They're the supreme plants for shade gardens, and there are cultivars that tolerate some sun.

There's no end to the varieties of hostas you can have in your garden. Just ask gardeners such as Frank Hunyady of Newport News. He's become a hosta guru, always toting his hosta bible - ``The Hosta Genus,'' written by W. George Schmid and published by Timber Press - along with him to garden centers as he searches for a cultivar he wants to add to his collection. He has more than 50 varieties of hostas and is aiming for 100.

Frank is constantly intrigued by the leaf shapes and variegations among hostas. Two hostas can look alike but the curl and angle of the leaf on each can mean they are different cultivars.

``Know what you want before going to buy your hostas,'' says Frank. ``Don't be like me. I have at least 25 hostas that don't seem to fit anywhere. I just can't let a bargain pass.'' But, then again, Hunyady is one of those gardeners who doesn't mind have extra plants of any kind around because he's always eager to exchange and share with other gardeners.

If you'd like to chat with Frank about growing hostas and sharing plants, e-mail him at fhunyady@pen.k12.va.us

DISPLAY GARDENS

You can see all sorts of perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees growing in display gardens at Virginia Tech's Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 1444 Diamond Springs Road, Virginia Beach. You can merely walk and enjoy the plantings any day of the week for free.

HOSTAS AT A GLANCE

COMMON NAME: Hosta, or plantain lily

SPECIES: Hosta spp. , (hos'ta) member of Liliaceae, or lily family

FORM: Small to large, clump-forming herbaceous perennial, meaning its soft-tissue stems die to the ground each year and return the following spring.

SIZE: 6-36 inches tall, 18-36 inches wide; size and growth rate depends on variety.

EXPOSURE: Full shade, part shade, full sun and part sun, depending on variety.

LEAVES: Forms and sizes depend on variety. Leaf texture may be glossy, smooth or puckered. Color can range from green, blue-green or gray-green, and variegated or edged with yellow, white or green. Larges may be narrow, broad or wavy. Foliage deciduous and comes from rhizome-like clumps.

VARIETIES: More than 40 species with hundreds of hybrids and cultivars.

FLOWERS: Small, funnel-shaped flowers in white, purple or lavender; fragrant and showy depending on variety. Flowers June-October.

FRUIT: Green capsule with no great appearance.

CULTURE: Does best in moist, loamy soil with good drainage and organic matter. Likes pH or soil acidity of 5.5 to 6.5. Plants not drought or wind tolerant.

USES: Edging plant along walkways, border along gardens, mass planting under trees or large areas where an attractive ground cover is needed. Nice touch when tucked among perennials or shrubs.

PRUNING: Remove scorched or damaged leaves during the summer. Cut off foliage after frost causes it to die. Some gardeners say they prune it back severely when the summer heat damages the leaves and new foliage emerges.

PROPAGATION: Divide every three to five years.

PROBLEMS: Relatively pest free.