Hosta Companion Plants

In my garden, there are hostas, and then there are hosta companion plants.  "What makes a good hosta companion plant?", is one of the more popular questions I see posted on the several hosta Facebook groups that I am part of.  For me, it is simple; a good companion is a foil for the hostas to 'pop' against.  That foil can be color, texture, or shape.  Here are some that I like:

At the top of my list for hosta companions is heucheras, or coral bells.  For that matter, any of their cousins work well also, like tiarella (foam flower) and the crossbred heucherella (mix of heuchera with tiarella).  This is Heuchera 'Red Lightning' (or I think it is, at least).  My plant tag collection is in the garage, and I really don't feel like going to confirm ;)

Heucheras have the size, shape and so many varieties of color, to make a great companion for hostas.

I would put ferns next on the list.  Again, so many varieties to choose from.  We have been less successful with the larger Osterich Ferns this year, with several dying back to the ground already.  However, we have a lot of success with the Japanese Painted Fern varieties, with at least 4 types in our yard already.

This is Crested Surf, named for the cool little extra set of leaves at the very tips of each frond.  This one has been prolific this year and has put on tons of new growth.  I think it is happy! 

Another fern, a little less showy than its Japanese cousins, is Woodfern.  This should be a nice medium sized plant to tuck in between Gunther's Prize and The King hostas.

This is Asarum canadense (or Canadian Wild Ginger).  This is a great filler plant, with rhizomatous spreading, and it will fill in an area quickly.  Although I prefer its European cousin, this is a great companion for hostas.

My mom's favorite, White Bleeding Heart.  This plant nearly glows in the shade, when it is in its prime.  At this time of the year it is a little more subtle and is not adorned with its eponymous white hearts, but still a solid backdrop for the hostas.

I will always have a White Bleeding Heart in my gardens.  <3

This is Allium "Millenium", and it seems to be a hot plant to have lately.  Maybe it is my reticular activator, but I seem to notice this plant in a lot more gardens this year.  Just down the road, Sipkens Nurseries (in Wyoming, ON), has a large swath of these in bloom right now and they are really something.

This is a type that I have not had before, sticking in the past to the bulbs that flower in the spring.  This variety however seems to flower in late summer and has several flowers blooming on one plant.  Looking forward to seeing this one mature into some nice clumps in the garden.

There are a variety of grasses/sedges that also work well with hostas; their thin strappy foliage works great against the round hosta leaves.

This is a sedge, and we have several planted in amongst the 'forest'.

Finally, or at least so far, is Lungwort, or Pulmonaria.  This is striking plant with splotchy white dots all over.

This is my second attempt at Lungwort in this garden, with one that did not overwinter well, dying last year.  This plant is decorated with purple/blue flowers in the spring and will be a nice welcome to a new year of gardening in the Greenman Gardens.