Tri-State Tribune. Tri-State Hosta Society. President s Message. Dave Chopko. The Newsletter of the Tri-State Hosta Society of NY, NJ, & CT

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1 Tri-State Hosta Society Tri-State Tribune The Newsletter of the Tri-State Hosta Society of NY, NJ, & CT Volume 2012, Issue 2 Inside this issue: Repellex Systemic Tablets 3 June Garden Tour - LaBruzzo in NY July Garden Tour - Plimpton in CT August Garden Tour - Picnic at Baker s in NJ You will all no doubt note that I am keeping my message brief this time around. My ghostwriting angel has injured her right wing and has requested that I keep my comments to a minimum, since her typewriting capabilities are limited right now. President s Message hope to see many of you at some, if not all, of these events. It has been a strange spring to say the least and it will be interesting to see how our tour garden hosts dealt with the unusual weather Mother Nature has handed out this year. Summer 2012 So.suffice it to say that I am most pleased with the way the Tri- State year is shaping up so far. Our annual plant sale in March was a rousing success! We sold 343 hostas and added over $2,100 to our treasury. But more importantly, we gained 13 new members and are very pleased to welcome them aboard! Cause we knew what friends were way before Facebook was created. Well I promised to keep it brief and I will remain true to my word. Looking forward to meeting and greeting many of you this summer! Happy Hostas! Dave Chopko Dave Chopko in his garden with Ocean Isle We are looking forward to touring three great gardens this summer, Thom LaBruzzo s on Long Island, Colleen Plimpton s in Connecticut, and Roger Baker s in New Jersey. Full details are contained later in this newsletter and I

2 PAGE 2 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 2 Tri-State Officers President Dave Chopko daveroc2@aol.com Past President Kathie Sisson kcsisson@aol.com Vice President Mikky Lockwood dosankomom@comcast.net Treasurer Ernie Jeffery Piermont Avenue Hillsdale, NJ erniethehostafarian@yahoo.com Membership Gene Tappen Ridge Road West Milford, NJ genetappan@hotmail.com State Directors New York George Rasmussen joanras@optonline.net Dhanu Sannesy usannesy@hvc.rr.com New Jersey Barry Weissman regulatorymavin@yahoo.com Connecticut Jack English & Bob Lavigne napoleon4@optonline.net Auction Director Dave Chopko daveroc2@aol.com In Memoriam We are sorry to report that Elaine Malloy, lifetime member of the Tri-State Hosta Society, has passed away. She will be remembered for her kind ways, her gentle nature, and her enthusiastic untiring efforts on behalf of our earliest hosta events. In the words of former President Kathie Sisson: "It is with a sad and heavy heart that I pass along the news that Elaine Malloy passed away on April 25. Elaine had been battling Lou Gehrig's Disease for many months and had been in the care of her daughter and family. She spent her final hours in the company of her husband Alex, and her children and grandchildren. It was Elaine and Alex who first befriended me when I became interested in hostas. It was Elaine and Alex who inspired me to grow hosta seeds and they allowed me to collect seeds from many special hostas in their garden. Once bitten, my interest grew rapidly to begin hybridizing. It was also Elaine and Alex who taught the first judging clinic I attended. Their enthusiasm sparked something in me that made me want to do more, learn more and eventually achieve more within the hosta world. Their kindness and generosity was truly a gift to me and I have a very special place in my heart for Elaine. I am comforted to know that Elaine is now at peace and enjoying the wonderful gardens of Heaven. I will miss Elaine very much. Fondly ~ Kathie Sisson" Our condolences go out to Alex and the Malloy family. Recording Secretary Madhuri Mukherjee mukherjeem@wpunj.edu Sunshine Secretary Emilie Cullerton oxfordwalt@aol.com Newsletter Editors Roberta Chopko daveroc2@aol.com Amy Cichocki amycichocki@msn.com Tri-State Webmaster Amy Cichocki Reminder: Photographers Always Needed None of our regular garden photographers can attend all of our indoor meetings or summer garden tours, so the newsletter editors would be very appreciative if members would remember to bring their cameras along and share whatever photos they take at any Tri-State event. Please contribute your digital photos with us by sending them to amycichocki@msn.com.

3 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 2 PAGE 3 Repellex Systemic Tablets Last year we ran a promotional piece on Repellex Systemic Tablets which purports to aid in our continuing battle against the voracious voles and deer who feast on our hostas. In our last issue we asked our readers to contact us regarding any experience they might have had in using this product, pro or con. The following testimonial was submitted by Connecticut members Helen and Lauren Nordvall: "The systemic tablets get a thumbs up from us. We applied them, per instructions, almost a year ago to hostas in known vole territory. All plants are accounted for, undiminished in size, with no deer damage either. We have doubled our order of tablets for this year's application as we expand treatment to additional garden areas." If any of our readers have anything else to offer on this subject please let us know. If you are interested in purchasing REPELLEX tablets contact Chick Wasitis at Bridgewood Gardens.com. New Officers - L to R: Gene Tappan, Mikky Lockwood, Barry Weissman Member Addresses A continuing reminder. In an effort to go green, and save on printing and postage expenses, we are now ing the newsletter to those who are interested in receiving it that way. To date, about 75 of our members have opted to receive our newsletter via , and from the comments we have received, they are very happy that they have made the switch. If you would be willing to receive your newsletters electronically IT IS IMPERA- TIVE THAT WE HAVE YOUR COR- RECT AND CURRENT AD- DRESS. (Several of the electronic newsletters or announcements sent out recently were returned to us, so please remember to notify us when you change your address). Kathie Sisson at kcsisson@aol.com or katailsgarden@gmail.com, to make sure that we have your current address. Remember that an electronic version of the newsletter will be received sooner than one sent in the mail and will be in full color all the time! Photos in this newsletter by Roger Baker, Amy Cichocki, Dave Chopko, Thom La- Bruzzo, Mikky Lockwood, Colleen Plimpton & Kathie Sisson New Jersey Director Thanks to Barry Weissman for stepping up to the plate and accepting the position of New Jersey State Director. Join The American Hosta Society $30 INDIVIDUAL DUES FOR 1 YEAR $34 FAMILY DUES FOR 1 YEAR Membership includes 3 issues of THE HOSTA JOURNAL and a spring Members Newsletter Join online at: Or send a check payable to: The American Hosta Society c/o Sandie Markland AHS Membership Secretary P.O. Box 7539 Kill Devil Hills, NC contact: AHSMembershipSecretary@charter.net

4 PAGE 4 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 2 June garden tour The garden of Thom LaBruzzo & Martin Anderson 206 Second Street, East Northport, NY Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Our former Vice-President, Stan Tylinski, has been raving about this garden since he visited there last year, so we are really looking forward to seeing it. In Thom's own words: "My interest in hostas began when I was a 'wee lad'.. My parents had two types of hostas; a large, green leaf variety, and several small, swirly, striped-leaf ones. By the time I was a teen, I had spread them around the entire house. Hundreds of plants, but just the two kinds! By my mid-thirties, I had tracked down about twenty different varieties. I thought I had them all...the entire collection! (Who knew?!?) Now living in my home with Martin, (and with the help of former New York Director, Stan Tylinski) we have amassed well over one hundred varieties! Our cottage, nicknamed Casa Hosta, is nestled under tree upon tree and is tightly surrounded by hostas, many hydrangeas, ferns, and a splash of daylilies. With my other passion, for garden statuary, I have created a romantic English-style garden. We hope you can join us for this tour of our little fantasy garden. Please feel free to call us with any questions or just to tell us you will be joining our garden adventure. We'd love to hear from you!" As an added incentive to join us, Thom will provide directions to his eclectic gift shop called Heartichoke. The shop is only a five minute drive from his home and offers a little bit of everything...garden ornaments, candles, potpourri, gourmet foods, etc, etc, etc. Now you want to join us, but don't know how to get here? The directions are listed below. Thom will provide the beverages, but please bring your lunch, a chair, and a dessert to share. There will be an auction, so please bring a plant or two from your garden. DIRECTIONS Take the George Washington Bridge to the Cross Bronx Expressway to the Throgs Neck Bridge to the Clearview Expressway to the Long Island Expressway. Stay on the LI Expressway (495) East to Exit 51 (NY 231) North towards Northport. Continue on 231, passing under the overpass for Northern State Parkway. Bear RIGHT immediately after the Firehouse on the RIGHT. (Deer Park Road East). Move into the LEFT lane. You will merge onto Jericho Turnpike. Get into the far LEFT lane as you merge. You will be turning LEFT here, at Elmwood Road. Continue on Elmwood Road until you arrive at Clay Pitts Road. (There is a church and a garden center on the left) TURN RIGHT onto Clay Pitts Road. Go 2 blocks. Turn LEFT at Lynn Avenue. (If you get to the "stop" sign...you've gone too far.) Follow the bend and go to 2nd Street. Turn LEFT onto 2nd Street. 206 is the second house on the Right.

5 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 2 PAGE 5 JULY garden tour The garden of Colleen Plimpton 16 Starr Lane, Bethel, CT Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Several newsletters ago we were delighted to promote Colleen's award-winning book on her garden mentors. Now we are pleased to be invited to tour her garden. In her own words: "Nineteen years have brought many changes to my garden. The approximately one acre under cultivation is composed primarily of ornamentals, though it s also a classroom and a living research laboratory for my writings. The space is divided into several named areas; the front yard featuring favorites such as heuchera, hydrangea, rhododendron, azalea and hosta, as well as a selection of grasses, annuals and ferns. The backyard is now entirely given over to plantings, and the steep slope is anchored by a gazebo sited at the woods edge. Grass paths meander from north to south, allowing the visitor to view the summer colors of daylily, Joe Pye weed, Knockout roses, oak leaf hydrangea and cimicifuga. Benches are situated at various junctures and birds visit readily. The garden was showcased in my garden memoir, Mentors in the Garden of Life, which was a finalist for the 2011 Connecticut Book of the Year in the Memoir category." Please bring your lunch, a chair, a dessert to share. There will also be an auction, so please bring a plant or two from your garden. DIRECTIONS Take I-287 North over the Tappan Zee Bridge to I-84/Danbury From Exit 9 on Interstate 84, go South ¼ mile on Route 25. Turn RIGHT at stoplight, go approximately 1 mile to light by Big Y. Turn LEFT, onto Old Hawleyville Road. Go approximately 2 miles to end of Old Hawleyville Road, turn RIGHT onto Route 302. Go to second light and turn LEFT, onto Route 58, Putnam Park Road. Go South approximately 1 mile, turn RIGHT onto Starr Lane. (If you reach Steck s Nursery, you ve gone too far.) Go up the hill (Starr Lane takes an abrupt LEFT ) and we re the blue house on the LEFT, halfway up the hill with the gardens out front.

6 PAGE 6 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 2 Annual Tri-state Picnic The Garden of Roger Baker 25 Seneca Trail, Oak Ridge, NJ Saturday, August 4, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. ***PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS! FOLLOW DIRECTIONS BELOW!*** Roger Baker s amazing garden has been growing and changing for more than 45 years. Over the years, garden lovers never seem to tire of strolling through this garden with its winding pathways, stone hardscaping, and rare specimen trees. This acre of stonewalls and garden rooms, nestled in twisted pathways of random bluestone and short staircases, has a distinctly Asian feel. One-of-a-kind creations hand-crafted by Roger, as well as numerous unusual stone and iron artifacts and treasures, are displayed throughout the garden. Rare conifers and deciduous trees create natural arbors, leading the visitor to an array of specimen hostas and other plants. Look for a towering dawn redwood from China, a variegated ginkgo from Japan, a weeping katsura, a Flamingo maple, Japanese white pine and a Red Feather maple, to name but a few. Ferns and moss-covered tufa rocks laced with an assortment of sempervivums riddle the garden paths and give rise to the pond, home to many frogs. Amazingly, 90% of the stone used to build the walls in the garden originated on Roger s property and each stone was hand-picked and relocated by Roger and his father, who was an Olympic weight-lifting medal winner in This is a garden like no other. There is no lawn and there are no flower borders, but we think you will be amazed at all this unusual garden has to offer. Please make sure you wear comfortable shoes to carefully navigate the winding paths throughout the garden! If you wish to sell plants, Roger will provide a small space off the road where your plants may be unloaded, but there is NO ON-SITE PARKING. All vehicles must follow the directions that follow and park in the MILTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH PARKING LOT as detailed below. Vehicles will be available to transport you to the garden beginning at 11 a.m. Grilled meats, buns, condiments, beverages and paper goods will be provided, but please bring a side dish or a dessert to share. There is some seating throughout the garden, but please bring your own chairs if you can easily transport them. DIRECTIONS Directions to the Milton United Methodist Church Parking Lot, 316 Dover-Milton Road, Jefferson Township, NJ FROM THE SOUTH, EAST & WEST: Take Route 80 to Route 15 North (towards Jefferson/Sparta). Travel 2.1 miles on Route 15 North and make a RIGHT onto Berkshire Valley Road. Travel about 6 miles and turn LEFT onto Dover-Milton Road. After approximately 1.5 miles, the church will be on your RIGHT. FROM THE NORTH: Take I-287 South into New Jersey. Take the Route 23 Exit 52A-B toward Riverdale/Wayne/Butler. Merge onto Route 23 North (Exit 52B) toward Butler. Travel 9.8 miles and make a RIGHT onto Oak Ridge Road/Milton and continue straight. Oak Ridge Road will become Berkshire Valley Road. Go about 4 miles and turn RIGHT onto Legion Road. Travel.6 mile and make a RIGHT onto Dover-Milton Road. The church will come up shortly on your RIGHT. *** If you are using your GPS, please program it for the Milton United Methodist Church, 316 Dover-Milton Road, Jefferson Township, NJ. NOT the Seneca Trail address!

7 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 2 PAGE 7 GARDEN QUOTE Despite the gardener's best intentions, Nature will improvise. ~Michael P. Garafalo Made in the Shade Larry Tucker s Made in the Shade book is back by popular demand! This second edition of his adventures and advice, wit and wisdom will help you nurture plants, recognize yourself and maintain your sanity. It s brimming with 24 more chapters, hosta tips, color covers and pictures. Revenue again is destined for the Memphis Botanic Garden s Hosta Trail, an American Hosta Society National Display Garden. Here s what a few of your hosta friends are saying: Good garden writers have a special talent, often combining rich vocabulary with wit and solid information. Larry shows he knows hostas and gardening, has a passion for life and a great marriage. Read this smorgasbord one bite at a time or swallow it whole after the gardening is done! Mary Arnberg, Bridgewater, MA, New England Hosta Society Hosta Finders There may be a few copies of the 2012 edition of the HOSTA FINDER available at the garden tours for $16.00 Made in the Shade could be titled Made You Smile. It is a must-have book for addicted hosta collectors, though it will appeal to anyone who gardens or has a passion for plants. Filled with anecdotes and Tuckerisms, Made in the Shade is a great companion for a rainy day when you need a smile. Jan Everson, Troy, MI, Michigan Hosta Society Larry s book is as entertaining as it is educational. His confessions about life s lessons in the hosta garden generate many a laugh for readers. Our club was fortunate to buy the last copies of his first edition. I highly recommend this second edition. Ray Rodgers, Hanna City, IL, Central Illinois Hosta Society These stories make me smile and chuckle because I can relate all too well to Larry s colorful antics. He weaves good horticultural advice into his tales so seamlessly that you don t realize you re learning something while you laugh. Mary Schwartzbauer, Hastings, MN, former AHS president We still have copies of this book for $18 and they will be available at all of our upcoming TSHS events.

8 Roberta Chopko 93 Intervale Road Boonton, NJ NOTE: Remember to check our website, for any changes or corrections to information. Directions to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum Tri-State Hosta Society Calendar of Events 2012 Traveling NORTH on Route 287 Take Exit 36A Proceed East for 1/2 mile in the center lane of Morris Avenue to Whippany Road. Continue to the second traffic light; make a left turn onto East Hanover Avenue. Travel for 1/4 mile. The entrance to the Arboretum is on the left opposite the Morris County Library. Traveling SOUTH on Route 287 Take Exit 36 following the signs for Ridgedale Avenue. Bear right on the exit ramp. Proceed to the traffic signal and make a right onto Ridgedale Avenue. Proceed to the second light and make a right turn onto East Hanover Avenue. Travel for 1/4 mile. The entrance to the Arboretum is on the right opposite the Morris County Library. From New Route 24 Travel WEST to Exit 1A, 511 South, Morristown. Make a right, go under the Bridge and make a right onto East Hanover Avenue. Travel 1/4 mile. The entrance to the Arboretum is on the right opposite the Morris County Library. Directions and a map to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum can be found on the TSHS website. Visit the Tri-State Hosta Society website at: June 1-3, First Look 12 in Concordville, PA June 13-16, AHS National Convention in Nashville, TN Summer Garden Tours Saturday June 9, Garden of Tom LaBruzzo in East Northport, NY Saturday July 7, Garden of Colleen Plimpton in Bethel, CT Saturday August, 4, Annual Picnic at the garden of Roger Baker in Oak Ridge, NJ October 27, Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Bring lunch at noon. Guest Speaker Leo Blanchette. REMINDER: There will be a Board Meeting at 10 a.m. on the morning of our January 26 meeting. Tri-State Hosta Society