Hosta La Vista

What if gardening wasn't just a hobby — but a path to healing? This episode of Hosta La Vista goes somewhere a little deeper than usual, and we think it might be one you'll want to share. This week, Betsy and Mandy head to Cuyahoga County, Ohio to sit down with Barb Rauckhorst — President of the North Coast Hosta Society, proud Master Gardener, and someone whose personal connection to the...

This week on Hosta la Vista, we sit down with Dr. Mary Lewnes Albrecht — horticulture professor, Master Gardener, botanic garden volunteer, communications director of the East Tennessee Hosta Society, and Vice President of Genus for the American Hosta Society. Mary brings a rare combination of academic depth and genuine gardener's heart to everything she does, and this conversation is one of o...

This week on Hosta la Vista, we sit down with Don Rawson — hosta hybridizer, curator of the legendary Hosta List database, creator of the Hostas of Distinction website, and one of the most quietly influential figures in the entire hosta world. Don grows on four acres near Grand Rapids, Michigan, makes up to 11,000 intentional crosses per summer starting at 6:00 AM, plants around 20,000 seeds per y...

Before Niagara Falls existed, Olga Petryszyn painted it. Before Coast to Coast was growing in gardens from sea to shining sea, she dreamed it into being on watercolor paper. Then she spent decades making every single one of them real. This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy are fully fangirling — and we make no apologies. We are joined by the one and only Olga Petryszyn of Northern Indiana —...

Can you grow hostas in Florida? In Zone 9? Zone 10? Zone 11? David Bowe has tried. And in this episode he tells you exactly what he learned. This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy sit down with hosta hybridizer David Bowe — a man who spent decades breeding some of the most personality-packed cultivars in the hosta world, relocated to Miami, and refused to stop being curious about plants. He...

Welcome to a special midweek edition of Hosta La Vista — the podcast devoted to the world of hostas , shade gardening, and the people who make this community so special. In this episode, we’re bringing you exclusive highlights and on-the-ground field reports from the American Hosta Society Convention 2025 in Peoria, Illinois . Whether you attended and want to relive the experience, or couldn’t mak...

Pack your wellies and a good umbrella — Hosta La Vista is heading to England. This week Betsy and Mandy cross the Atlantic to sit down with Ben Matthews of Worcester, England — curator of one of the most fascinating and historically significant hosta collections in the world. Ben holds the Plant Heritage designated British National Hosta Collection, focusing specifically on British hybridized host...

This week on Hosta la Vista, we welcome Alisa Bowe Lenhardt — hosta grower, fine artist, nationally certified hosta show judge, flower arranging expert, and member of the legendary Bowe family from Ohio, one of the most respected names in the hosta hybridizing world. Alisa brings a perspective on hostas that is genuinely unlike anyone we've had on the pod. Yes, she grows them and judges them a...

Every podcast has an origin story. This is ours. Welcome to the very first episode of Hosta la Vista — the only podcast dedicated entirely to hosta plants, hosta care, and the growers, collectors, and hybridizers who love them. If you're looking for the perfect shade garden plant, a low maintenance perennial that comes back bigger every year, or just the most welcoming corner of the plant coll...

Get a sneak peek into Hosta la Vista , the podcast where the shade is cool and the friendships are perennial! Meet your hosts, Betsy Peterson and Mandy Olson — two Hosta-loving sisters who are here to celebrate The Friendship Plant with weekly chats, special guests, and plenty of leafy laughs. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just discovering the magic of Hostas, you’re in the right place. Su...