Emerald Isle Hosta Collection

Hostas are categorically the finest ground cover for shade and one of the loveliest and most popular elements for designing a long-term and carefree garden. But top-quality Hostas have been painfully expensive for as long as we can remember, putting large plantings out of reach for those with limited budgets. We've solved the problem by offering our Emerald Isle Hosta collection of 4 excellent varieties, 5 plants of each, at a very attractive price. It's the building block from which you can create your own Emerald Isle. Plants are vigorous and healthy and will take hold quickly. 20 plants. Each variety labeled. They will cover approximately 55–60 sq ft. Exclusive.

This genus of shade lovers has 70 species, all of them from China and Japan, and hybridizers have produced hundreds of exciting crosses. Hostas have many handsome leaf colorations and lavender or white Lily-like flowers on graceful stalks. Plants prefer a moist location, but we've had a mass planting thrive for more than 30 years under a row of Sugar Maples. (In the South and West, evenly moist soil is required.) Because Hostas are grown primarily for their foliage, we give the height of the leaves, not the flowers.

For more information on the growing and care of Hosta, click on Growing Guide.

We want our customers to receive strong, healthy plants that are ready to thrive in their gardens and homes. Here's what we'd like you to know about our shipping practices.

Delivery Timing

We aim to deliver your plants at as close to the proper time for planting in your area as possible. To do so, we consider the USDA Hardiness Zone to which we're shipping, current and forecasted weather at the destination and along the shipping route, and whether your plants are ready for transplant.

In spring, we ship first to the warmest regions and move north as planting conditions improve. For fall deliveries, we begin with the coolest regions and work south. We frequently adjust shipping schedules when extreme weather could put plants at risk while in transit or soon after arrival.

Because different plants reach readiness at different rates and are weather-sensitive in varying degree, a single order may be delivered via multiple shipments. Plants sold as part of a collection, or that are otherwise meant to arrive together, will be shipped together. Please contact our customer service team with two weeks' advance notice if you anticipate being away at the expected time of delivery. 

Tracking information for each package is delivered via email. 

Plant & Container Sizes

We deliver plants in various sizes and stages of growth, and the product detail pages of our website indicate the form and/or pot size in which the plant will be delivered. Pot sizes range from 1 pint to 1 gallon and larger. Many perennials, roses, shrubs and vines are delivered bareroot - that is, not in a container at all. Bulbs and tubers are generally delivered bareroot and fully dormant. We choose container sizes and delivery methods based on how each plant grows best, how we can minimize transplant shock, and how to minimize unnecessary bulk/weight in shipment. 

Caring for Your Plants Upon Arrival

It is important to acclimate greenhouse-grown plants to life outdoors. All plant shipments include simple instructions for handling your plants upon arrival. Further how-to information, including planting instructions, is available on each plant's product page.

Planting: Choose a site with evenly moist soil (Hostas will endure dry shade in all but the hottest, driest parts of North America if watered regularly until they become established). Emerald Isle requires about 55-60 square feet of space; the miniature varieties in Emerald Atoll take up about 18 square feet. Use a shovel or spade to loosen the planting bed soil to a depth of 10-12 inches and turn in a 3-4 inch layer of organic matter, such as compost, aged manure, leafmold, or peat moss. Then open the bags to get an idea of the size of the roots. With a trowel, dig the planting holes, spacing them according to the suggestions provided with your order. Set the roots in the holes with the larger varieties in back, shorter varieties in front--the heights and spacings of the varieties are provided in the package. Hold the buds (the pointed growing tips) 1 inch below the surface of the soil. then push soil back into the holes to cover the roots, firm the soil, and water thoroughly. Do not fertilize the first season. The following spring, use a balanced, granular fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, at the rate on the manufacturer's label.

Please note: Bareroot plants dry out quickly once they are removed from their packaging. We strongly recommend that you keep the roots covered with packing material until you are ready to plant.

Care: Hostas are about as carefree as a plant can get. It's possible to plant them and forget them, but for best performance, we recommend that you fertilize them each spring, remove the flower stalks below the level of the leaves after the blooms have faded, and cut the foliage to the ground after hard frost in the fall. The Achilles heel of Hostas is slugs. Set out shallow bowls of beer to keep the population in check, put down diatomaceous earth as a barrier, or (in the South) mulch with prickly Zoysia grass lawn clippings.

At White Flower Farm, we stand firmly behind every product we sell and are proud to offer a money-back guarantee on each and every item offered on our website and at our store in Connecticut. Some modest terms and conditions apply, click here for details.

Should you have any questions about how our guarantee applies to a particular product or circumstance, our customer service team will be happy to help – please contact us at (800) 411-6159 or [email protected].