How the 2026–2027 Super El Niño Could Affect Gardens

How the 2026–2027 Super El Niño Could Affect Gardens

What exactly is a “Super El Niño,” and should gardeners across the United States be paying attention? In this episode of Hosta la Vista, sisters Mandy and Betsy sit down with Pam Knox, agricultural climatologist and Director of the Weather Network at the University of Georgia, to unpack the headlines surrounding the possible 2026–2027 Super El Niño and what it could mean for gardening across the U.S. this fall, winter, and into next spring. Will your region experience unusual warmth, heavier rainfall, drought, snow, flooding, or an early spring? Could shifting weather patterns affect planting timing, moisture levels, frost dates, or overall garden success? Pam helps us separate hype from reality as we explore how El Niño weather patterns affect the United States, why meteorologists are watching this developing climate event closely, and what gardeners should (and shouldn’t) be paying attention to heading into the 2026–2027 gardening season. From temperature and precipitation trends to regional growing conditions, this conversation offers practical insight for gardeners who want to better understand the long-range weather outlook. If you’ve been hearing news stories about the Super El Niño, wondering how El Niño affects gardening, or trying to figure out what the 2026–2027 weather forecast for gardeners could look like in your part of the country, this episode is for you. Topics include:2 What a Super El Niño actually is How El Niño affects weather across the U.S. Possible gardening impacts for fall, winter, and spring Regional weather patterns gardeners should watch Temperature shifts, precipitation trends, frost timing, and planting windows

Hosta Diseases Explained: HVX, Tobacco Rattle Virus, Nematodes & Testing with Brett Arenz

Worried your hosta might be sick? Wondering if those strange streaks, spots, or browning leaves are Hosta Virus X (HVX), tobacco rattle virus, nematodes, or something else? This episode is for every hosta gardener. This week on Hosta La Vista, Betsy and Mandy are joined by Brett Arenz, Director of the Plant Disease Clinic at the University of Minnesota, to talk all things hosta disease, hosta viruses, and plant diagnostics. We cover: Hosta Virus X (HVX) symptoms, diagnosis, and how to recognize suspicious patterns in hosta leaves How to test for HVX and when you should test a plant Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) and how it differs from HVX Foliar nematodes in hostas — what damage looks like and how to spot the signs Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) and other diseases affecting hostas Common issues that can look like hosta disease including environmental stress, frost damage, herbicide injury, and nutrient problems How to send hosta samples for plant disease testing Why gardeners should contact their local Extension office or land-grant university for in-state plant diagnostic testing Brett shares practical, science-based advice for diagnosing sick hostas, understanding plant pathogens, and protecting your shade garden from disease. Want to test your hostas at home? Order Agdia plant testing kits here: Agdia Testing Kits [https://orders.agdia.com/agdia-immunostrip-for-hvx-isk-16600] Follow Hosta La Vista on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode about hostas, shade gardening, and the people who love them.

Who Tells Your Story: Dr. Warren I. Pollock and the Legends of the American Hosta Society

Every community has its founders. Its visionaries. Its quietly devoted souls who showed up, dug in, and gave everything to something they loved. But someone has to remember them — and someone has to tell their story. In this rare and deeply personal episode, we sit down with Dr. Warren I. Pollock — scholar, writer, and one of the most beloved figures in the American Hosta Society — for a conversation that is as much about people as it is about plants. Warren reflects on a lifetime of friendship with the icons who built the hosta world: Alex Summers, John and Gertrude Wister, Eunice Fisher, Gunther Stark, Russ O'Hara, David Teager, Don Rawson, Gail Hartley Alley, and the legendary Ben Zonneveld of the Netherlands — among many others whose passion and dedication shaped a community that endures to this day. He also pays heartfelt tribute to the late Marilyn Romenesko — devoted horticulturist, past President of the Delaware Valley Hosta Society, and a force of warmth and excellence in the hosta world — whom Warren remembers with tremendous fondness and respect. These are the people who were in the room where it happened — and Warren was right there with them. This isn't a technical episode. It's a tribute. It's a memory. It's one of the most moving conversations we've ever had the privilege of recording, and we think you'll feel that from the very first minute. Topics covered in this episode: * The early days of the American Hosta Society and the remarkable people behind it * Warren's personal friendships with the pioneers who made it all happen * Stories, memories, and tributes to the legends of the hosta world * A special remembrance of Marilyn Romenesko and her legacy in the Delaware Valley Hosta Society * The international reach of the hosta community, including friendships across the globe * Gail Hartley Alley's vital role in hosta registration and record-keeping * How passion, friendship, and community built one of horticulture's most devoted societies If you love hostas, you love the people who loved them first. Don't miss this one. Perfect for: American Hosta Society members, hosta collectors, Delaware Valley Hosta Society members, shade gardeners, perennial plant enthusiasts, garden history lovers, garden podcast fans Audio credit: Music by Tomasz Redman and gnate-saint.

Christina Brinkmann: Germany's Hosta Hybridizer Behind the Chris' and German Lines

Meet Christina Brinkmann — the passionate hosta hybridizerfrom Gütersloh, Germany, who has been quietly revolutionizing the hosta world since 2013. With over 2,900 hosta varieties growing in her garden alongside thousands of seedlings, Christina is one of Europe's most exciting and innovative breeders, and in this episode, she brings her warmth, knowledge, and infectious love of the plant straight to your earbuds. Christina is known for two distinct lines. Her Chris'Hostas showcase her love of striking red and purple petioles, streaked foliage, and long-leafed varieties — including standouts like Chris' China Star, Chris' Tropical Sundown, Chris' Red Lightning, Chris' Darkest Purple, and Chris' Admin, a touching tribute to the friends who help manage her Facebook group. Her German Hostas carry a very special distinction: they are all tetraploids — plants with four sets ofchromosomes instead of the usual two — giving them thicker, more rubbery leaves, more intense colors, and greater resistance to both frost and sun. German Yellow Dragon, a Proud Dragon seedling, was the first of her tets tohit the market, and her German line has only grown from there. Fransen Hostas, one of Europe's premier hosta nurseries, proudly carries her work, as well as Josh from In the Country Garden and Gifts as well as Uniquely Hostas. In this conversation, Christina opens up about what drew herto tetraploid breeding, why she loves red petioles and streaked hostas, how she selects which seedlings are worthy of a name, and what it's like to introduce European-bred cultivars to collectors around the world. She is as delightful asher plants — and trust us, that's saying something. Enjoyed this episode? Be sure to follow, subscribe, orleave us a review on your favorite podcast platform — it means the world to us and helps more hosta lovers find the show! Find us and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagramat @Hosta La Vista Podcast. Have a question, a story, or a hosta you want to talk about?We'd love to hear from you at hostalavistapodcast@gmail.com. Tune in next week for another episode celebrating the plant that brings us all together — the beloved FriendshipPlant! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS Green Hill Hostas Green Hill Hostas has been introducing exceptional new hosta cultivars to collectors and the nursery trade for over 40years. If you're looking for rare, carefully selected, and quality-grown plants, Bob is your guy. Visit them at HostaHosta.com. Hornbaker Gardens A true destination garden center, arboretum, and botanicalgarden nestled in the Illinois countryside near Princeton. With over 400 hosta varieties, a legendary Hosta Ravine, and stunning display gardens, Hornbaker Gardens is a must-visit pilgrimage for any serious shade gardener. Visit themat HornbakerGardens.com. In The Country Garden & Gifts Located in Independence, Iowa, In The Country specializes inhostas and succulents with a deep love for the collector and the curious alike. They carry an exceptional and carefully curated selection — including Christina Brinkmann's own cultivars! Explore their catalog at InTheCountryGardenAndGifts.com.

Body Shop Botanist: Al Ritchey of Al's Auto Body & Arboretum

Only hosta people would find this perfectly normal. Pull into a working auto body shop on a back road in Walworth, Wisconsin — the smell of primer in the air, cars in the bays — and then walk around back to discover one of the most breathtaking hosta arboretums in the Midwest. That's exactly what awaits at Al's Auto Body & Arboretum (hostafest.net [https://www.hostafest.net]), where owner and self-described "owner, operator, weeder, waterer, planter, potter, and slug-slayer" Al Ritchey has spent over three decades quietly building a five-acre hosta paradise beneath a canopy of oak, hickory, and walnut trees. This might be our quirkiest episode yet — and that is really saying something for a hosta podcast. But here's the thing: this is exactly what hosta people do. They carve out a niche in the most unlikely of places, and before you know it, 500+ varieties are growing behind the shop and Master Gardeners are busing in from across the region. Al is a natural conversationalist with a great story — a lifelong car guy who started planting hostas in 1991 just to landscape around his shop, and never stopped. Today, he calls the arboretum his therapy: "If I get frustrated in the shop, I take it out on the weeds." His first introduction, Compadre, mutated from the Emerald Tiara family over 20 years ago after contact with a pre-emergent herbicide. Al watched it carefully for years to make sure it held true, and named it Compadre — a "friendship plant" — before finally releasing it for sale. He waited nearly 20 years to introduce it, which tells you everything you need to know about this man's patience and his standards. But the showstopper? Burlesque — a sport of the beloved Strip Tease hosta, and Al's most spectacular introduction yet. Worth serious money in the hosta world, Burlesque cannot be tissue cultured, which means the only people who own it got it directly from Al himself. This is a collector's plant, full stop. If you're anywhere near the Lake Geneva area this spring, mark your calendar: Hosta Fest 2025 — celebrating 25 years — runs May 24–25 from 9am–5pm, May 26 (Memorial Day) from 9am–2pm, and May 31 & June 1 from 9am–5pm. Admission and parking are free, and there are over 450 hosta varieties on display with at least 175 for sale, including large specimen plants. No one leaves empty-handed. 📍 Al's Auto Body & Arboretum | W6866 N Walworth Rd, Walworth, WI | hostafest.net [https://www.hostafest.net] | (262) 275-2800