Myk and Daryle Hamlin

Welcome to the Hamlin garden. If this is your first visit to our hosta haven, we hope you find our gardening “sense of humor” makes for an enjoyable visit. If you’ve been here before (2000 AHS Convention, 1992 MHS Garden Tour), we hope you enjoy the many new and interesting additions, as well as the changes, made to our landscape.

We’ve gardened at this location since the summer of 1985, when we started off with one acre of bare sand, two- to three-hundred aspen and juniper trees, several mature oaks, a few native woodland wildflowers, patches of moss, and lots of invasive buck thorn and prickly ash. First up was to plant a hedge dividing our property from the neighboring yard, start a vegetable bed and plant grass in the sunniest portion of the side yard. Later, we added sun loving perennials, before turning our attention to the shadier parts of the garden, starting with a few tried and true older varieties of hostas. Over the years these beds have all grown and changed, along with us, as the trees and shrubs have grown larger, reducing the areas where sun lovers can flourish. So roses, irises, peonies and daylilies have now given up their spots to more and more hostas! Not necessarily a bad thing, either. However, recently some areas of dense shade have been opened up to the sun as older trees have fallen in wind storms or succumbed to old age. Two winters ago, we removed a 23 year old honeysuckle hedge, due to a severe infestation of witch’s broom disease.

Truly, a garden is never done, and is always an ongoing adventure. Plans and dreams for the 2008 gardening season include the continuation of the hedge renovation project, plus rearranging more plants to accommodate the changing sun and shade conditions. A recent change in location has greatly benefited one of our favorite hostas. Over the past four years, H. “Squash Casserole” has been relocated three times because of rapid growth, and has now found a permanent home in a former rose bed in the back yard. Apparently, there is just the right amount of sun and shade in this location, as the specimen measured 5 ½’wide by 2’high at the end of last year’s growing season. Don’t miss seeing this amazing plant!

In addition to an extensive hosta collection containing 650 plus varieties, our shade beds also features an assortment of astilbes, heucheras and ferns with plush moss-covered paths winding their way through the trees. In the sunnier sections of the yard, there are patches of daylilies, ornamental grasses, a few lilies, peonies, and irises, and a now much smaller vegetable bed. A collection of antique jardiniere's provide homes for annuals and houseplants which enjoy summering outdoors on our Victorian style porch, along with several moss covered hanging baskets. We hope you enjoy your time in our garden and you leave inspired to create or renovate a special space in your own garden.