New Hampshire Hostas & Companion Plants, LLC
73 Exeter Rd, South Hampton, NH 03827
1-603-879-0085
From Merritt Nursery to New Hampshire Hostas
Have you ever visited Boston, Massachusetts, considered to be the “Cradle of Freedom”? It is one of America’s oldest cities, boasting a Public Garden which is America’s first botanical garden. A few miles across the state line you will find South Hampton, New Hampshire, a small town of fewer than 1,000 residents. South Hampton is known for its focus on open space with a quiet, country vibe, which are perfect conditions for starting a fabulous garden. Residents often frequent Heron Pond Farm to shop for produce, Nor’East Architectural Antiques for building supplies and New Hampshire Hostas & Companion Plants, LLC to satisfy their serious hosta addiction needs!
Richard Merritt grew up in Amesbury, MA, which is a few miles away from Boston and South Hampton. He studied Agriculture at Delaware Valley University and then Business at Boston University. With fresh degrees in hand, he opened Merritt Nursery on leased property in Amesbury in the late 1980s. He always had a deep love for plants and the natural world, and this career seemed the perfect path for his future. Merritt Nursery offered annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs and hard goods for sale. They also offered landscaping services. After a few years of success in this trade, he purchased property in South Hampton, NH and moved the business there to serve the residents of this Boston suburb. He lives in the home on the property and spends his days tending to the nursery.
Young P.J. Beaulier lived with his parents less than a mile away from the nursery. One afternoon while rollerblading, he noticed a help wanted sign posted in front of the nursery and he was hired. In 1993, he started working at Merritt Nursery. He gained a love for all things plant related and after graduating from high school, attended Essex Agricultural and Technical Institute. Richard taught P.J. all he had learned and together they tended to the nursery. By 2007, they noticed a change in the nursery industry as the “big box stores” such as Home Depot and Lowe’s expanded their presence in the area. They were able to offer the same plants cheaper with the added convenience of shopping for other household things at the same time. Richard and P.J. recognized the need to distinguish the nursery by focusing on a specialized niche. They chose hostas because they were the best-selling perennial in their area at the time. They knew there were many varieties grown and commercially available that were difficult for home gardeners to find locally. Additionally, the growth of the internet made it possible to offer the less widely available varieties to a broader audience across the country with the convenience of shipping. Richard changed the name of the business to reflect its new mission to New Hampshire Hostas.
From 20 varieties to more than 1,800
Initially, they chose about 20-25 varieties of hostas to test the concept. They were especially excited to offer popular new varieties such as Hosta ‘Golden Tiara’, ‘June’ and ‘Pizzazz’. Their search for newer varieties led them to the tissue culture laboratories Shady Oaks Nursery and Q & Z Nursery where they were able to purchase large quantities of hosta liners to expand their selection with hard-to-find varieties that were not offered by the “big box” stores.
As their nursery operation changed and expanded, the number of employees grew from two to ten and sometimes fifteen during the spring. P.J. became the nursery manager, with Richard focusing on the business end. As their customer base expanded, Richard began writing and publishing informational articles or blogs on their website to help customers care for their hostas and solve other problems such as voles in the garden. For P.J., expanding their hosta catalog became an irresistible pursuit - much like it is for many hosta collectors. They were thrilled when their collection surpassed 100 varieties, then 200 and eventually 300. Today, their hosta inventory lists more than 1,800 hostas!
In addition, they tested the concept that true hosta collectors also like to complete their shade gardens with companion plants that thrive near hostas without harming them. They began sourcing hosta companion plants such as Heuchera, Tiarella, Helleborus, Epimedium, Pulmonaria, Brunnera, Aquilegia, Carex, Dicentra and many fern varieties. The business name again changed to reflect their inventory and scope, becoming New Hampshire Hostas & Companion Plants, LLC. (NHH).
How they grow and ship
NHH has a customer base that stretches across America, with much of their business being mail order. They have a small display garden on site, and P.J. has a garden of his own at his home to tend. Because the majority of their stock is received as liners, they are all potted upon arrival and remain in the grow houses in pots until they are rooted enough to sell. Local customers visiting the nursery can select hostas and companions from the greenhouses and grow areas.
NHH is a member of the American Hosta Society, was a member of the American Hosta Growers Association until it ceased and is a member of the New England Hosta Society. They have hosted tours of the nursery for the NEHS and local garden clubs, by appointment.
Being located in planting hardiness zone 6A would normally be detrimental to a nursery that begins shipping plant orders in March/April, but because they are all potted and remain inside greenhouses, they get a head start on the season and are able to ship to warmer climates in time for spring planting because they don’t have to dig them up outside. A few of the larger varieties of hostas and companions are shipped bare root, but the majority of hostas are shipped potted! Each pot is packed with newspaper that has been taped or banded on to retain the soil, and each plant is supported with a wooden stake inside the shipping box. If your order arrives before you can safely plant it outside in your climate, it can remain in the pots until you are ready to plant, which is very convenient!
Plant health comes first
As each delivery of liners is received, it is inspected before potting for signs of Hosta Virus X (HVX) and random plant varieties are tested. If anything tests positive, the entire quantity of that variety is discarded. Because they remain potted, there is little chance of contamination. They purchase liners directly from reputable tissue culture laboratories before they are placed in any fields or soil to be grown on. If they notice any sign of nematodes, they treat with Nemastop and they release beneficial wasps in the grow areas to control aphids. If any tools are used, they are sanitized after each use.
NHH is inspected yearly by the New Hampshire state agriculture department to retain their nursery license. If your concern is finding a reliable, reputable source for your hosta needs, New Hampshire Hostas is a wise choice with these procedures in place.
Through the seasons
During the winter months while the hostas are dormant, P.J. is hard at work on updating the website and sourcing new companion plants to offer for sale. They always work at improving the appearance of the site and he reviews and compiles spring orders daily for accuracy.
P.J. and Richard share a love of houseplants such as orchids, monstera, begonias and alocasia which can be enjoyed and tended year-round. Richard enjoys attending musical theater performances and enjoys going to the movie theaters. P.J. enjoys golfing when able to (with a handicap of eight) and he enjoys playing with his dogs Lucy and Cinnamon. His favorite public garden is the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, ME.
Seedlings and sports found at the nursery
NHH does not grow hostas from seeds, though P.J. has started growing some seeds at his home, with most being too immature to view right now. He once found a seed pod on Hosta ‘King of Spades’, which rarely sets seed and he germinated them. He had one seedling survive to maturity and he named it H. ‘Hold My Beer’. It has an upright habit with cupped and corrugated leaves that bear a thick white bloom on the backs and edges, creating the appearance of a halo around the leaf.
NHH has found two hosta sports in the nursery that they have registered and placed into tissue culture production. H. ‘Whirlwind Flame’ is a sport of ‘Whirlwind Tour’, and H. ‘Silverback’ is a sport of ‘Humpback Whale’. They have a few other unregistered sports that they have named and offer in limited numbers as they are able to divide them from the parent plants growing in the display gardens. These include H. ‘Pennybags’ and ‘Painted Dog’.
The catalog and year-round discounts
NHH releases its newly updated catalog online November 1 of each year, with all the new hosta varieties being offered this season until sold out, so placing orders early is advised. As a bonus, all orders placed from November through mid-January receive a 10% discount. Additionally, once you total $300, the discount increases to 15% with free shipping and multiple orders placed are combined for this total! If you fall outside these requirements, customers who return to their website to place a second order automatically receive 5% off their order. Year-round discounts any way you choose!
New Hampshire Hostas & Companion Plants, LLC offers between 800-1000 hosta varieties for sale online as well as hundreds of companion plants. They update the website as varieties are ready to be sold, so periodically checking back for new additions is encouraged.
A quick search of the site by price yields a single hosta priced at $40 with every other one less than that, making their selection quite affordable. If you subscribe, NHH sends out frequent emails to notify customers about new additions so they can visit and browse the site.
The website is extremely user friendly for both novices and hostaholics. There are sub-categories for every hosta type - by size, color, newest and of course, alphabetically. Companion plants and accessories are also grouped. Don’t miss the discount section for the bargains!
Visiting the nursery
NHH is open to the public Thursday and Friday 9 am – 3 pm and Saturday 9 am – 1 pm. If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to visit, contact P.J. Beaulier, nursery manager: [email protected] or 603-879-0085.
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These varieties are hostas that were offered as liners a long time ago but are no longer in their inventory for sale. If you see something in stock you like, purchase it now! Every year they select a few of the older varieties to propagate and offer but once sold, it’s a while until they can be offered again.
A preview of the coming season
Below is a preview of some special hostas you will find offered this coming season!
Companion plants
There are many varieties of companion plants that thrive in the same conditions suited to hostas. New Hampshire Hostas & Companion Plants offers many fabulous selections so you can purchase your entire shade garden in one spot! The same great discount applies.
The 2027 catalog launches November 1
New Hampshire Hostas & Companion Plants is preparing to launch their updated online catalog with the newest varieties that will ship in the spring.
They continue shipping from the current inventory until the end of September. They are conducting inventory of the greenhouses right now and they update the website with found varieties daily.
Don’t miss the launch of the 2027 catalog on November 1, 2026. It is first-come, first-served on the newest varieties that will ship in the spring, when they are ready to be planted in your garden!
New varieties include H. ‘Cherries Jubilee Flambe’, ‘Green Eggs and Ham’, ‘Jade Dragon’, ‘Maize Maze’, ‘Mito-no-hana’, ‘Poetry in Motion’, ‘Ripples in Time’, ‘Sparkling Sunshine’ and ‘Wisconsin’s Finest’. This is not a complete list, so be sure to check back in November!
All photos provided by New Hampshire Hostas.
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