After a spring and summer of some pretty heavy issues in our town, these two heated-but-good-natured debates between two young, upwardly mobile couples in Glen Ellyn amused me on the train recently. I offer them up to discuss or dismiss...

Question:
Hostas and Coleus

Choices:
Beautiful seasonal foliage
Colorful weeds

 

Always called the plain green hostas Winnetka Weeds. The variegated variety...most are nice. My new least favorite...one that Parker disagrees with...is the Annabelle hydrangea. They are everywhere...the new darlings of the Western Suburbs. They are in front of my house. SOOOO tired of them. Yet not allowed to rip them out.

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:
Always called the plain green hostas Winnetka Weeds. The variegated variety...most are nice. My new least favorite...one that Parker disagrees with...is the Annabelle hydrangea. They are everywhere...the new darlings of the Western Suburbs. They are in front of my house. SOOOO tired of them. Yet not allowed to rip them out.

You are such a passive/aggressive biatch.....that comment was aimed directly at me.

It was actually directed at the woman I live with.

Variegated Hostas: Best used if living by Midway Airport, surrounding a statue of Mary (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Plain, large-leafed MORE NATURAL Hostas (especially the more blue-green variety):
Can be used respectfully in any north or south Glen Ellyn yard without much retribution from neighbors/gardening snobs.

Coleus: Great fill-in for color, when needed and sparingly, but often overused, which is why people hate it.

Annabelle Hydrangea: Overused. Use a wild, native hydrangea instead. In fact, more native/wild plantings are the way to go (which is why the plainer, more wild Hostas will always win with me).

Is this the kind of information the well rounded, educated, upwardly mobile Glen Ellyn male needs to know?......I am in a lot of trouble

You wouldn't know a Hosta from a Hydrangea if they bit you in both your brown thumbs, would you Rob?

Actually, having a Master Gardners Certificate form the Arboretum and having a brother with a Masters in Landscape Architecture makes me a bit of a gardening geek, I hate to say. You should see us talk about Oak Wilt around the dinner table when we get together...exciting stuff!

We have hostas planted in Wisconsin. We call it the "salad bar for deer".

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Herbold:
Is this the kind of information the well rounded, educated, upwardly mobile Glen Ellyn male needs to know?......I am in a lot of trouble

LOL! now that's funny. thanks for the laugh, rob.

Whoa!! Those poker games don't really keep you up this late...do they? May have to reconsider. I'd be ripe for the picking after 11 PM.

winning always brings out the insomniac in me. besides, i'm just a sucker for gripping debates regarding perennials.

seriously, we always quit around midnight. stayed up swapping IM's chat w/my college boy.

Love hostas. Low maintenance and full - perfect for my style of gardening and yardwork!

How was that Purdue game?

How did you know?

It was wet. Rain started pouring in the middle of quarter 2. We left at half-time (since EIU was being blown away 31.3) and then there was a delay from lightning. So, it was just as well that we left. Ate at XXX. Worth going all the way to West Lafayatte just to visit that greasy spoon! But a Boilermaker victory was the icing on the cake!

quote:

Originally posted by Amy:
How did you know?

he's probably stalking you, amy. he's been doing it to me for about seven years now. gotta admit, it's totally unnerving to see that immense head pop up in your window. . . but eventually, you get used to it.

I'll keep my eyes peeled!

Must have been designed by a master engineer!

Who? Did they name it after him....Hosta? Is that German or Dutch? Germans are great engineers.