Land of the Giants Hosta Farm | Milton

Home
Land of the Giants Hosta Farm | Milton | Wisconsin

Land of the Giants Hosta Farm – a new beginning | Text: Eurohosta + Land of the Giants Hosta Farm, Foto: Land of the Giant sHosta Farm (used with permission), August 2023

BLOG: Did this article interest you? Read our other articles »»»

Land of the Giants Hosta Farm is a family-owned and operated business located in Milton, Wisconsin, US, specializing in growing and selling hostas. Established in 2007, it has become one of the largest hosta nurseries in the Midwest.

Land of the Giants Hosta Farm was established by Jeff Miller. Ashley Moscoso said: „My father has never done anything small“. Jeff was known for doing things big and hostas were not an exception... Jeff and is wife Penny started planting hostas around his house as a hobby. Their interest in hostas grew and soon they turned his hobby into a business. The business grew until an estimated 450,000 hostas filled all planting area around the house. Jeff´s huge hosta plants and his amazing, award-winning cultivars, were known countrywide and were very demanded by any hosta lover in US. As Jeff was known for doing things big, he was also enthusiastic about giant sized hostas and he introduced several gigantic cultivars as a part of his “Giantland” series.

Under Jeff's leadership, Land of the Giants earned a reputation for producing high-quality, healthy hostas that were well-suited to the local climate. The farm's commitment to sustainable growing practices and customer service helped make it a popular destination for gardeners across the country. Jeff was also a respected member of the gardening community. He was a valued member and past president of the Wisconsin Hosta Society. He wrote articles for various gardening magazines and gave presentations at gardening conferences and events.

In late 2021, Jeff passed away suddenly after a short and serious illness, and nine days later, his wife Penny lost her battle with Huntington's disease. Ashley, her brother Andrew, and their entire family were devastated.

However, Ashley and her husband Pedro Moscoso decided to continue Jeff's legacy and bring the farm into the future. Ashley said, "People love my father's cultivars, and it is a great honor for me to be able to continue to offer them to hosta lovers" and she continued: „Like so many of the new hosta varieties Jeff introduced over the years, he was truly one of a kind. I lost two my most bellowed people during few days. However, just as one season follows another, a new spring is arriving and bringing with it a time for new beginnings. In that spirit, I am stepping up to continue the business and honor my Father’s legacy along with my partner, Pedro“.

Ashley is preparing a new system for managing orders and plant inventory, which is crucial for online orders to work efficiently. Jeff knew immediately where each cultivar was situated in the garden and how much of it there was, but now Ashley needs to establish a new plant registration system and a new system of plant location in the garden. A new webpage is also in the works, and Ashley has already started scheduling open houses, similar to past years. She would also like to continue the tradition of hosta breeding… There are still so many things for Ashley to learn and to do…

„It is so exciting to see dad´s and Penny´s plants in the gardens around the country and even around the world “. People send her pictures of hostas that they become in the past from Land of Giant Hosta Farm.

When you start a business, one think is crucial - friends. There are many friends around Ashley. They believed in Jeff and now they believe in Ashley.

Pedro is doing a lot of outdoor work and Ashley focuses on customer service as for example managing orders, communication with customers and related issues.

Let’s mention some of Giantland hostas…

Hosta Giantland Puckered Crevice is a medium-large hosta with rounded, very corrugated, very rugose golden yellow leaves. This is the most corrugated and unruly hosta known to Jeff. “Everyone who sees it, wants it”.

“Hosta Giantland Aftershock has that WOW factor you’ve been looking for!” said Jeff. Outstanding medium/large clump of rounded blue leaves are beautifully cupped and corrugated with a shocking spark of green and white streaked in the center. “There is simply no other cupper out there with this fantastic variegation”, says Jeff. This hosta will leave you with ‘aftershocks!”.

Hosta Giantland Big Bastard. “Now that is a BIG BASTARD!” were Jeff’s exact words when he came across this monster in his 8-year-old seedling bed. With a reaction like that it was a no-brainer to select this one to introduce. If you want a hosta that growls at you as you walk by and eats voles as a side snack, then this hosta is for you!

Hosta Giantland Butterfly Wings. This cultivar has fabulous blue-green, corrugated leaves with a narrow rippled, creamy edge. Makes a big statement in the garden!

Hosta Giantland Megalodon. A huge, vase-shaped hosta with horizontally held, rippled, shiny green leaves. Make a massive statement in the garden!

The sudden loss of Jeff and Penny was a huge blow to the family, but Ashley is determined to maintain Land of the Giants Hosta Farm and honor her father's legacy. With the support of many friends and her husband Pedro, Ashley is working hard to keep the business going and make sure Jeff's incredible hostas continue to thrive.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that Ashley will be able to maintain Land of the Giants Hosta Farm even in the difficult times we are experiencing now and we very hope that we will see some next amazing cultivars from this company on the market in the close future.

PS:
We knew Jeff only through email communications, but we knew him as so nice person. He was always very kind to us, despite being so very busy. He showed a big interest in our breeding work... We remember Jeff as a man full of optimism, a cheerful spirit, and a great enthusiasm for hostas. In 2021, we noticed that Jeff's emails were becoming increasingly sporadic, and we suspected that something is wrong…

May God bless you, Jeff and Penny. Rest in peace!