Potted Hostas

     For years this shady area of my backyard has plagued me. As the maple tree grew and grew and grew, the soil at its base became thinner and thinner and thinner. Only a few little clumps of grass have survived, and even ground covers like Vinca major, liriope and goutweed have failed to thrive. Last summer's drought and heat devastated any attempts at greenery and I thought perhaps we were doomed to just build a circular bench around the trunk to cover the roots and dry dirt patches. But then a friend told me that she pots hostas to fill in problem spots like this. I was skeptical until I divided some existing Albo Marginata about a year ago, bought some matching pots and placed them around the base of the maple. Although they were a little skimpy then, they survived the winter and emerged this spring and quickly became  quite full and beautiful. Now the ground is still gray and dry but the color and texture of the pots and plants (that seem to be cradled by the large roots) draw the eye away from the uninspiring terrain.