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 hosta introductions from 1976 to 2016, comprising 32 species and an additional 350 cultivars — all tucked into a shade tunnel in a small suburban garden just three minutes from the M5. Because sometimes the most extraordinary things come in the most unassuming packages.

Ben's journey into the world of serious hosta collecting began with his mentor Una Dunnett — a fellow Worcestershire hosta enthusiast who lived down the road. When Una passed, she left her beloved collection to Ben, a gesture that speaks volumes about the trust and friendship they shared and the responsibility Ben carries as its steward. It is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever been shaped by a generous mentor or inherited a passion from someone they loved.

Ben is a member of the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society and brings a perspective on hosta growing and conservation genuinely different from anything we've heard on this side of the ocean. The UK growing climate, the culture around botanical conservation, and the particular challenges and joys of growing hostas in an English shade garden offer a fascinating window into a parallel hosta world that most American growers never get to peek inside.

And if you ever find yourself near Worcester — Ben's collection is open by appointment and completely free to visit. Contact him at [email protected].

Topics covered:

• The British National Hosta Collection — Plant Heritage designated, Worcester England
• British hybridized hosta introductions 1976 to 2016
• The mentorship of Una Dunnett and how her legacy lives on in Ben's collection
• Growing hostas in the UK — climate, challenges, and shade gardening differences
• The Plant Heritage National Collection program and botanical conservation in Britain
• The British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society
• Stewarding a living national plant heritage collection
• Transatlantic hosta connections — what UK and US growers can learn from each other

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