Talk about border on a budget.

I got lucky. Real lucky. I moved in next to some great plant lovers and they shared some of their hostas with me this spring. I am so delighted, thrilled! I love hostas, and have a small collection of my own, but my collection nearly doubled in a week- and I'm so glad because I have a lot more shade in this garden than in my last. I have promised to take great care of them, and haul chunks of the plants with me where ever I go. I've tried to keep track of all of the names, and have borrowed a huge hosta book from them. It has been a delightful adventure.

Of course, the first one I've pictured here is one I've lost track of the name... but I think it is one of the tiaras, maybe Emerald Tiara?

 This one developed out of a Borwick Beauty (aka Color Glory), clump they were handing me which may be it's parent Elegans?

 They told me they think this one is Inniswood, but it doesn't look like it. It is my favorite one they gave me! Its pretty large, and gorgeous. Maybe Northern Exposure?

 This is Borwick Beauty (aka Color Glory). I got two of these. They've told me it burns easily in the sun, so I've placed it a really shady spot, and the other in a spot that gets 20 minutes of sunlight in the afternoon.

 This one's one of my favorites, too. It is called Silvery Slug Proof.

 This is golden tiara. The clump they gave me was large enough to divide in two. :)

 This one is Rebecca Lake. It is a real stunner! I love the leaf shape.

 I didn't catch the name of this one, but it looks like Great Expectations to me? Don't care too much about the name because it is beautiful!

And Halcyon:

 I also have an August Moon, Gold Drop, So Sweet and a Blue Angel from them. I've placed most them on this side of my house, which get almost zero direct sunlight.

 I have them here with several hydrangeas (one annabelle, one pink diamond, one pinky winky, one endless summer, and one little lamb), a center glow ninebark, and pink azalea, most costing me only $3.99 or less at a local greenhouse that distributes as their primary business, as well as on clearance at Walmart. I also have a variegated dogwood I found on clearance at Lowe's for $8, divisions of some of my favorite hostas I brought with me, a division of ligularia from my garden, a forsythia that rooted itself in the back of this yard, and a lilac I have from one of those arbor day freebies. Finally, I moved some heuchera from other places in my garden, and added some dead nettle from the neighbors well. I think it is safe to say this whole side of the house cost me less than $50...

I have plans to edge this bed with something as money comes about. I wanted to create a shady path, so as the shrubs mature on the right, and the hostas & hydrangeas fill in on the left I want to plunk some stepping stones into the grass.