made finding hostas easy — through building his home garden in 1992, to becoming one of the most serious hybridizers working today. He walks us through his entire process: protecting breeding plants, bringing selected parents inside the night before, making crosses outdoors at dawn, collecting seed in fall, planting 60 to 65 flats, and ultimately keeping only 1,800 to 2,000 of roughly 15,000 germinated seedlings. The rest get composted. Yes, really.

Betsy asks Don about Alligator Rock — her personal favorite hosta — and Don reveals the backstory: it was actually Bob Solberg who spotted it in Don's hybridizing garden before Don had even marked it to save. Along with Granny's Goosebumps, Bob pulled it out of the crowd and said this one matters. Don describes what makes it special: extremely corrugated dark green shiny foliage, dense growth, beautiful white flowers. We also dig deep into Catcher's Mitt — one of the most unique cupped hostas in existence, with vertical cups that show the white leaf backs rather than the inside, a dark green margin hidden inside the cup, and an exclusive release coming through In The Country Garden and Gifts. And Gator Bowl, currently in tissue culture production, which Don describes as extremely cupped with four-inch cups, deeply corrugated, dark green with pure white flowers.

Don shares his vision for where hosta hybridizing is headed — red and purple leaved hostas that hold their color all summer, variegated hostas with red or purple centers and margins, bronze and pink leaved varieties, double flowers, and crosses between hostas and related genera like agave and manfreda that could produce deer resistant and drought tolerant hybrids. He also points out that hybridizers are only working with about 28 of the 38 to 41 known hosta species — meaning the potential for future development is staggering.

On HVX, Don is direct and practical. He explains that just because you can't see Hosta Virus X on a plant does not mean it isn't there. He walks through his recommended tool sterilization routine using a 10% bleach solution — fresh every couple of hours, rinse your tools after or they'll rust, never reuse it the next day. He also warns against composting hosta leaves and scapes if you suspect any disease or nematode presence in your garden.

Don also shares his advice for anyone wanting to get serious about hybridizing: find local growers, join Facebook seedling groups, set specific goals, and get a copy of the Hybridizers Manual — a 170-page illustrated compilation of articles from hybridizers who came before, available directly from Don.

We play Finish the Rhyme and in This or That he picks massive cupped leaves over red every time, keeps the weirdest seedlings, and admits he's guilty of hand pollinating in a thunderstorm.

His parting advice: gardening is meant to be fun. Don't make it a job. Have fun, and pass it on.

📧 [email protected]🌿 hostalavista.org📱 Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Facebook & Instagram

Before Niagara Falls existed, Olga Petryszyn painted it. Before Coast to Coast was growing in gardens from sea to shining sea, she dreamed it into being on watercolor paper. Then she spent decades making every single one of them real.

This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy are fully fangirling — and we make no apologies. We are joined by the one and only Olga Petryszyn of Northern Indiana — known worldwide as The Hosta Lady, winner of the prestigious Eunice Fisher Distinguished Hybridizer Award, Master Judge of the American Hosta Society, and the creative force behind some of the most beloved hosta cultivars in existence.

Olga's journey into hybridizing began in 1986 under the guidance of master gardener and Art Institute of Chicago professor Bill Brincka — a mentor and dear friend whose influence on her craft and her life cannot be overstated. It was Bill who first opened her eyes to what hostas could become, and the hosta world has never been the same since.

Her Americana Collection includes some of the most recognizable cultivars in the hosta world — Niagara Falls, Coast to Coast, Manhattan, Grand Canyon, Key West, Blue Hawaii, Chesapeake Bay, Golden Gate, Gone with the Wind, Mississippi Delta, Gotham, All That Jazz, Dawn's Early Light, Old Faithful, Brother Stefan, and more. Coast to Coast was the 2020 Hosta of the Year. Brother Stefan was the 2017 Hosta of the Year. If you grow hostas, you almost certainly grow Olga.

Topics covered:

• The origin story of the Americana Collection — from watercolor paintings to world renowned hostas
• The art and science of hosta hybridizing — form, color, texture, and genetics
• The influence of mentor Bill Brincka on Olga's life and career
• Cultivar spotlights — Niagara Falls, Coast to Coast, Brother Stefan, Key West, Blue Hawaii and more
• The Eunice Fisher Distinguished Hybridizer Award
• Growing giant hostas — tips from the master herself
• What makes a hosta worthy of introduction to the market

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.