If you mention plants for the shade garden, one of the first plants that comes to my mind is hosta. This wonderful plant is one of the first plants that got me to become the “plant nerd” I am today. So even as I balance my garden with more native plantings, hosta will be part of my 30%. These plants come in an array of sizes, colors, variegation, leaf shapes and textures. There are even dwarf cultivars, yes, dwarf! Tiny versions of hosta are growing in popularity and as their larger cousins, they have a special place in my heart.

These tiny gems grow in a range from 3-15”. But the plants that are on the smaller end of the scale (3-10”) seem to get lost in the garden. So, what do you do? You make a feature out of them of course.

I have found several easy ways to showcase these wonderful plants. One thing you can do is make a raised feature out of stone in your garden bed. Create pockets to plant your dwarf hosta this will add interest and will not be overlooked. You have a broken pot or other objects that are lying around? Use that to house your Hosta at the edge of your bed, again making them a focal point. Something I have in one of my beds is an industrial rusty end of a pipe. I simply buried it in the garden bed about 3” and added a nice soil mix, giving me a planting vessel. I like using a mix of colors and top-dressed with pea gravel; simple, simple way to show off your plants. You also can use a container with a mix of dwarf hosta, and add something like dwarf acorus or mondo grass for a year-round interest container planting. You also can use containers to hang your plants, such as a copper pot, this is a great way to highlight a single species. And if you love Hosta but can’t grow it because of deer pressure you are able to move your containers to places the deer don’t visit.

So, from being lost in the garden to a feature in the garden, these are some simple ways to make a small plant gain large attention. Be creative and make your dwarf hosta a special part of your space. Also think about trying this with other plants you love that seem to just get lost in your garden.

Get your hands dirty and enjoy your gardening journey.

Serome