Hostas have come a long way since Thomas Hogg Junior sent his first shipment from Japan to his family?s Manhattan nursery in 1862. They are now consistently voted the gardener?s favorite perennial and it takes merely a glance tounderstand why. Their clean lines, sumptuous leaves and elegant flowers offer great potential for striking specimen plantings and also make them the most accommodating of companion plants. With the advent of tissue culture and the rise of specialistnurseries, the range of hostas available has increased rapidly, and now gardeners are faced with a bewildering choice of over 4000 species and cultivars. The core of this encyclopedia is a fully illustrated collection of the world?s finest hostas handpicked by leading specialist Diana Grenfell. This valuable resource provides a full description and color photograph for more than 750 plants, equipping hosta lovers to judge esthetic merit and to choose the right plant for a particular situation....