While seeking out shade in the heat of early June, my mind goes to hostas and their shade-loving companions. I grow a few hostas in my garden and love the texture and color they add, especially in combination with perennials like variegated Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'; Japanese painted fern, Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'; and hellebores.

Bill Hudgins, owner of the Buckhead garden shop Lush Life, is known for his extensive collection of Japanese maples and the way he deftly incorporates them into his garden. Beyond maples, though, he has stunning combinations for shade, including hostas. A favorite is the large-leaf Hosta 'Blue Angel' paired with a wonderful green and gold variegated grass, Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola.' He admits, though, that the blue-leaved forms tend to fade in the intense heat. Other winners for him include H. 'Gold Standard' with gold leaves edged in green and H. 'June.' For companions, he uses ferns and epimedium as well as boxwood. He also grows hostas in pots including H. 'Sum and Substance' ( I love the huge chartreuse leaves) and H. 'Francee.'

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Photos by ERICA GLASENER / Special Hosta 'Blue Angel' (at back) finds a worthy foil in Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola.'

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When I caught up with Jack Driskell, a horticultural technician for the new Smith-Gilbert Arboretum in Kennesaw, he talked about hostas that have done well for him despite heat and dry weather. These include H. 'Sague' (leaves are a dark blue-green center and a cream edge), H. 'So Sweet' (shiny green with a cream edge and growing in a pot) and H. 'Spritzer' (gold when they first emerge).

Some of his favorite companions for hostas include sacred lily, Rohdea japonica, with wide straplike leaves; the native gingers, Asarum species; Indian pink, Spigelia marilandica; and a plant that he is very excited about for its textured rugose leaves, a little-known hardy orchid called Calanthe veriscolor. He likes ferns, too, in particular the royal fern, Osmunda regalis, because it stands up tall, providing a strong vertical accent.

According to George Schmid, author of "The Genus Hosta" and more recently "An Encyclopedia of Shade Perennials," hostas are not dry-weather plants. (They need at least an inch of water per week.) And they need it most in August and September (typically our driest period) when the rhizomes start storing up sugars for next spring's growth. They also like a winter chilling and don't always get enough of that here in the South.

Now for the good news: For best success, he recommends placing hostas where they will receive only morning sun, avoiding afternoon sun.

Here are some of his favorite hostas that are drought-tolerant: H. plantaginea 'Aphrodite' and 'Venus,' 'Fried Bananas,' 'Fried Green Tomatoes,' 'Guacamole' and 'Honeybells.' For pots, he recommends 'Spritzer,' 'Green Fountain' and 'Redneck Heaven.'

Other good hostas for the South (not drought resistant) include 'Royal Standard,' 'So Sweet,' 'Sugar and Cream,' 'Blue Angel,' 'Gold Standard,' 'Fire & Ice,' 'Sum and Substance,' 'Francee,' 'Fringe Benefit,' 'Golden Tiara' and 'Inniswood.'

ERICA'S PICK

Indian pink

Botanical name: Spigelia marilandica
About the plant: A Southeastern native wildflower, it grows 1 to 2 feet high and 1 foot wide. Beginning in late spring, it produces upright tubular crimson flowers with yellow throats, a magnet for hummingbirds.
Use in the garden: A great companion for hostas and ferns adding a touch of bright color when it blooms.
Planting and care: Plant this perennial in a moist well-drained soil in light shade or part sun. Avoid locations where it will receive hot afternoon sun.
Sources: McMahan's Nursery, 5727 Cleveland Highway. Clermont. 770-983-3666, www.mcmahansnursery.com. Niche Gardens, Chapel Hill, N.C. 919-967-0078, http://www.nichegardens.com.