Hosta Francis Williams (France Williams): photo and variety description

Hosta Francis Williams is a lush, perennial shrub with blue-green leaves. Exotic culture adorns even the most nondescript corners of the garden, looks great in compositions with flowers, conifers and other types of hosts. Due to its high winter hardiness, the plant is successfully grown in most regions of Our Country, including those with unfavorable conditions.

Description of Hosta Francis Williams

Francis Williams is an attractive hosta with large oval-shaped leaves (length 20 cm, width 10 cm). The surface is wrinkled, matte. The color is combined: in the center the leaves are green with a hint of blue, along the edges there is a yellow edging. The bush is quite high (up to 80 cm) and at the same time compact (up to 120 cm wide). Shade tolerant, prefers partial shade from shrubs or trees.

Hosta Francis Williams blooms in late June or early July. It gives several small white flowers with a diameter of 4-5 cm, collected in 8 pieces (inflorescence type – brush). The bush is characterized by high winter hardiness, withstands even severe frosts down to -40 ° C. This allows you to grow it everywhere in the Central part of Our Country, as well as in the southern regions of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.

Hosta Francis Williams is distinguished by large leaves of unusual colors.

Application in landscape design

Hostas are cultures that easily coexist next to most plants, shrubs and trees. Thanks to the interesting color of the leaves, Francis Williams will emphasize flowers, perennial conifers, ornamental grass and other types of hostas. Therefore, in landscape design it can be used in almost any version:

1. Rock gardens, rockeries.
2. Carpet plantings to completely cover the ground (in this way, nondescript parts of the garden can be hidden).
3. Multi-tiered flower beds, mixborders.
4. Compositions with small hosts (for example, June) and high ones (Empress Wu, Dino, Blue Mammoth and others).
5. Borders along the paths, as well as for zoning different parts of the flower garden.
6. In single plantings, on open lawns, next to a bench, gazebo and other places to relax.

Francis Williams is combined with different plants – flowers, shrubs, conifers, for example, peonies, undersized daylilies, rhododendron, astilbe, garden geranium, forget-me-nots, maidenhair, perennial conifers (thuja, dwarf fir, juniper and others) will become good neighbors.

Thanks to its large leaves, Hosta Francis Williams can be planted in the most visible place – next to the road or in the center of the flower garden.

Breeding methods

Hosta Francis Williams can be propagated in any convenient way:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• division of the bush.

Practice shows that the latter option is the fastest, simplest and most effective.

It is better to divide adult bushes that are 4-5 years old

The procedure can be started in any warm month of the year, even in September (4-5 weeks before frost).

To divide the bush into several parts, you will need a sharp knife and a shovel. First, the earth is cut out, moving around the bush, then the hosta is taken out and shaken off the ground so that the roots are visible. The hairs are untangled, and the dense rhizome is cut with a sharp knife into several parts, leaving 2-3 buds on each. They are planted at a short distance, watered abundantly and mulched.

Landing algorithm

It is not difficult to choose the optimal place for landing hosta Francis Williams: light penumbra is needed on the site. The land may even be barren, but it is desirable that it be a hill, and not a lowland in which meltwater and precipitation accumulate.

Spring is considered the optimal time – the moment when the snow has completely melted, and frosts are already unlikely. In the south, this is the beginning of April, in the middle lane – the second half of the month, and in the Urals and Siberia – mid-May.

Hosta Francis Williams Needs Some Shading

Landing instructions are quite simple:

1. The site is dug up and complex fertilizer is applied, as well as a bucket of humus per 1 m2.
2. Holes are formed with a depth and diameter of 30-40 cm (the rhizome should fit freely in them).
3. If necessary, drainage from small stones (5-7 cm) is laid on the bottom.
4. Mix rotted manure with garden soil in the same ratio (1 bucket each), add peat (0,5 buckets) and a few handfuls of sand. If the soil is acidic, you can add 1 cup of ash.
5. Fill the hole with soil mixture, water and root the host.
6. The rest of the soil is covered, compacted a little and watered again.
7. Mulch with needles, hay, straw or other improvised materials.

It is better to buy hosta Francis Williams only in trusted stores.

Growing rules

Hostas in general and Francis Williams in particular are among the most unpretentious garden plants. They do not require special care and are well tolerated even by Siberian winters, for which they are loved by beginners and experienced flower growers. The rules of care are quite simple, it is necessary to provide light shading and timely watering:

• in the usual mode – weekly;
• in the dry season 2-3 times a week;
• in the presence of precipitation – optional.

The surface of the soil should be slightly moist: it should not be allowed to dry out and crack. It is also not necessary to fill the hosta with water.

Watering should be medium, it is better not to fall on the leaves, because they can get sunburn.

Periodically (1-2 times a month) the protective layer must be removed (during the loosening of the soil).

Francis Williams is unpretentious and does not need too frequent top dressing. It is not necessary to apply fertilizers in the first season, then they are added 2-3 times a year:

1. In early April, they are fed with ammonium nitrate or urea. Nitrogen will ensure the rapid awakening of the host and the rapid growth of green mass.
2. In early July, when the first flowers appear, potassium sulphate and superphosphates are added.
3. Exactly the same composition is added in mid-August.
4. It is not necessary to fertilize in autumn – the host must prepare for the winter, at which time the metabolism in the tissues slows down.

Preparation for winter

Since Francis Williams is highly winter hardy, the plant does not require special preparation for winter. In the fall, caring for her consists of the following activities:

• removal of all peduncles (it is better to do this immediately after flowering);
• abundant watering in mid-September;
• mulching roots for the winter.

It is necessary to remove damaged shoots, as well as leaves affected by diseases. They are carried away as far as possible and burned.

Diseases and pests

Another advantage of hosta Francis Williams is its high resistance to diseases and pests. It is very rarely affected by diseases, but sometimes it is harmed:

• root collar rot;
• The HVX virus is a dangerous pathogen that parasitizes specifically on hosts.

Also on the plant can parasitize:

• aphid;
• black weevil;
• snails;
• slugs.

If the first signs of infection are found (foreign elements on the leaves, spots, tubercles, wilting), all damaged parts must be removed immediately. Francis Williams hosta bush in such cases should be treated with an insecticide – it can be Bordeaux liquid, Topaz, Skor, Maxim and others.

Insects rarely settle on the foliage, but if they are found, it is necessary to treat them with insecticides

Suitable “Biotlin”, “Decis Profi”, “Green Soap”, “Karbofos” or folk remedies (water infusion of onion peel, a solution of laundry soap shavings, baking soda, ammonia.

If this does not help, the bush is treated with a solution of salt or vitriol (iron, copper).

Conclusion

Hosta Francis Williams can be a real source of inspiration for beginner growers. This is a really beautiful plant that practically does not need care. If you ensure normal watering and fertilize 2-3 times per season, you can get a very beautiful shrub with lush leaves of bright color.

Host Frans Williams Reviews