The lush, sculptural hosta is loved by gardeners for its ability to both combine well with other plants and project a strong presence when planted alone. The New Encyclopaedia of Hostas the second edition of Diana Grenfell and Michael Shadrack's classic work provides growth and cultivation information for seven hundred cultivated hostas. Detailed, easy-to-read descriptions include growing tips, recommendations for landscape use, and suggestions for companion plants. Clear cultivation advice is provided, including recommendations for hostas that succeed in challenging environments, such as the warmer regions of the United States. Captivating photographs show hostas up close and in a wide range of different garden situations. Gardeners will appreciate the depth and scope of this essential reference and use it time and again to help with plant selection and identification, and to inspire new plantings.

Author Biography

Diana Grenfell is co-founder of the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society and a life member of the American Hosta Society. With her husband, Roger Grounds, she is former co-owner of Apple Court, a British nursery specializing in hostas, daylilies, and grasses. Diana has done much to raise the profile of hostas throughout the world, broadcasting, lecturing, and writing many authoritative books and articles on the plant. Her garden in Gloucestershire is home to a National Plant Collection of miniature hostas. Michael Shadrack is a photographer with more than six thousand hosta images in his library. He is an active member of the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society and the American Hosta Society, and has assumed leadership roles in both organizations. Michael regularly lectures on hostas in North America and Europe, and is an avid hybridizer as well. With his wife, Kathy, he often leads tours of private gardens throughout the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1996, Mike retired from London's Metropolitan Police after thirty-two years of service and has rarely sat down since. As a police officer he served in many parts of London including Soho, Whitechapel, and at Scotland Yard. He now gardens in Western New York where with his wife he maintains a large collection of modern cultivars and a garden devoted to small hostas.