GREAT EXPECTATIONS. Debbie s Dirt

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1 GREAT EXPECTATIONS central illinois hosta society may volume 20, issue 3 Debbie s Dirt Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world." - Virgil A. Kraft S PRING, in all of its glory, has arrived. For those of you who couldn t wait to work in your yards and gardens after the long winter and already have your spring clean-up done, kudos to you. I, on the other hand, have been dragging my feet. It s not that I haven t wanted to go out and work, I just have too many indoor projects I would like to finish first. But this fine day, I just had to get outside and work. I m not sure what it is about spring cleaning the gardens, but I find it to be more relaxing and enjoyable than it is work. It s so exciting to rake out the dead Hosta leaves (I didn t get it done in the fall) and see the green shoots just breaking the ground s surface. Of course, the pulmonaria are already in bloom and look so lovely. The daffodils, tulips, hyacinth and other spring bulbs that I envy in other s gardens, just never seem to get planted in the fall at our home. I m hoping by the time you receive this newsletter, my garden clean-up will be done so I can move on to more fun things, like shopping for new plants, moving and dividing hosta and making some new miniature gardens. Speaking of shopping for new plants, have any of you found any of the new 2014 introductions? I m on the hunt for the new fallblooming clematis and a few others. If you find any of these new introductions, please be sure to share with the rest of the club where you found them and how they perform in your garden. Did you enjoy Beth Haag s program at our April meeting? The week before her presentation I had received a magazine showing the top ten colors in fashion for the year so I was looking forward to her take on it. How remarkable it was to find that those same colors are being touted in the plant world. As always, our April potluck showcased a bountiful display of tasty dishes and desserts gardeners make such great cooks! It was a wonderful evening with many visitors and new members present. Thanks to all who joined us at the meeting. Our May meeting will be at Connie Zuercher s home in Morton. I m anxious to see what changes and additions she has made since the last time we were at her home. And be sure to sign up for the Bus Trip at the May meeting. We will be heading to St. Louis for a fun-filled day of touring the Missouri Botanical Gardens, shopping, and other activities that you won t want to miss. Debbie McCollum, CIHS President Our Next Meeting May 20, 6:30 pm Connie Zuercher s Garden 1448 W. Birchwood, Morton The one thing to notice in my garden is that everything you see, minus two trees was planted (or seeded) since we moved here in My late husband had a love for Beech trees so you will find at least 14 different varieties, with several specimens of some varieties. Trees were of big importance to our developing landscape; the more uncommon were the more sought after. Our Kentucky Coffeetree is a favorite, as are the katsura trees. Many dwarf conifers dot the landscape; some which are no way dwarf! The first hostas in the early 90 s were your everyday ordinary varieties. Even when we started buying hostas later, the name was not as important as the look. There could never be enough crinkles or corrugation to suit Pat. I wish he could have seen Clear Fork River Valley or Deep Blue Sea; he would have loved them both. I focus on the front yard with my garden work. I am still adding new beds, the most recent for some of Theresa Roth s daylilies. And I also am redoing old beds because of overgrowth and death. The rear of my yard is lost to ostrich ferns and weeds. Keeping up on my own is a challenge, but one I am willing to take. My goal is to get it all under control before I am too old to do so. Directions from Peoria: Take I -74 east to I 155, just before Morton. Go south until you reach the Birchwood exit. Travel west on Birchwood for roughly 1.7 miles and on the left/south side of the road you will see a property hidden by pine and spruce trees is on the mailbox. You have arrived. The parking will be behind the barn and/or anywhere you can find room. (The front yard of the barn will also be open for parking) Notice: To provide adequate time for viewing Host Gardens, each Garden will be open to visitors ½ hour early at 6:00, while the meeting starts at 6:30. 1

2 Hosta of the Month Hosta Grand Slam is a classic green mounded large sized hosta with glossy heart shaped leaves. It has pie crust edges, red petioles and lavender flower which sets it apart from most green hostas. Hosta Designer Genes is an excellent yellow medium sized hosta with red petioles. Striking yellow leaves emerge in spring from deep wine red shoots and it holds its yellow color late into season. It has nice purple flowers. Hosta Waving Wuffles is a Tony Avent hybrid which is a medium large mound of irregularly rippled, pointed and shiny green leaves. It has a fast growth rate and dark purple flowers in midsummer. Hosta Prima Donna is medium large hosta with dark green centers and a whitish margin of ½ inch. Lavender flowers appear in late July to early August. It has a smooth texture and a moderate underside bloom. Hosta Royal Flush is medium to large sized hosta with yellow margins and green centers. Younger specimens have a narrower yellow edge but as they mature the edge becomes wider. It has pale lavender flowers that appear in July. Hosta Takahashii Gosan is a hosta species with a questionable past with its name according to Mark Zilis. Introduced by George Schmid as a true form of the species; it is listed as medium hosta with purple flowers and a slightly wavy edge. It blooms late in the season. The Hosta Library If you would like to check out a magazine or book from the Hosta Library, see Ella Maxwell at a meeting or call her at CIHS Calendar If you are interested in opening your garden for a meeting in 2015, please contact Gloria Hicks, Jeanette Smith or a board member. May 20, 6:30 pm Connie Zuercher s Garden 1448 W. Birchwood, Morton June American Hosta Society Convention Cedar Rapids, IA June 17, 6:30 pm Janet Steen s Garden 305 Maywood, Morton June 7 Bus Trip to St. Louis June Midwest Regional Convention Green Bay, Wisconsin July 15, 6:30 pm Roth Daylilies 140 Roth Auction Road, East Peoria August 19, 5:45/6:30 pm Auction Freedom Hall 349 W. Birchwood Street, Morton September Banquet TBA Officers President Deb McCollum debmccollum@gmail.com Vice Presidents Gloria Hicks, Jeanette Smith , jameskhicks@hotmail.com cjsmith119@gmail.com Second Vice Presidents Shirley Metz, Donna Cothrell , skmetz43@gmail.com dkcothrell@hotmail.com Third Vice President Deb Schoedel parttime94@aol.com Recording Secretary Sue Eckhoff gardenermom22@gmail.com Corresponding Secretary Maggie Keesey magskeesey@gmail.com Treasurer Dan McConnell drdtm@mtco.com To join: Central Illinois Hosta Society $10/year, form on back cover Midwest Reg. Hosta Society $20/2 years, Send dues to: Kristine James, Membership 523 E. Calhoun Street Woodstock, IL American Hosta Society $30 individual, $57/2 years $34 family, $62/2 years Send dues to: Sandie Markland AHS Membership Secretary Post Office Box 7539 Kill Devil Hills, NC

3 Tea Gardens T he Dunlap Public Library will be hosting a program titled Tea Gardens and presented by U of I Extension Educator Rhonda Ferree, on Tuesday, May 20 th from 6:30-7:30 pm. The tradition of making and taking tea in the garden is steeped garden history. Tea gardens provide enchanting outdoor spaces that are soothing, productive, sustainable, and lovely to visit. This session covers several types of tea gardens and the tea garden design components that make these great spaces to enjoy tea. Various plants used to make tea will also be covered. Registration requested. To reserve your seat, please call the library at June Plant Swap P lease join us immediately following the June meeting for a plant swap. Anyone who would like to participate should bring a potted plant of their choosing. It can be something from your garden or something you have purchased. Please be sure to label plants. We will draw numbers to see who will go first. The plant you choose will be the one you take home. No stealing in this plant exchange (smile). Auction Update! T he CIHS Board has decided to make some changes to the plant auction. After much discussion and conferring with other hosta organizations, the following changes will be made this year: The auction will be held indoors cool (nonsweltering), dry and well-lit. Fewer plants but they should be real goodies. A way to get more people involved and hopefully fun for all. I would encourage members to donate yard art, garden crafts, cool garden tools and gardening items anything for the garden With these criteria the auction will be held Tuesday, August 19th at Freedom Hall in Morton. Doors will open at 5:45 pm for viewing and the auction will start at 6:30 pm. The big change and hopefully the funnest part will be the plants. Q&Z Nursery will be providing about 30 first release plugs for our members to grow. We will need 30 people to volunteer to be plant growers for this first year experiment. The plugs will be available at the April 15th meeting. Ella Maxwell will be present to give us tips on growing these plugs until it s time to take them outside. Each volunteer will be given 2 plugs of the same mystery plant, one for them to keep and the other one to be auctioned off in August. Please grow your plugs in pots this first year so that we can maintain a diseasefree plant. No one will know the name or characteristic traits of their plants. At each meeting during the summer, volunteers will be asked for plant updates. Maybe some growers will be able to identify their plants as the summer wears on. There will be prizes to those who correctly identify their plants. In August we should have some great plants to auction. A sign-up sheet will be available at the March meeting or if you are unable to attend the meeting, contact Shirley Metz (skmetz43@gmail.com) or Donna Cothrell (dkcothrell@hotmail.com). Good Luck to our Plant Growers! AHGA Hostas of the Year 1996 So Sweet 1997 Patriot 1998 Fragrant Bouquet 1999 Paul s Glory 2000 Sagae 2001 June 2002 Guacamole 2003 Regal Splendor 2004 Sum and Substance 2005 Striptease 2006 Stained Glass 2007 Paradigm 2008 Blue Mouse Ears 2009 Earth Angel 2010 First Frost 2011 Praying Hands 2012 Liberty 2013 Rainforest Sunrise 2014 Abiqua Drinking Gourd 2015 Victory 3

4 Perennial Plant Association has named Northwind Switchgrass Panicum virgatum Northwind as this year s Perennial of the Year. Northwind was selected from a batch of seed-grown plants in South Elgin, Illinois, in 1983, and has been propagated from divisions ever since. It was selected because of its striking, steel blue color, a wider leaf, and its slender, very upright growth habit. Compared to most other varieties of switch grass, whose arching foliage forms clumps nearly as wide as tall, Northwind shoots straight up into an erect, refined clump of grass suitable for any sunny bed. In late summer, it is topped with a haze of showy, finely textured panicles that are wonderful in flower and grass arrangements. A mature clump of Northwind can stand 6 tall, which is a bit taller than most other varieties. Switch grass is adaptable to just about any soil, and is not only quite hardy (Zone 4), but also drought tolerant, due to its deep roots. Switch grass is seldom bothered by deer. Switch grass looks great in any prairie planting, but Northwind, with its upright, refined habit, makes for an outstanding selection as a focal point in any sunny bed. By Rich Hornbaker of Hornbaker Gardens and reprinted from Illinois Prairie Hosta Society newsletter Hosta Planting Instructions Editor Note: As we enter the spring planting season, this is a great article. H ostas perform best when planted with ferns and other perennials in prepared beds. They can also be tucked into the landscape on a hole by hole basis if an area of at least 2-3 feet wide is prepared to a depth of 9-12 inches. When planted in the woods with wildflowers it is important to remove all surface tree roots within 2 feet of each hosta clump. Bed Preparation: The most important ingredient in successful hosta growing is bed preparation. Good hosta soil should remain moist after a good rain yet drain well. It should have enough organic matter to provide plenty of air spaces for vigorous root growth but be firm enough to discourage voles and other rodents. It should have high fertility and a light covering of mulch to keep the soil cool in summer and retain moisture. Here is how we do it at Green Hill Farm. First the area to be planted is completely tilled with our old Troy Built tiller to its maximum depth of 8-9 inches. We remove all the surface tree roots that the tiller finds. If the soil is poor and/or hard, we will frequently add 4-5 inches of purchased topsoil, a good sandy loam, and till it in to the existing soil. Then 3 inches (about 30% of the total bed) of organic matter is spread over the bed and tilled in with some fertilizer to feed the bark. We usually use coarse pine bark nuggets in our beds that are locally available in bulk, but well-rotted sawdust, compost or manure will also work well. The coarser the organic material is the larger the air spaces in the soil will be and the longer they will remain in the soil. The addition of gravel gives the bed mass, moderating soil temperatures as well as making it firmer. Also, it is a vole deterrent. If you can dig in your bed easily with your hands then the voles can too. We no longer spread gravel over the entire bed and till it in to a depth of 4-5 inches, although it has worked well for us in the past. We just add gravel where we plant our hostas and other perennials that voles might eat. Finally, after a good rain to settle things a little, the bed is ready to plant. Hole Preparation: Hostas do not grow deep into the soil, usually no deeper that one shovel depth or so. Wide holes are better than deep holes, since hosta roots usually extend as far or further from the center of the plant as the foliage does. Dig a hole wide enough to accommodate all the roots of the hosta to be planted without cutting or folding them. Make a small mound in the bottom of the hole to rest the crown upon and cover it with about an inch of 3/8 inch gravel, either crushed granite or pea gravel. Editor s Note: Keep in mind, Bob is in North Carolina and our soil may not need the gravel. Continued on page 5 4

5 Take the bare rooted hosta and run its roots down the hill. Cover the roots and crown with another inch or so of gravel, making a hosta and gravel sandwich. Loosely fill the hole with soil that has been amended with some slow release fertilizer or manure (especially if planting in the spring). Do not pack the soil around the plant. Water thoroughly and mulch with a thin layer of pine bark, shredded oak bark or whatever is your local favorite. Remember to keep the mulch off the hosta petioles in order to discourage fungal diseases. Also, deep mulches encourage voles. When to plant: Hostas can be successfully planted any time that the ground can be worked. The best times to plant hostas are when they are actively making new roots, in the spring after the first flush of leaves has hardened off and in late summer once the hottest weather is past. Here in North Carolina that is usually early May and late August. Most plants that we ship to retail customers are sent during those optimum times. Planting at these times allows the plants enough time to establish a good root system before the droughts of summer in the first case and before they go dormant for the winter in the latter. Containerized hostas can be planted with a minimum of shock throughout the spring, summer and into fall. They should be completely bare rooted before planting and their roots untangled. If your hostas arrive bare root they will probably appreciate being soaked in a bucket of water for several hours to rehydrate them before planting. Pinching a leaf or two will also reduce desiccation shock and usually stimulate another flush of leaves. Hostas usually acclimate completely to their new homes in 1-2 weeks and should be kept moist during that period. A topdressing of fertilizer will also encourage rapid new growth. Finally, for hostas to achieve their maximum potential, the soil must be able to readily take up the water and nutrients that they need. Good bed preparation in the beginning makes all the difference. This however is not the end of the process. Over time tree roots will reinvade your beds robbing your hostas of water and heavy rains will compact the soil making it hard for any water to penetrate deep into the bed. Alas, then the beds will need reworking. Remember, a garden is never completed; it is always a work in process. Confessions of a Convention Groupie W hy, you ask, would anyone drive more than 950 miles over the course of two days in June, to attend a Convention of plant nuts in St Louis, Mo? Why indeed? For the same reason, I suppose, that we drove over 700 miles last year to spend some time with a similar group in Indianapolis, or a few years ago when we drove 1,200 miles to attend another Convention of the American Hosta Society in Minneapolis, or the 1,100 miles we drove to Des Moines, Iowa a few years ago for the same reason. It is an opportunity to see the world, or at least places in the United States that we would probably never go to otherwise. Or perhaps we like getting up at 6 am to board a bus before 7:30. Or like to spend a day trooping on and off the same bus, viewing many beautiful gardens in the course of the next nine hours stopping only to eat a delicious box lunch (often on the bus), or to use the toilet as little as humanly possible (cause it is also on the bus), or pray that this same toilet doesn t malfunction THIS year. Perhaps we just like the camaraderie of being on a bus that sometimes gets lost on back country roads, or has a window broken when the driver tries to maneuver a tight turn under lowhanging tree branches. Or maybe it is the anticipation of finding out how the banquet chef has tried to creatively disguise the chicken this year (while we were spending a long day on our bus tour). Do you suppose it is the waking up at 3 am to discover that your husband is missing from his side of the bed (because he woke up at 2:30 and remembered that he left his hosta purchases down at the bar)? Or perhaps it is the suspense of discovering that this same husband has bid too much for a plant at the auction? Or maybe it is the growing realization that I packed warm clothes when it is destined to break all heat records in St Louis (or packed for the heat when it turns that they will have an unprecedented cold snap this June)? Continued on page 7 By Bob Solberg of Green Hill Farm; and reprinted from the Prairie Hosta Herald, the newsletter of Illinois Prairie Hosta Society 5

6 CIHS BUS TRIP SATURDAY, JUNE 7th Fabulous bus trip to St. Louis!! Mark your calendar!! Open to the public bring your friends! Missouri Botanical Garden Founded in 1859, the 79-acre Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation's oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and an oasis in the city of St. Louis. With acres of splendid horticultural display at the Garden offers something for everyone. Outstanding displays include the Chinese Garden, English Woodland Garden, Ottoman Garden and Victorian District. A vibrant tropical rainforest thrives inside the Climatron conservatory, while the adjoining Temperate House is home to a multitude of Mediterranean species. The Japanese Garden covers 14 acres, making it one of the largest Japanese strolling gardens in North America Narrated tram tours of the garden will be available for an extra $5 fee. Check their website! Green Homes Festival In addition to the Garden, enjoy the Green Homes Festival. Talk with over 70 green product and service exhibitors. The festival features and highlights local foods and spirits, live music and sustainable handmade shopping at the Green Marketplace, presentations and demonstrations throughout the day. We are planning another stop that will be announced at the May meeting. The cost is only $50 reserve your seat today! Make checks payable to CIHS. The bus will depart from the East Peoria Kohl s parking lot. Please bring a sack lunch! Donuts, snacks and drinks will be provided! If you have any questions, please call Deb Schoedel, You can make your reservation at the upcoming May meeting or mail your check (payable to CIHS) to: Deb Schoedel 1108 Highview Road East Peoria, IL

7 White Oak Nursery Specializing in Hostas and Daylilies Internet and mail order only. Please visit our website for an online catalog of offerings. We have 150 varieties of Hostas for 2014 and will be adding an additional 100 varieties for We are giving away a copy of Mark Zilis' The Hostapedia, a $79.00 value. Orders totaling more than $50.00 will be eligible for the drawing to be held in June, White Oak Nursery Washburn, IL (309) hostas@whiteoaknursery.com One can never tell what one will encounter at a National Hosta Convention, though you can be sure of meeting with old friends who share a similar addiction. It is always something we look forward to. We come home exhausted, functioning for 6-7 days on very little sleep, but always reflecting for months afterward on what a good time we had. So if you want to share in this experience, as a frequent hosta flyer, or as a first time attendee, look for the registration information elsewhere in this newsletter. If you can spare the time or the money I don t think that you will be disappointed! By Roberta Chopko It was such a pleasure to sink one's hands into the warm earth, to feel at one's fingertips the possibilities of the new season. Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden 7

8 Central Illinois Hosta Society P.O. Box 3098 Peoria, IL First Class Postage Check us out! For information regarding dues or membership, contact Kathy Allen at or Newsletter Deadline: 20 th of the preceding month Submit items for publication to: Bob Streitmatter CIHS Membership Form (please print) Name(s) Address City State Zip Phone How did you find us? Friend/Word of Mouth Website Newsletter Event/Presentation Facebook Newspaper (which one) Other 8 Dues are $10/year: New Renewal Amount enclosed Make check payable to CIHS and mail check/form to: Central Illinois Hosta Society, P.O. Box 3098, Peoria, IL