Hostas, by far, are Minnesota gardeners’ favorite plants, and it’s easy to understand why. Hostas are hardy and for the most part care free. What’s the best thing about hostas? Maybe it’s their ability to grow in shade or part sun. Or it could be their tolerance of a wide range of soils and moisture levels. Or maybe it’s the hundreds of varieties you can choose from and the incredible range of sizes. Slugs are the most worrisome threat faced by hostas. To avoid slug problems, plant hosta varieties that have a heavy thick leaf because these seem to be more slug resistant. If slugs do show up, use Sluggo®, a safe and effective treatment that won’t harm kids, pets, birds or you.

Following a fantastic display of spring and early summer color, it may seem like a daunting task to keep your perennial garden bursting with color, but there are lots of great plants that are up to the challenge. For loads of color in July and early August in a sunny area, make sure your garden includes tall garden phlox, daylilies, hardy garden lilies, rudbeckia, coreopsis, butterfly weed, campanula, lobelia, shasta daisies, echinacea, gaillardia, monarda, hollyhocks, liatris, catmint, balloon flower, poppies, salvia, scabiosa and veronica. Many sunny perennials (especially daylilies, monarda and lobelia) will do well in light shade, too. For color this time of year in a shady area, try astilbe, hosta (many varieties have attractive, fragrant flowers), gooseneck loosestrife, cimicifuga, hardy geraniums and ligularia. And don’t discount the incredible color contribution made by the various shades and textures of foliage provided by coral bells, lamiums and ferns. As you can see, with a little bit of planning, your perennial garden can skip the summer doldrums completely.

Kiwi fruit is native to China not New Zealand