Ready for another update about what we’ve been doing outside? This time it’s all about hostas. We discovered several extra hostas popping up in the backyard, so we dug up about five of them and decided to give them a better life in the front yard.
Our mailbox area had become a little bedraggled and we figured the hostas would help. The mums that had been planted there were just bare sticks in winter, and the whole spot looked weedy and unloved. There was even a big rock temporarily parked in the bed and an iron squirrel ornament that had toppled over behind a spent daffodil—definitely not the best first impression for passersby.
First order of business was pulling the weeds from the driveway and tidying up the space around the mailbox. That simple step made a surprisingly big difference. We had considered either enlarging the bed around the mailbox or letting it fill in with grass or groundcover, and while enlarging the bed is a great long-term plan, we weren’t ready to dig into that project just yet. For now we planted three pots of petunias from the hardware store and paired them with the hostas from the backyard.
We arranged the plants with an eye toward how the area fills in over time. Right after planting it looked a bit spaced out, but this spot tends to grow in well during the season, so we expect the gaps to close up within a month or two. A fresh layer of mulch finished off the look and helped everything feel intentional. It’s obvious that a larger, more gracefully curved bed would be prettier—something to tackle next year—but the current improvements already boost curb appeal.
With a few hostas still left without a home, we planted them in another bare section of the front planting bed. The hostas immediately added texture and a shade-friendly presence to that area. Adding mulch there made the change feel more cohesive, though mulch color can fade after a few weeks in sun and pollen. We use the darkest brown wood mulch available at the store because it looks rich against the plants. Once these beds are fully established, we’re considering ordering a bulk mulch delivery since that can be more economical than buying bags one at a time.
Hostas themselves are forgiving and thrive in our beds. These varieties tend to keep growing through the summer and can reach two feet or more across, so what looks small now will become substantial before long. They have a reliable habit of popping up around the yard—sometimes they show up mysteriously in unexpected places—and that’s been handy. It feels satisfying to transplant volunteer hostas rather than buying new specimens every season.
We’ve had a few hosta surprises over the years. Once we discovered a hosta growing inside a sealed plastic bin in our basement: it had been tucked away in a pot that seemed empty, placed in a bin with other pots, and then in spring it started sprouting inside the container. Finding that little green miracle was a highlight of our gardening misadventures.
All told, shifting those backyard hostas to the front yard helped tidy two spots at once: the mailbox bed looks neater and the front planting bed gained instant greenery. We’ve got bigger plans—bed expansion and some additional plantings—but for now the transplanted hostas and petunias have brought welcome life and a simple curb appeal upgrade. Have you used volunteer or transplanted plants to refresh your landscape lately? Hostas are a great, low-maintenance option if you have shady spots that need a boost.
Psst—We should update our master list of outdoor tasks soon since we’ve actually made good progress and can cross a few items off.