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 2015, Issue 4 President s Message Winter 2015 Inside this issue: January Meeting - Lunch & Learn Many Garden Pests Can be Controlled by Birds The Quest for Red-Leaved Hostas Our Secret Garden in Ringwood It is with a heavy heart that I am writing my final message as President of Tri-State. Our bylaws dictate that this position must be rotated every four years to insure that no single individual should control the direction of our organization. New leadership brings fresh ideas, a new outlook on where we have been, and a new vision for where we are going. I have appointed a Nominating Committee, Ernie Jeffery and Joan Naugle, and entrusted them with the task of finding members willing to take on the position of either President or Vice-President of the Tri-State Hosta Society. They have divided the membership roster and are contacting members in this regard. If you are contacted please consider accepting this nomination. No ship can steer itself and no organization can function without leadership. We need someone to take the helm! Similarly, no society exists without members. We have about 80 Tri- State memberships up for renewal in If you received this newsletter in the mail, and your dues are up for renewal, there is a membership remittance envelope included. If you receive an copy of your newsletter our membership chair, Gene Tappan will notify you to remind you that your renewal dues are due this January. Also, at this writing, we are still looking for members to volunteer their gardens for our summer tours in Please contact your appropriate state director and offer to host a summer tour. No garden is too small and our members always appreciate seeing how other gardeners solve the unique challenges faced in an individual garden situation. There is knowledge to be shared and something to be admired in every garden environment! Though I am stepping down as President, I will remain in the position as plant sale coordinator and auctioneer. Please note that since Easter falls in March next year our annual plant sale is later than usual in 2016, on Saturday, April 9. Since Bob Solberg has expanded the operation of Green Hill Farms to fill the gap left by Q&Z and others that have ceased their tissue culture operations, we expect to have a larger selection of plants that we will be offering at our sale. Make sure you put this date on your calendar. I am also pleased to announce that Gene Tappan and I are looking into the requirements necessary to establish the hosta garden at the Skylands Botanical Garden in Ringwood, NJ as an American Hosta Society National Display Garden. We have worked hard in this garden for the last several years and we feel that it is ready to qualify for this designation. My term as President has been fruitful and rewarding. It has been my pleasure to serve and I promise to work closely with my successor to insure that the Tri-State Hosta Society remains an organization full of good friends and good gardeners who appreciate the beauty that the genus hosta has to offer. I hope to see many of you at our annual feeding frenzy in January! Dave Chopko

2 PAGE 2 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2015, ISSUE 4 Tri-State Officers President Dave Chopko daveroc2@aol.com Past President Kathie Sisson kcsisson@aol.com AHS President s Wall of Honor Congratulations to Amy Cichocki, Bob Lavigne and Jack English. They are the Tri-State members added to the American Hosta Society s President s Wall of Honor this year in recognition of the significant contributions they have made to the continuing success of our society. Vacant Vice President Treasurer Ernie Jeffery Piermont Avenue Hillsdale, NJ erniethehostafarian@yahoo.com Membership Gene Tappan Ridge Road West Milford, NJ genetappan@hotmail.com State Director New York Renee Bruce binky-bruce@gmail.com New Jersey Suzy Ludwig suzyludwig@verizon.net Connecticut Sue & Lee Vincent hostasusan@gmail.com 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 Like Us on Facebook Please visit our Facebook page at: To keep up to date, Like or connect to our Facebook page and any updates or photos that are posted on our page will show up in your News Feed. Photography Credits Our thanks to Amy Cichocki, Gene Tappen and Karen Migliore for the photographs in this newsletter. Join The American Hosta Society Now is a very good time to join the American Hosta Society if you have not already done so. The membership year runs from January 1 to December 31. An Individual Membership costs $30 and a membership application can be found at the website In return for your $30 you will receive two copies of The Hosta Journal each year, access to the members only portion of their website that includes an additional Journal online, and a $15 voucher that you may spend at several participating nurseries.

3 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2015, ISSUE 4 PAGE 3 Lunch and Learn Meeting Saturday, January 23, 2016 at Noon Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ Our annual cabin fever event in January, 2016 will once again focus on food and entertainment. As we did last year we will be expanding our palettes to include other stomach enticing dishes besides chili. Soups, stews, salads and side dishes were added to the offerings in 2015 and all contributions were devoured and well received. So once again this year we have expanded the menu and ask that you bring any of your favorite covered dishes to add to the table. Please bring a main course food item (chili, soup, chicken dish, pasta dish, etc.), or your favorite side dish (a salad, rice, beans, whatever) or your favorite dessert. As in previous years please bring your hot dish in an appropriate serving container such as a slow cooker, crockpot, etc. and include a serving utensil as well. Extension cords will be available. If you are not a cook, but would like to contribute in other ways please remember that other food items are always appreciated, such as bread and butter, chips and salsa, fruit, beverages, etc. Paper goods will be provided as usual and prizes will be awarded in three categories, ENTREES, SIDE DISHES, and DESSERTS, after being judged and voted upon by those in attendance. So come in out of the cold, be generous in your contribution, and join us. We had over 30 members in attendance last year despite the winter weather! In the Members Only portion of this meeting we are still seeking members who have brief presentations to offer on any garden topic. We are always delighted to be informed and/or entertained so please contact Joan Naugle at or Naugs@msn.com to let her know that you wish to be included in the program. Presentations need not be any longer than 15 or 20 minutes. Really bad weather will cancel this event so please call the Chopkos on if you are in doubt, but we are sure that Mother Nature will smile upon us once again. So come to another Tri-State food fest and enjoy! 2016 Tour Gardens Needed Please consider hosting a garden tour this summer and contact your local representative: Renee Bruce from Campbell Hall, NY ( , binkybruce@gmail.com), New York Director. Suzy Ludwig from Allendale, NJ ( , suzyludwig@verizon.net), New Jersey Director. Sue and Lee Vincent from Mystic, CT ( , hostasusan@gmail.com), Connecticut Directors.

4 PAGE 4 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2015, ISSUE 4 Many Garden Pests Can be Controlled by Birds Our thanks to the Northern Wisconsin Hosta Society for the following article: (Reprinted from the October, 2015 edition of The Northern Star) Did you have problems with slugs this year? If so, you might consider the advice of some gardeners who claim there s a simple, ecological solution: attract more birds to your yard, especially house wrens. One way is to provide them with the proper housing. Here are some tips for what wrens consider proper : house, be sure to measure the hole remember, 1-1/8 or less! and skip the perch. After you install two or three houses sit back and enjoy a beer without sharing it with the slugs. #1: Keep out the English sparrows! These aggressive nonnatives will eagerly take possession of any birdhouse meant for wrens if it s not properly constructed and situated. Most importantly, the entrance hole must not be more than 1-1/8 in diameter, placed about 1 from the top of the house. #2: Never use a perch on a birdhouse. Wrens don t need them, and even if a sparrow can t get into the house, it will sit on the perch and attack wrens that try to enter or leave. Aside from that, the usual birdhouse rules apply. Situate the house 5-10 off the ground to foil cats and other predators. Include a hinged roof or wall to facilitate cleaning out the house every year. The sloped roof should extend 2 past the front to help keep rain out, but also drill four 3/8 holes in the floor for drainage, and two 5/8 holes near the top for ventilation. All it takes to build a suitable wren house is a fourfoot piece of 1 x 6 cedar or redwood, a few screws and a little time. (Inside dimensions should be 4 x 5 x 5 high... or some say 4 x 4 x 6.) Don t bother with painting, especially the inside, and never use treated lumber. If you prefer to buy a ready-made The house wren provides pest control, and music to go with it! Note the lack of a perch below the entrance: wrens don t need them, and their absence deters English sparrows. On the other hand, this entry hole appears to be more than the recommended 1-1/8 diameter, and the roof could overhang more. (Mike s Birds, via Wikimedia Commons) AHS Convention Saint Louis, MO June 15-18, 2016 Hosted by the St. Louis Hosta Society For more details, go to the AHS website: - Or - New puppy nestled in the hostas at Bridgewood Gardens.

5 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2015, ISSUE 4 PAGE 5 The Quest for Red-Leaved Hostas Hosta First Blush (Reprinted from the March, 2015 edition of Georgia Hosta Notes) A few years ago, Hans Hansen and Tony Avent, two savvy hosta hybridizers, were circulating a picture of a hosta seedling displaying bright red color well into the leaves. It was exciting to say the least but alas, the seedling apparently had some faults that prevented it from ever coming to market. However, for hybridizers already working to extend the red petiole color up into the leaves of hostas, it was a grand preview of what could be. The quest for the illusive red-leaved hosta received a big boost and the race was on. Now, Bob Solberg, our good friend from North Carolina, has introduced his first red-leaved hosta, First Blush. A seedling from Bob s H. Beet Salad, it has a thin red margin on the leaves like Beet Salad, just much more dramatic. What really sets it apart, though, is the strong red blush which starts forming soon after the leaves unfurl and then extends across the leaf surface between the veins from the tip of the leaves down toward the base of the petiole. The color is fleeting but according to Bob, it lasts up into the summer until temperatures in his garden reach about 92 F. Last year First Blush was in low supply and high demand, so it was pricey as you probably might have already noted. Bob s catalog listed it for $75, which put it beyond the reach of most hosta lovers. However, have patience. The price will come down over time. Is this a big step ahead in the quest for the elusive red-leaved hosta? As our hosta friends in Minnesota might say, You Betcha! The Connecticut Flower Show runs from February 18 21, 2016 at the Hartford Convention Center, Hartford, CT Springfest runs from March at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta, NJ

6 PAGE 6 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2015, ISSUE 4 October Meeting Guest Speaker - Mike Shadrack

7 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2015, ISSUE 4 PAGE 7 Our Secret Garden in Ringwood by Gene Tappan Sheltered under venerable oak and ash trees, embraced by a spreading apple tree, shouldered by rhododendrons and azaleas, and protected from marauding deer by a six-foot chain link fence, lies a gem of a hosta garden in the New Jersey Botanical Garden in Ringwood, New Jersey. Lovingly developed by Tri-State member John Gall before the turn of the current century and augmented by contributions from the garden of Jack Goodman, this cool oasis was dedicated by Tri-State Hosta Society and NJBG/Skylands Association in July At the time it contained over 130 hosta cultivars along with ferns, astilbies, polygonatum, and other shade-loving perennials. In the spring, grape hyacinths bloom vividly along with daffodils and crocuses. Helleborus and epimedium can be found there too and in early October fall blooming crocuses produce a surprising amount of color. For the past three years Dave Chopko and I have teamed up to pay attention to the care of the garden. Beginning as soon as the garlic mustard and dandelions appear, we attack the weeds and clean up winter debris. In 2013, after liberally spreading mulch, we started an inventory of the hostas hoping to locate all of the original plantings. Using a grid system we developed, we plotted the location of every plant we could find. With contributions from Dave s personal collection, we brought in enough new plants to bring our list to 289 named varieties at the end of the 2015 planting season. Using a hand-held device, Dave made stainless steel tags bearing a plant s name and its assigned inventory number. These were affixed to metal spikes which were driven into the ground behind the plant. Then in the spring of 2015 the NJBG/Skylands Association announced the formation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) Steering Committee. One objective of this group was to use modern surveying and computer based techniques to map all of the botanical material in the park. I volunteered to help with that effort in the hosta garden. In four days of intensive labor in October over 500 data points were recorded. This included every hosta plant and many significant landmarks. When maps of the beds are generated we will know exactly how many of the original hostas are still there and know where to insert replacements. Over the years some of the original plantings of more common varieties, such as H. ventricosa and H. lancifolia, have spread too profusely and we were forced to remove them since the garden is intended to feature typical specimens rather than mass plantings of single cultivars. By thus thinning the collection we can create spaces to bring in newer cultivars to add color and variety. Our goal in 2016 will be to enhance the visual impact of the garden by careful choice of color, leaf shape and mound size of the new material added. We will also continue to research the identities of several hostas that have confounded us so far. We are now in the process of determining whether or not we meet the qualifications of being named as an American Hosta Society Display Garden. Any Tri-State members who would like to share in the fun that Dave and I will be resuming in our hosta garden on Tuesday mornings in the spring, need only to make themselves known. We would love to have you join us.

8 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: Tri-State Hosta Society REMINDER: There will be a Board Meeting at 10 a.m. on the morning of our January 23 meeting in Morristown. Roberta Chopko 93 Intervale Road Boonton, NJ Tri-State Hosta Society Calendar of Events 2016 Saturday, January 23, Lunch & Learn meeting at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ. Lunch at noon. February 18-21, Connecticut Flower Show, Hartford, CT. March 17-20, Springfest Flower Show, Augusta, NJ. Saturday, April 9, Members-Only Plant Sale at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ. Lunch at noon. June 15-June 18, AHS National Convention, St. Louis, MO Garden Tours To be Announced Saturday, October 29, at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ. Lunch at noon. Program to be announced.