The Mouse Ears Collection 5.2.2016


Since 2000 Blue Mouse Ears has made quite a sensation in gardens around the world!  Today the progeny of Blue Mouse Ears now numbers over 50 varieties from around the world.  There are other hosta that sometimes get included in that list as they have mouse like names but no actual linage from Blue Mouse Ears.  The building where I have lived has a stretch of garden space that has never been used.  It is about 6 in. W x 26 ft. L / 15.24 cm. W  x 79.248 dm. L.  Later this month the two come together.

With the help of the Management Company; we're going to get a landscaping company to come in to help reclaim the space from the many weeds and small trees that have over taken the space over the years.  While it sounds simple the project may be a major one to tackle.

With the help of the family nursery I am tracking down 20 of the Mouse Ears to be installed here at the building.  This again may not be an easy project since no one nursery or greenhouse has all the mouse ears in one place.  In fact I doubt any garden has all of the mouse ears in one place.  By the way I did an estimate cost analyst of what it would take to buy ALL of the available mouse ears and that comes to approximately $800.00 USD.

Reference Point: Mouse Ears hosta grow no taller than 8 in. / 20.32 cm. and no wider than 18 in. / 45.72 cm. and that's subject to what variety your talking about.  Most take many years to grow that size.  This garden will take a while to mature and fill in; it will not be a one or two year project.  The first stages of the project are:


By May 23
The garden strip will be cleared out.
By May 27
The Mouse Ears will be gathered at the nursery and ready for pickup.  I am hoping these can be picked up during the weekend.
By May 31
The Mouse Ears will be planted in said space.

The family nursery has a habit of not watching their slugs.  So when they are picked up I will have to do the ammonia dip routine with each plant.
In this issue I deviate from the rule of not talking about out side issues.  My mother, as much as I respect her, is sliding into the medical condition of dementia; and my father, whom I also respect, is certainly not any younger as he is probably in his 90's.  Both no longer can care for the residence they have.  One of the things they expressed was to give me a chance to go through the hosta collection to let me take what I wished.   During this summer I plan to take them up on that offer before they sell their home and move once more. 
My hope is to retrieve the Mouse Ears and do this garden run at the same time.  I envision this to be a four to five person project so that all +200 hosta can be systematically gone through from my mother's gardens; she had three hosta beds.  Two persons digging, one or two persons spotting/hunting, and myself prepping the plants for transport - bare root.  NO, I'm not taking the entire garden, just the ones I currently have, and whatever mouse ears might be lurking in the garden.  I am in slight hopes that some might be different from what the family nursery can locate.

I'll keep you posted as to how all of this works out.

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