Hosta Blue 'Mouse Ears'

Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' is a must-have plant for any hosta collector. A popular and lovely shade-loving perennial, it is ideal for pots, shady rockeries or for lining edges of woodland paths. The small, round blue-green leaves grow into a dense cluster and provide interest from the moment they emerge in spring, right through to the time they die back in late autumn. Even better, as the leaves are thick, it seems to be one of the few hostas less prone to the ravages of slugs and snails. In mid-summer these leaves are accompanied by sprays of lilac-coloured bell-shaped flowers. Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' has received an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

If you spray the leaves of your hosta once or twice during the growing season with a high nitrogen fertiliser, this will give you thicker, lusher leaves. Also, an annual mulch in spring or autumn will help to keep down weeds, and is an easy way to improve the soil condition and nutrient level. Around the plant, the mulch of well-rotted garden compost or leaf mould should be 5-10cm / 2-4" thick.