Hosta references | Russ O'Harra Hos.Soc

Hosta Reference Material

�The Hostapedia� - An Encyclopedia of Hostas

by Mark R. Zilis

In The Hostapedia, Mark Zilis describes every hosta that he has encountered over the past thirty years. This includes forms he studied in gardens and nurseries throughout the United States and those he observed in native habitats and collections in Japan. It encompasses all cultivars registered with the American Hosta Society and others listed in a wide variety of publications and websites. The 1900 photos in The Hostapedia highlight the most important hostas, as well as many unusual collector's plants and hosta oddities.

Over 7400 hosta descriptions listed A-Z

1897 color photos

Complete index of hosta names

Factual and entertaining

Most definitive work on hostas in print and a must for every collector, nurseryman, and gardener

9" by 12", 1128 pages, 1897 color photos, hardcover.

Available from Q and Z Nursery and many hosta retailers.

�The Book of Little Hostas: 200 Small, Very Small, and Mini Varieties�

By Kathy Guest Shadrack and Michael Shadrack

Consulting editor Diana Grenfell

A guide to popular new small hostas that take up less space and are ideally suited to container cultivation. They can be used on their own or with companion plants to make charming displays in the garden or on the porch and patio. Many small hostas are scaled-down versions of classic hostas, while others offer distinctly new attributes in terms of color, leaf shape, and patterning. Like full-size hostas, small hostas have many forms, colors, and degrees of substance. Some are better garden plants than others, and The Book of Little Hostas showcases the best of the new introductions. Photographs show imaginative displays in a variety of settings.

Available from In The Country Gardens & Gifts, the authors, Timber Press and other online sources.

�Hybridizing A B C�s�

By Frank Nyikos

Hybridizing A B C's is a beginner�s guide to the art of hybridizing plants. Discussion includes how this is done, seed development, sprouting seed, and progressing through general plant care to raise a seedling to adulthood. Emphasis is placed on good organization and record-keeping for all aspects of seedling development. Basic genetic concerns lead to common hybridizing techniques and some examples of how to use ancestry to predict future hybrid crosses. Nyikos cites his personal experience as well as advice from plant societies to guide the budding seed producer.

Available online from Green Hill Farm and amazon.com.

�The New Encyclopedia of Hostas�

By Diana Grenfell and Michael Shadrack

The New Encyclopedia of Hostas is the second edition of this classic book. It provides growth and cultivation information for over seven hundred hostas. Detailed, easy-to-read descriptions include growing tips, recommendations for landscape use, and suggestions for companion plants. Hostas are grouped in sections by color and are highlighted by Michael Shadrack�s photographs. It includes portions of The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas (2004) and Timber Press Pocket Guide to Hostas (2007). The foreward is by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

Available at Timber Press and other online sources.

�The Genus Hosta�

By W. George Schmid

The first complete classification for the genus, this labor of love reflects the author�s long fascination with hostas. All hostas known at the time of writing are detailed including their 3500 names and synonyms in many languages (300 in Japanese kana). The beginning of the book focuses on hosta species. Schmid�s years of study caused him to revise some species and reduce others to cultivar status. Practical information on growing hostas is just as complete and detailed.

Out of stock at Timber Press, but still available from other online sources.

(W. George Schmid�s further work on hosta species may be seen at www.hostalibrary.org under �Species�.)

�Timber Press Pocket Guide to Hostas�

By Diana Grenfell and Michael Shadrack

This guide features 280 of the best new and old hostas, each handpicked by veteran plantswoman Diana Grenfell for its superb performance in the landscape. The descriptions include botanical details to aid in plant identification and selection, succinct cultivation notes, and brief comparisons to 545 similar and related hostas. Photographs by Michael Shadrack accompany the descriptions. Gardeners will find this a practical reference for taking to the nursery or garden center.

Available at Timber Press and other online sources.

�An Encyclopedia of Shade Perennials�

By W. George Schmid

Foreward by Allan M. Armitage

W. George Schmid dispels the perception that there are limited options available to the shade gardener. He offers an array of unique and diverse plants � 184 genera and over 7000 species � some new to horticulture, others unjustly overlooked, but all beautifully suited to the shade garden.

Schmid has behind him a half century of practical gardening experience, horticultural education, and extensive travel observing shade perennials in their native habitats. Readers are treated to both useful growing tips and his personal associations with the plants. Many of the photographs were taken by the author.

Available at Timber Press and other online sources.