Tri-State Tribune The Newsletter of the Tri-State Hosta Society of NY, NJ, & CT

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1 T r i - S t a te Hosta Society Tri-State Tribune The Newsletter of the Tri-State Hosta Society of NY, NJ, & CT Volume 2012, Issue 3 Fall 2012 Inside this issue: President s Message Ruminations of a Plain Dirt Hosta Gardener 4-5 TSHS Garden Snakes Can Be Dangerous Bob Kuk Remembered 9 Does This Picture Look Familiar?? 8 10 Fall Meeting 11 This season sure defined our version of The Long Hot Summer. But, unlike the performances of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, our actions in the garden didn t earn us many Academy Award nominations. Despite our striking physical resemblances to the aforem e n t i o n e d, J o a n n e (Roberta) never showed up on the set due to her shoulder surgery, and Paul (yours truly) in the starring role, was hampered by the lack of rain and the never-ending heat we experienced this summer. It was a constant battle between Mother Nature and myself, so the only award I feel comfortable in accepting this year was one for perseverance. Congratulations and special thanks are in order for our summer garden tour hosts, all of whom managed to offer us warm hospitality and beautiful gardens to view despite the unrelenting hot weather and limited rainfall. The Long Island garden of Thom LaBruzzo and Marty Anderson offered many shady spots in which to rest and admire an outstanding collection of hostas and hydrangeas. The Connecticut garden of Colleen Plimpton combined huge hosta plantings with the bright and beautiful colors of daylilies and other summer perennials. While the host of our annual picnic in New Jersey, Roger Baker, proved that hard work and unique hardscaping combine to provide the perfect setting for hostas and conifers alike. Thank you one and all! Your efforts were much appreciated. If you were unable to attend any of our summer tours, you will find pictures of each event scattered throughout this newsletter. If you were in attendance at one or all of the summer tour gardens, the pictures will remind you of the good time you had. Speaking of good times those of us who traveled to the national convention of the American Hosta Society in Nashville had a blast. We did a lot of hosta honky tonkin! I won t elaborate, but suffice it to say we wish you all had been there. Maybe next year we ll see you in Milwaukee. I have been besieged with inquiries lately from many members who have experienced any number of distressing conditions that were evident in their gardens this summer. On the predator front, a summer without rain seems to encourage the critters in the neighborhood to seek not only food, but moisture wherever they can find it, and apparently our lush hosta plants are a tasty source for satisfying both cravings. Apart from the installation of expensive eight foot fencing, there is no 100% successful deterrent to be used in thwarting the advances of a hungry/thirsty deer or woodchuck. It has been a summer spent spraying Liquid Fence, Bobbex, Deerscram, and other such products in the hopes of keeping the fourlegged vultures at bay. At least the amount of spraying this year was significantly reduced due to the lack of rainfall! Other members have been noticing a marked increase in their plants exhibiting symptoms of crown rot, southern blight, and/or foliar nematode infestation. Though these conditions have different symptoms, and appear at different times over the summer, all are directly related in one way or another to weather conditions that stress the plants. Crown rot and southern blight can be effectively dealt with through the use of various fungicides that are on the consumer market, but (See Message Page 3)

2 PAGE 2 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 3 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 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 Treasurer's Report for the First Half of 2012 Submitted by Ernie Jeffery, Treasurer of Tri-State Hosta Society Balance Forward: (01/01/12) $12, INCOME Membership Dues $1, Raffle Auctions Hosta Finders Plant Tags Plant Sale 5, Miscellaneous Made in the Shade, Pest book, sales from John O Brien TOTAL INCOME $8, EXPENSES Newsletter $ CT Flower Show Arboretum Membership Dues Insurance Arboretum Donation Made in the Shade books Raffle Flower Show Handouts Plants for Plant Sale 3, Postage Gift Certificates TOTAL EXPENSES $7, Balance Ending: 06/30/12 $13, Photography Credits: Many thanks to our members for the donated photographs in this issue: Dave Chopko, Carol Brashear, Mikki Lockwood, Barry Weissman, Bob Lavigne, Debbie LaBruzzo & Amy Cichocki.

3 VOLUME 2012, ISSUE TRI-STATE TRIBUNE PAGE 3 Message (Continued from Page 1) unfortunately the appearance of the nematode problem this year was exacerbated by the early arrival of summer. The evidence of foliar nematode infestation ordinarily does not manifest itself until August, but this year summer came early and the problem became more visible earlier in the season. Unfortunately controlling the spread of foliar nematodes in the hosta garden still relies on the use of chemicals that are not available to the home gardener, so many of us were forced to look at its effects (rust-colored sections between vein lines on the leaves) longer than usual. I am ever hopeful that the American Hosta Society will dedicate more funds and research towards conquering this widespread infestation that makes our most beautiful hostas look so unsightly by the end of the summer. At this writing I am still simply looking forward to some cooler weather. I still have a lot of plants to put in the ground and I don t seem to have the tolerance for gardening in the heat that I used to. In closing, I encourage you all to join us for our meeting on October 27. I have heard Leo Blanchette speak on a number of occasions and he is always informative and entertaining. Happy hostas! Dave Chopko Join The American Hosta Society $30 INDIVIDUAL DUES FOR 1 YEAR $34 FAMILY DUES Currently 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 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 IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE YOUR CORRECT AND CURRENT ADDRESS. (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!

4 PAGE 4 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 3 Ruminations of a Plain Dirt Hosta Gardener by Elias S. Cohen - Delaware Valley Hosta Society (Editor s Note: The following article first appeared in the Summer, 2012 edition of the Delaware Valley Hosta Society Newsletter. With the permission of the author, we have edited it a bit, and reprinted it, for we feel that it aptly describes the sentiments expressed by many of our own member gardeners.) In 1929, Harry Russell O Brien began his long running series in Better Homes and Garden Magazine, Diary of a Plain Dirt Gardener. The characterization applied to my own approach to gardening and gave me comfort in knowing that it was okay to be less than a horticultural expert. This acknowledgement has worked well for me, and this article will elaborate on how Plain Dirt Hosta Gardeners go about their hosta gardening. Plain Dirt Gardeners take joy in their gardens, bring enthusiasm to the process, and are optimistic about the results of their efforts. We are not scientists, artists, hybridizers, or horticultural obsessive -compulsive types. We really like hostas. We are ready to learn a lot from the master gardeners, the splendid designers, the meticulous horticulturists, nurserymen, and true garden artists who populate the membership of our Society. We have misconceptions we have to get over, realities we have to learn (not all hostas flourish), qualities we have to nourish (patience, tolerance for setbacks, appreciation of lurking hazards and enemies Virus X, deer, voles, slugs, thugs like houttuynia, English ivy, ostrich ferns, lamium, root competition of all sorts), and a decision-making style that fits with our energy level, aspirations, pocketbook, and spousal tolerance. Perhaps most important is the insight that we are insufficiently monomaniacal to actually achieve our visions of the garden inspired by those developed and overseen by the more horticulturally astute members of our Society. We have grasped some elementary understandings of design (ordinarily large hostas go behind small hostas and not the other way around), culture (hostas are heavy drinkers), and that the variety in shape, size, rate of growth, etc. is almost beyond imagination. We are not as careful about labels as we should be (we lose them), and only begin to maintain records of what we have and where they are located after a couple of very frustrating years. We have a lot of trace knowledge we pick up from the Society meetings, catalogs, web pages, The Hosta Journal of the national society and elsewhere. We are eclectic but not sufficiently compulsive about our gardening, although we can learn enough to sound knowledgeable (especially to those who don't know much about hostas), at least in the early stages of a serious conversation about hostas, but smart enough to drop out when the discussion turns to ploidy, whatever that is. We also know that we deal with the property we have. We are prepared, in general, to dig a decent hole for a plant, gradually improve the soil, the drainage, the bed shapes, etc., but we are not likely to plow up the place, amend the soil in whole beds to a level of 2 1/2 or 3 feet, put fish or other dead creatures in the planting hole, create bogs we don't have ab initio, plant a grove of trees to provide shade (as Alex Summers did when he moved to DelMarVa), install a propertywide in-ground watering system, etc. etc. However, we do expand beds, create new ones and container spaces, and after enough unsatisfying experiences abandon beds that didn't work. But we re not good at developing and amending a master hosta plan, and we proceed incrementally. To the extent that we do capitulate and really try to get the beds in good shape, we do so gradually. We add mulch annually, we have a compost pile for leaves, but often find that it ripens slowly and not as completely as we would like. This Plain Dirt Gardener plies his gardening on a long narrow suburban property, approximately 100 x 400+, dominated by a house set back about 30 feet from the street with a 250-year old beech tree and 75-year-old Japanese Maple between the house and the street. The house sits at the top of a hill which is about 5 to 6 feet above the next level which begins about 55 to 60 feet from the street. This second level extends about 60 or 75 feet beyond the rear of the house, ending with a foot patio just above the third level, which drops about 3 to 4 feet and continues down the hill at about an 8 % grade. The three levels of the property behind the house present problems of getting from level to level with a lawnmower, garden wagon, or other equipment. Access using wheeled equipment requires accommodation with a wonderful neighbor and a degree of strength when coming up the hill.

5 VOLUME 2012, ISSUE TRI-STATE TRIBUNE PAGE 5 Ruminations of a Plain Dirt Hosta Gardener (Continued) The owners previous to our occupation had relied, I believe, on the substantial hardscaping, the striking huge trees already there, and the planting of a relatively small number of azaleas, mature when we moved in, to define the horticultural framing of the house and its property. In a way, that gave us a free hand in the installation of beds and pursuit of our interests in hostas. With this as background, and as an introduction to this Plain Dirt Gardener's perspective on gardening in general, I hope to contribute future articles, dealing with how we did and how we currently approach hosta gardening, including the selection of places for hostas, criteria this Plain Dirt Gardener has used for plant selections, the calendar, and some thoughts about hosta work horses, architectural bones, stars and 50 mile an hour hostas, and always, the variety of contributions our Society and its members have made in making this Plain Dirt Hosta Gardener happy in his garden. Cohen Garden Sunshine Lady Special thanks for our tireless ambassador of goodwill, Emilie Cullerton, who graciously continues to send out cards to our members, in sympathy, to let them know that we are thinking of them, wishing them well, etc. We don t get to see her often enough, though, so we are sending this as one big THANK YOU note!

6 PAGE 6 T R I - S T A T E T R I B U NE V O LU M E , I S S U E 3 Dave Chopko, Thom LaBruzzo & Stan Tylinski LaBruzzo Garden East Northport, NY

7 V O LU M E , I S S U E T R I - S T A T E T R I B U NE PAGE 7 Plimpton Garden Bethel, CT Dave Chopko & Colleen Plimpton Roger Baker & Marie Miccio Baker Garden Oak Ridge, NJ

8 PAGE 8 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 3 Garden Snakes Can be Dangerous submitted by Barry Weissman I didn't think twice about this tiny fellow on my baby boxwood until I got this letter: GARDEN SNAKES CAN BE DANGEROUS... Snakes also known as Garter Snakes (Thamnophissirtalis) can be dangerous Yes, grass snakes, not rattlesnakes. Here's why. A couple in Sweetwater, Texas, had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold spell, the wife was bringing a lot of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze. It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants. When it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa. She let out a very loud scream. The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what the problem was. She told him there was a snake under the sofa. He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten him, so he screamed and fell over on the floor. His wife thought he had had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still and called an ambulance. The attendants rushed in, would not listen to his protests, loaded him on the stretcher, and started carrying him out. About that time, the snake came out from under the sofa and the Emergency Medical Technician saw it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke his leg and why he is still in the hospital. The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor who volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief. But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa. The neighbor man, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her. The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a point where it needed stitches. The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed that the snake had bitten him. She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat. By now, the police had arrived. Breathe here... They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little garden snake! The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife. Now, the little snake again crawled out from under the sofa and one of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered and, as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes. The other policeman tried to beat out the flames, and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car. Meanwhile, neighbors saw the burning drapes and called in the fire department. The firemen had started raising the fire ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires, put out the power, and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did get the house fire out). Time passed! Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car and all was right with their world. A while later they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night. And that's when he shot her.

9 VOLUME 2012, ISSUE TRI-STATE TRIBUNE PAGE 9 Bob Kuk Remembered by Dave and Roberta Chopko The hosta world was shocked recently to learn of the sudden death of well-known hybridizer Bob Kuk. We saw him at the National Convention in Nashville in June. He drove by himself from Ohio and he looked just fine. Bob was only 65 years old. Bob Kuk, who often stood on the sidelines, smoking one cigarette after another at conventions, preferred to stay out of the spotlight, but was always ready to contribute his unique perspective on the convention activities and attendees. He gained a reputation for being the quirky little guy from Ohio with the twangy voice. But not many knew that he worked at the Pentagon when he was in the Air Force, that he had an extensive collection of carnival glass, and that he was very knowledgeable on a great many subjects other than hostas. He was also one of the most generous men in the hosta world. When you purchased plants from Bob Kuk, you often received a gift plant that was worth more than the plant you bought. He always generously donated plants to the auctions of the American Hosta Society, to First Look, to his local hosta societies, and to gardens that were on tour. His plant introductions were numerous, but many were named after people he loved or admired, Queen Josephine (affectionately named for his mother), Joseph (named for his beloved stepfather), Van Wade (named for his mentor), Mike Shadrack (for the Brit he took under his wing), etc. We were very honored when he registered H. Dave and H. Roberta. Bob Kuk was the recipient of the American Hosta Society s 2011 Eunice Fisher Distinguished Hybridizer Merit Award. It was an award that was richly deserved and the timing was perfect, a year before he died. The hosta world has lost one of its shining stars. He will be missed by all those who got to know him better. 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. Garden Quote For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. ~Edwin Way Teale

10 PAGE 10 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2012, ISSUE 3 Does This Picture Look Familiar?? Reprinted from a recent Mississippi Valley Hosta Society newsletter Notches on the leaves of your hostas can be caused by the black vine weevil. They are destructive in both the adult and larval forms. As adults they feed at night and hide under leaf litter or in the soil during the day. As they are unable to fly, they spred chiefly by walking or by being transported by man. The overwintering larvae feed on roots deep in the soil and pupated in May. Adults dig their way out of the ground in mid-june and feed mostly at night. Eggs are laid on the ground and several generations can be produced in a single season. Adults are apparently unable to live over the winter. The larvae survive the winter in the soil. Larval damage can be quite severe. The larva feed on roots and can girdle the root crown. In a shade garden, heuchra are quite prone to larval damage. When signs of their damage appear, it can be confirmed by using a flashlight at night to check for the presence of the adults. When summer control is required, treatments are best directed against adults during mid-june which will kill new adults before they start laying eggs. Orthene can be applied at that time with a follow-up treatment three weeks later. Insecticide applications should be made late in the day. A soil spray of parasitic nematodes* in the genus Heterorhaditis is the best contol as it will kill the larvae in the soil. Nematodes can be purchased at a local garden store or through garden supply catalogues. Nematodes require adequate soil moisture and temperatures of 60 degrees F (or higher) and need to be applied when the larvae are present in mid to late summer. Information dapted from the Cornell Cooperative Extension and Virginia Cooperative Extension. *This nematode is not the one that attacks hostas. Hosta Stamps Did you know that you are able to buy customized USPS-approved stamps with hostas on them? Depending on the size of the stamp ordered, they cost from 95 cents to $1.29 per 45-cent stamp, based on a minimum order of 20. These can be ordered from Zazzle ( On the website s home page, do a search (top line) for hosta and on the left side, under Department, click on Cards & Postage. Click again on Postage and it will display the 94 different first-class stamps they currently have with hostas. Zazzle will also help you create most any customized article: business cards, stationery, stickers, t-shirts, etc. Thanks to the editors of the Hostas of Kentuckiana Hosta Society, Hosta Addiction, October 2011 edition, and the Mid-South Hosta Society Hosta Hotline May 2012, for this information.

11 VOLUME 2012, ISSUE TRI-STATE TRIBUNE PAGE 11 Fall Meeting Saturday, October 27, 2012 at Noon Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ We are delighted to welcome Leo Blanchette as our fall guest speaker. Leo is the owner, nursery manager, and sole propagator of unusual plants and perennials at his well-known New England nursery, Blanchette Gardens, located in Carlisle, Massachusetts. A former teacher, Leo specializes in the propagation and marketing of the rare and unusual. He has been featured in a number of national gardening magazines and has lectured before numerous groups throughout the United States as well as in Canada and Japan. He has been awarded the Silver Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Bronze Medal from the American Rhododendron Society. As a collector of shade perennials for many years, Leo is a knowledgeable and lively speaker on the subject. His presentation will discuss in detail many rare and unusual varieties of hardy Arisamea, Astilbe, Anemonella, Polygonatum and Primula sieboldii, all plants that make excellent companions for hosta. In addition to his outstanding photographs, Leo will demonstrate some of the propagation techniques he employs at his nursery. If his growing season goes well, he may have some plants available for purchase. So please join us at the Arboretum on October 27. Bring your lunch at noon and A DESSERT TO SHARE. Leo will begin his presentation at approximately 1 p.m. after a brief business meeting. Baked Hosta Dip 1 C chopped onion 1 TB vegetable oil 1 C chunky salsa, drained Serving a hosta tonight for dinner? Below is the recipe I picked up at Wade and Gatton. I was under the impression that a customer gave it to one of the office help. When I asked what kind of hosta to use the answer was "a tender one." ~Holly O'Donnell 2 C chopped hosta leaves 2 1/2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese 8 oz cream cheese, cubed 1/2 C light cream 1/4 C chopped black olives Sauté onion in oil over medium heat until tender. Add salsa and hosta leaves to the skillet. Cook two minutes. Pour mixture into a 1 1/2 qt baking dish. Stir in two cups Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, cream, and olives. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir, cover with foil and continue baking for 15 minutes longer. Take from oven, remove foil and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Serve warm.

12 Tri-State Hosta Society Calendar of Events Saturday, October 27, at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ. Lunch at noon. Guest Speaker Leo Blanchette. Saturday, January 26, at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ. Lunch at noon. Program to be announced. Saturday, March 30, at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ. Lunch at noon. Members-Only Plant Sale. June 13-15, AHS National Convention, Milwaukee, WI. Saturday, October 26, Program to be announced. Tri-State Hosta Society Roberta Chopko 93 Intervale Road Boonton, NJ REMINDER: There will be a Board Meeting at 10 a.m. on the morning of our October 27 meeting in Morristown. Directions to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum 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: Garden Tours To be Announced