Hosta La Vista

Bob Solberg Reviews the 2026 Hosta Season | Hosta College, National Convention & What's Ahead for 2027

Season 2 comes full circle as Betsy and Mandy welcome back legendary Hosta hybridizer Bob Solberg of Green Hill Hostas to reflect on the biggest moments of the 2026 Hosta

Hosta Road Trippers: Touring the Midwest's Best Hosta Gardens, Nurseries & Hosta People with Susan Ragsdale and Julie Lewter

The #HostaRoadTrippers are back! In this penultimate episode of Season 2, we welcome Susan Ragsdale and Julie Lewter, the dynamic duo behind the popular Midwest Hosta Vi

Uniquely Hostas: Justin & Andrea Geske on Their Big Move, Hosta Hybridizing, Tissue Culture & Jeff Miller's Legacy

Big changes are coming for Uniquely Hostas! In this episode of Hosta la Vista: The Friendship Plant Podcast, we sit down with Justin and Andrea Geske to discuss an exciti

Inside a Hosta Tissue Culture Lab: Rob Mortko Shares Secrets of TC, Sports & Future Introductions

Ever wonder how thousands of your favorite Hostas make their way from a single plant into gardens across the country? This week on Hosta La Vista: The Friendship Plant Po

Inside The Hosta Stop: Award-Winning Seedlings, Streaked Hostas & Family-Powered Hybridizing

What started with a Father's Day gift has grown into one of the Midwest's most beloved Hosta destinations. In this episode, Betsy and Mandy welcome nearly the entire Gie

Our First Hosta Convention: Midwest Regional Hosta Society 50th Anniversary Recap from Madison, Wisconsin

In this special mid-week episode of Hosta La Vista: The Friendship Plant Podcast, Betsy and Mandy recap their trip to the Midwest Regional Hosta Society's 50th Anniversar

Nick Ternes of Botanophilia: Hostas, Shade Gardening, Trees & Plant Hybridizing

This week on Hosta La Vista: The Friendship Plant Podcast, Betsy and Mandy welcome Nick Ternes, owner of Botanophilia LLC, hosta hybridizer, nursery owner, garden educato

Lonna Engel of The Painted Leaf Hosta Garden: Building a 900+ Hosta Collection in Pennsylvania

Step into The Painted Leaf Hosta Garden with Lonna Engel, whose Williamsport, Pennsylvania hosta garden has grown from a single bed in 2016 into a spectacular collection

Jonathan Hogarth: Chelsea Flower Show GOLD Medal Winner, Miniature Hostas & the UK's National Collection

What does it take to earn a Gold Medal at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show? This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy welcome Jonathan Hogarth of Hogarth Hosta

Native, Non-Native, or Invasive? Making Sense of the Garden Debate with Neil Diboll of Prairie Nursery

Hosta lovers, have you ever been told that your garden should be "all native"? Or wondered where hostas fit into today's growing native plant movement? In this thought-p

Shade Garden Secrets with Stacy Ling of Bricks 'n Blooms: Companion Plants, Pollinators & Season-Long Color

Do your shade gardens look amazing in June but tired and empty by midsummer? Wondering how to keep color, texture, blooms, butterflies, and hummingbirds coming all season

Hosta Hybridizing 101: A 'Best of' Season 1 with David Teager, Olga Petryszyn, Don Rawson & David Bowe

Ever wondered how new Hostas are created? How hybridizers choose parents, make crosses, evaluate seedlings, and decide which plants are worthy of registration? In this s

Horticultural Therapy and the Healing Power of Plants

Horticultural therapy is changing the way we think about health, healing, and well-being. In this episode of Hosta la Vista, hosts Betsy and Mandy talk with Chris VandenB

2026 American Hosta Society Convention Recap: Groovy Plants Ranch, Leaf Show Legends & Hosta Heaven in Dublin, Ohio

In this episode, we take you inside the 2026 American Hosta Society Convention in Dublin, Ohio (June 10–13), with firsthand insights from attendees Cheryl Lockhart, Andy

Doug Ruff Part 2 Hosta Hybridizer Interview : Breeding Blushing Hostas with Anthocyanin Color

Join Hosta la Vista this week for Part 2 of our exclusive interview with renowned hosta hybridizer Doug Ruff — the breeder behind some of the most sought-after hosta cult

Doug Ruff Part 1: Bloodline Hosta Creator- Inside His Private Hosta Hybridizing Program (Part 1)

In Part 1 of this special podcast episode, we visit Hosta hybridizer Doug Ruff at his home for an exclusive, nearly two-hour tour of his private breeding program. Best kn

How the 2026–2027 Super El Niño Could Affect Gardens

What exactly is a “Super El Niño,” and should gardeners across the United States be paying attention? In this episode of Hosta la Vista, sisters Mandy and Betsy sit down

Hosta Diseases Explained: HVX, Tobacco Rattle Virus, Nematodes & Testing with Brett Arenz

Worried your hosta might be sick? Wondering if those strange streaks, spots, or browning leaves are Hosta Virus X (HVX), tobacco rattle virus, nematodes, or something els

Who Tells Your Story: Dr. Warren I. Pollock and the Legends of the American Hosta Society

Every community has its founders. Its visionaries. Its quietly devoted souls who showed up, dug in, and gave everything to something they loved. But someone has to rememb

Christina Brinkmann: Germany's Hosta Hybridizer Behind the Chris' and German Lines

Meet Christina Brinkmann — the passionate hosta hybridizerfrom Gütersloh, Germany, who has been quietly revolutionizing the hosta world since 2013. With over 2,900 hosta