GREAT EXPECTATIONS. Barry s Beat. Central Illinois Hosta Society October Volume 23, issue 8

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1 GREAT EXPECTATIONS Central Illinois Hosta Society October Volume 23, issue 8 Barry s Beat I did some research and found that Barry s Bush is dwarf pink flowering almond Prunus glandulosa 'Rosea Plena'. Iwas approached by more than several fellow members following the August meeting and again at the Fall Banquet questioning why I was moving to downtown Chicago. I was happy to tell all that this represents one of several lifelong dreams. I have been an active gardener since I was a young boy. I recall, at the age of six, asking a neighbor for starts of strawberry plants that she was thinning and throwing away from her huge strawberry patch. I thought it a waste to not see those little plants find a new home. She agreed, and gave me about fifty plantlets that I took home. I asked my father to till and mound up a bed, and then I planted and watered them, tending them for years and enjoying their fruits every June. Long after I had gone away to college, Vietnam, and eventually moving to Illinois, my parents continued to enjoy my strawberries. I also recall that at the age of, maybe four, while visiting my grandpa, I walked next door to an older lady s house to admire a bush that sported the loveliest pink flowers in the spring. (My siblings would not go next door with me, as they were convinced that she was a witch. Funny how kids make up things.) Anyway, this lovely lady, who usually chased kids away, took a liking to me. When the family returned to visit grandpa a few weeks later, she beckoned me next door to her home, where she had waiting for me a small pot with a start of that beautiful bush, no longer in bloom, but promised by her to bloom every spring. I proudly took my new gift home and, I imagine, with the help of my father, planted it in the front yard of our house. I never knew what the plant was named, so we all just called it Barry s Bush. Starts of that plant have gone with me to every home I have owned over the years. I was now faced with a dilemma. One cannot grow Barry s Bush on the 19th floor on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Not to fear. My son and daughter-in-law, having heard the history of the plant offered to take a start of the plant to grow in their Chicago yard, with my grandchildren promising to continue the tradition by taking starts to their own homes when they are grown. By the way, when I became an adult, Having spent the greater part of sixty years as an active gardener, I find myself at the point in life that I wish to pursue some of my other interests. I am not giving up on gardening. I am just giving up on doing the work of gardening. From my apartment, I cross the street to a 319-acre park, called Grant Park. It is as beautiful as any garden I have ever attempted to maintain, and it is maintained by the Chicago Park District. I enjoy, they work. As important as is the park, my other interests are now steps away as well. Symphony Hall is one block to the north. The Auditorium Theater, with its ballet performances, is one block to the south. The Art Institute of Chicago is across the street and one block north. Theaters featuring Broadway in Chicago performances are within walking distance. The Lyric Opera House is the most distant from our apartment, but is still within walking distance in good weather. Given my love for Art, Theater, Music, Ballet, Opera, and gardens, could there be any better place to retire? I think not. I plan to continue my volunteer work in Hosta Societies. I am just no longer growing hostas. I will continue to serve as webmaster for CIHS and MRHS. I am currently President of MRHS, and I am VP Publications for AHS. My love of plants and the people who love plants is unchanged. What has changed is that I no longer labor physically to enjoy my love of gardens. I thank you, the members of the Central Illinois Hosta Society, for the opportunity to be of some small measure of service to your organization. I may not see you as often, but I will be behind the scenes, taking care of the website and making sure that information you want is only a click away. Happy to have served you. Barry Ankney CIHS President 1

2 Companion Corner Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia 6 to 8 high and wide The Oakleaf Hydrangea is a stunning plant and, because of its four season interest, a great addition to the landscape. A dramatic, showy shrub, it is a prolific white-flowered bloomer requiring pruning only if it gets too large for its space. One of the few hydrangeas native to the United States, it was first discovered in Georgia and named by John Bartram in the latter half of the 1700s. The oakleaf part of its name reflects the shape of its large leaves which resemble those of the red oak. The leaves are yellowish green on top and downy-white underneath. The leaves turn colors of red, orange, bronze and burgundy in the fall and remain on the shrub through most of winter. The Oakleaf Hydrangea sprouts shoots from underground stolons. The young stems are covered in a felt-like light brown bark, while the older stems have attractive cinnamon-tan-orange bark that shreds and peels in thin flakes. The large ice cream cone-shaped blossoms open white then acquire a pink tint in middle summer and remain attractive even after they turn golden brown in winter. Unlike Bigleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea macrophylla, the flower color does not vary with the soil ph. The Oakleaf can be purchased in two forms: single blossom types such as the native variety or cultivar Snow Queen or the double blossom types such as cultivar Snowflake or Harmony. The blossoms make attractive arrangements in both summer and winter. The Oakleaf tolerates more sun than some other types of hydrangea morning sun with afternoon shade is best. However, the shrub does not tolerate wet feet. Good drainage is needed so root rot does not develop. Plant in early summer or late fall; transplant when dormant and leaves have mostly dropped. Oakleaf hydrangea blooms on old wood. Prune, if necessary to maintain size, in summer before August as bloom buds for next year set during June and July. Consider placing this carefree shrub among your hosta and enjoy its eye appeal all year long. Reprinted from the July 2009 issue of the St. Louis Hosta Society Newsletter 2018 CIHS Calendar If you are interested in opening your garden for a meeting in 2019, please contact Janette Smith, Deb McCollum or any board member. We d love to visit your garden. March 20 Speaker: Barb Schroeder Hosta Leaf Contest-Preparation of leaves and how they are judged Freedom Hall, 349 W. Birchwood Morton, IL April 17 Potluck/Member Meeting Freedom Hall, 349 W. Birchwood Morton, IL May 15 Joan Ruppman s Garden 212 S Main Street Washington, IL June 19 Brian & Kathy Bauernfeind s Garden 2832 Black Oak Drive Pekin, IL June AHS Convention Philadelphia, Pennsylvania July Midwest Regional Hosta Convention East Peoria, Illinois July 17 Roger & Kathy Becker s Garden 6328 S. Navajo Drive, Peoria, IL August 21 Auction ICC, East Peoria, IL September 18 Banquet Location to be determined Officers President Barry Ankney cihshostaclub@gmail.com Vice Presidents Janette Smith, Deb McCollum , cjsmith119@gmail.com debmccollum@gmail.com Second Vice Presidents Susan McCabe, Deb Schoedel Jmsm228@gmail.com parttime94@aol.com Third Vice President Wendy Kamischke kamisgh@yahoo.com Recording Secretary Fran Stroemer Corresponding Secretary Maggie Keesey magskeesey@gmail.com Treasurer Dan McConnell drdtm@mtco.com CPC Convention Co-Chairs Deb McCollum, Penny Bocelli, debmccollum@gmail.com penelopebocelli@gmail.com To Join: Central Illinois Hosta Society $10 or $15/year, form on back Midwest Reg. Hosta Society $20/2 years, Send dues to: Barbara Schroeder, Treasurer 1819 Coventry Drive Champaign, IL American Hosta Society $30 individual, $80/3 years $34 family, $90/3 years Send dues to: Sandie Markland AHS Membership Secretary Post Office Box 7539 Kill Devil Hills, NC

3 Membership Memo We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest member: Becky Smith of Morton Congratulations to Janis and Willard Mauerman and Tricia Zuercher! They were chosen as our membership door prize winners. I hope everyone had as much fun at the banquet as I did! This is the first time we have done a drawing based on if you renewed/joined at the banquet, did it work out well? Is it something you would like to see at future banquets? Please let us know what you thought! Need to renew your membership? We offer access to the electronic newsletter for $10/year OR a paper copy mailed to you for $15/year. If you have any questions regarding your membership, please contact us. CIHS Membership Co-Chairs: Kaeli McIntire (kmac1342@yahoo.com) Debbie McCollum (debmccollum@gmail.com) or (309) Convention Corner Welcome to the Convention Corner where you will find the latest news and updates regarding the 2018 MRHS (Midwest Regional Hosta Society) Convention, sponsored by CIHS, which will be held July 12-14, 2018 at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria, IL. The CPC (Convention Planning Committee) is actively working to bring the BEST Hosta Convention to Peoria. We are delighted to see everything taking shape as ideas are discussed and decisions are made to make this convention worth attending. We hope you will plan to be a part of this next year. On Sunday, July 15 we will be hosting Optional Garden Tours for are guests and the public to attend. If you are interested in being part of this Tour, please contact me (debmccollum@gmail.com) at your earliest convenience. These free tours are from 8 am 1 pm on Sunday. Your garden doesn t have to be perfect; just available for people to experience more of the gardens we love here in the Peoria area. Consider it a wonderful opportunity to invite your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to see your lovely garden and to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Beginning in January 2018, Convention Registrations and Hotel Registration will be available online. Be sure to check out our website for the latest information at And now that you have learned about each of the convention committees, we hope you will take the opportunity to invest an hour or two before and/or during the convention to volunteer to help. If, at any time, you are interested in serving on a committee or participating as a volunteer, please contact Bob and Golda. In future editions of the newsletter, we will be presenting specific tasks for each committee that will require volunteer help. We appreciate any and all consideration as to how you might assist to make the 2018 MRHS Convention a huge success. If you have any questions, please feel to contact us. Debbie McCollum & Penny Bocelli 2018 CPC Convention Co-Chairs Hostaphile vs. Hostaholic? R ecently I read an article in the American Hosta Society Journal addressing this very issue, and I had to ask myself, which one am I? I ve been running the question through my head for the last few weeks, and haven t come up with any definitive answers. So when in doubt, make a pro and con list. In my mind, a hostaphile has numerous hostas, all neatly displayed and professionally labeled in their weed-free gardens. He or she knows them all by name, their parentage, their sports, how big they get, the size of their leaves, the vein count, what colors they display at any given time of year, including flower color, the name of the originator, etc., etc., etc. They can take you through their gardens and expound the virtues of each and every plant. They have hundreds of hostas, know them all by name without looking at the tags, and are forever on the lookout for new and exciting hostas. Part of the thrill is in the knowledge. If you need a hosta identified because so-and-so s grandmother gave you this hosta, this is the type of hosta expert you need to find. They can help you out. The downside is that when you were really only after the name of the hosta, you will get a twenty minute dissertation on where to plant it for optimum performance, what to expect at any given time of year, make sure you do this and make sure 3

4 you do that. A hostaphile cannot fathom that your interest in these plants is not the same as his or hers. A hostaholic can have all their hostas neatly displayed and labeled in their gardens, but can make do with venetian blinds for tags, quickly scribbled names using permanent marker, which is only permanent for a couple of years. He or she knows them all by name, and how big they get, but doesn t necessarily know their parentage, their flower color or any pertinent factors that identify that hosta. They can also take you through their gardens and expound the virtues of each and every plant, but if you are lucky enough to get the tour, chances are that the hostaholic will be pulling weeds as you go. While they definitely love hostas, their minds are not 100% focused on showing their gardens. And even though they know each by name, if you were to take a picture or a leaf of a hosta to that person for identification, chances are good that they don t know. In their minds, they have a memory of where they are placed in the garden, rather than the plant itself. They have hundreds of hostas as well, probably more than a hostaphile, and not only are they forever on the lookout for new and exciting hostas, but they can move mountains in their efforts to acquire same. The thrill is in the acquisition, especially if the hosta is really new to the industry, or not yet available in Canada. Nothing is more satisfying in knowing that no one in the country has this hosta. In purchasing a hosta, a hostaphile will consider a particular hosta, check out its parentage, its size, its merits, and after careful deliberation, decide where it will go into their carefully prepared hosta beds should they be fortunate enough to acquire it. They can be quite meticulous in their choices. If a hosta has a certain parentage that the hostaphile knows does not do well in their area, they won t buy it. Move on to the next one! A hostaholic will buy hostas willy nilly, doesn t care about maturity size because they plant their treasures far too close together, working on the premise that there is always room for another hosta. If they know that a certain family of hostas hasn t done well for them in the past, or doesn t do well in their area, they buy it anyway, thinking for some reason that this time will be different. It rarely is! How many times have they bought White Feather or Tattoo, thinking they will be the ones to have perfect specimens in their gardens, and be the envy of the hosta world at large? Too many to count! summer season, I would take a day for myself travelling to every nursery and garden centre within a hundred-mile radius. If I saw a named hosta that I didn t have, I bought it. If I loved the look of it, I bought it. If it was on sale, I bought it. I would tell myself that it was okay to spend like this, because after all, we are seasonal collectors and have a very small window of opportunity to purchase. Several years ago, I actually came home with the same hosta in triplicate. I bought it one place because I liked the look of it, and at the next garden centre, I didn t even consider what I had already packed into the truck before buying it again. And again! Definitely shades of hostaholic here! At the end of the day, I would unload my new treasures into a shady spot, thinking of all the planting I had ahead of me, and move on to something else for the time being. They were safe and snug where I had dumped them, and I would get to them sometime. I am ashamed to admit that I currently have about 100 hostas... no, honestly, more than that are currently awaiting a new home in my gardens. I tell myself that I am looking for the perfect spot, and that is partially true, but the fact of the matter is that my gardens are near over-flowing and I don t know where to put them. New gardens are obviously needed! That is a hostaholic for you. Age and wisdom has pushed me from being a total hostaholic who has to have them all, to being a partial hostaphile. I spent last winter researching the parentage of each and every hosta I own, and incorporated the information into my carefully detailed charts. What I was surprised to discover was that over the years, I have gravitated toward a certain family or two of hostas. It is amazing how many of the Halcyon sports I own, totally by chance, and they do very well for me. I have made a concentrated effort on getting as many of the Striptease sports that I can acquire, but who knew I was doing it unconsciously with other hosta families. And by the same token, I own only one hosta in the montana family. Has not done well for me in the past, and the others that I have purchased have gone to hosta heaven. Who knew? So, hostaholic or hostaphile? Which one am I? Neither. I am of the new breed of hosta collectors. We are not defined by a title, but by a condition (no, IT IS NOT A DISEASE). There is no cure and we don t care. The Latin term is wackohostitis and I wear the badge proudly. Continued on page 5 So again, I have to ask myself, Which one am I? The answer is, both! At one time, toward the end of the 4

5 PS. Other Latin terms to consider that I have jotted down over the years. I never got around to making the garden signs I wanted to do: Insectum Devourum Et tu Insectus? Plantaholica Incurablis Plantum Whydibuyum Costa Fortunii Gardenitis Uncontrollus By Jayne Christiani; reprinted from the Ontario Hosta Society Newsletter, Fall 2017, Volume 23, Issue 3 Growing Hostas in Containers Many of us have tried our luck at growing hostas in containers. Maybe it s because we re slowly running out of space in the garden or maybe we re just looking for some attractive foliage on a shady patio or deck. The concept of planting hostas in containers seems simple enough. Unfortunately there is very little written information on the subject. What I ve learned (the hard way I might add) from growing hostas commercially in one gallon containers and then over-wintering those same containers can be applied by any shade gardener attempting to do the same on their own patio or deck. Getting hostas to thrive during the growing season in a container is actually the easy part. The hard part is successfully over-wintering them. Hostas love water during the growing season and basically hate it during the winter dormancy period. That makes a huge difference in the choice of potting mix we use. Most potting mixes contain a large percentage of peat which holds moisture really well and reduces the amount of watering during the growing season. But that same moist peat will easily cause rot during the winter months. So we need to compromise a bit by using a pine bark based mixture that will keep us more on the dry side during the winter which then requires more frequent watering during the summer months. The other key to over-wintering hostas is to make sure that once they freeze, they stay frozen. What we don t want is a repeated string of freeze-thaw cycles. That means we need to get those containers out of any direct sunlight during dormancy. Unheated detached garages will work fine as long as they provide the 700 hours of temperatures below 40 degrees. Outside we can take advantage of the earth s insulating capacity by getting the containers on the ground and covered with an insulating layer and then covered with plastic. You can see that growing hostas in containers during the summer is a breeze. The challenge is managing the winter months. But with proper care it can be done successfully. By Rob Mortko AHS Newsletter Coordinator and owner of Made in the Shade Gardens, near Kansas City Hosta Tips for October M ore information from Rob Mortko, this information came from hostaguy.com, the website of his nursery in Kansas called Made in the Shade Gardens. Is it too late to plant??? We've discussed before that fall is a great time to be planting hostas. What's more, by planting in the fall you can gain nearly a full growing season as compared to waiting until next spring. This will be more readily apparent next spring as you will most likely have multiple eyes or pips emerge simply as a result of planting now. But how late can you plant? The answer really depends on Mother Nature, but with a little extra mulching to prevent winter heaving, you can safely plant up until frost time. Planning a bed for next year? If you're planning a new hosta bed (or any annual or perennial bed) for next year, why not complete the soil prep work this fall? Then let Mother Nature further refine the soil structure with the natural effects of freezing and thawing. The hard work will be done and you'll be ready to plant next spring. Remember to add plenty of organic matter to our typical clay soils. First Frost Date! Our average first frost date in Kansas City is October 26th (Peoria is October 15 th ). However when do we ever see anything "average" about the weather? Anything can happen in the month of October as our days get shorter and our average high temperature drops 13 degrees over the course of the month. The good news relative to hostas is there's really nothing to be done in advance of that first killing frost. Just rest assured that you've chosen a very hardy perennial that is now ready for a winter sleep. Hostas actually welcome the cooler weather as they require a cold dormancy period of about 700 hours at temperatures below 40 degrees. (That's why they can't be grown as house plants - a question that arises frequently.) Getting hosta beds ready for winter There are differing opinions on whether to clear away the dead hosta foliage following our first killing frost. Continued on page 6 5

6 If you've had any problems this year with fungal diseases (which can overwinter on dead foliage) or with voles, then I'd recommend you clear away this foliage before winter sets in. The same applies if you'd simply like to maximize your fall chores while minimizing spring chores. Otherwise feel free to just let the dead foliage sit for the winter which does provide some additional insulation during the winter months ahead as well as for late spring frosts. Even if you do opt to clear away the foliage, I like to leave a bloom scape or two in place to help mark the plant location to avoid trampling the hosta before it begins to emerge next spring. How Much Would You Pay For a Hosta? Good Question. The most ever paid was about $4,100 for My Child Insook at the 1998 American Hosta Society convention in Peoria, Illinois. Tissue culture had not yet come of age and fancy hostas could still bring hefty prices. The plant was a sport of, ironically enough, Outrageous. It was registered by Dorothy and Herb Benedict in Purchased by Van Wade, the legend goes that it died in his display garden. I think that s not quite right, because I ve seen it offered since then. But, certainly, it was not a good grower. Here are the top ten money earners in the recent 2017 AHS On-Line Auction. Not inexpensive, but considerably more affordable. Dear Mom OS, $360 Gunther s Prize, $320 Brother Stefan OS, $255 Silver Platter, $190 Commander Cody OS, $185 Mito-No-Hana OS, $175 Prairie Spring OS, $150 Frilly Frolic, $120 Allegan Gent, $120 Indian Feather $116 (Correction: H. 'My Child Insook' did sell for about $4,200 at an AHS auction, but the buyer was Wagner Thielens of Wilton, CT, not Van Wade. Wagner passed away this year, but the plant was alive the last time we visited his garden a few years ago. It is indeed a difficult plant to grow, but if the one in Van Wade's display garden died, it wasn't the one purchased for this exorbitant amount of money.) By Kathy Miller, reprinted from the Delaware Valley Hosta Society Newsletter, Summer 2017 g Hellebores: Prelude to Spring M ost hellebores are native to mountainous regions of Europe, in open oak and beech woodlands, scrub areas, grassy meadows and on rocky slopes. They are best viewed on a hillside but even on flat land, they can be greatly enjoyed. They are shade loving evergreen perennials that bloom in early spring. Hellebores are happy with other shade-loving perennials including ferns, hosta, gingers, short shade grasses, snowdrops, aconites, woodland phlox, primroses and hepaticas. They are grown in sandy or clay soils as long as plenty of humus is added when planted. Freezing and thawing do not usually damage the flowers. Hellebores likely arrived in North American shores early in the continent s colonial history. The earliest cultivation may have been for use as an insecticide to treat other plants rather than ornamentals in their own right. John Bertram first mentioned them in his writings. Interest in hellebore was strong after WWII and they were valued for their foliage, flowers and ease of culture. In late winter, the flowers emerge from the barren ground to provide a prelude to spring. Elizabeth Strongman states in The Gardeners Guide to Growing Hellebores, 1993, The Christmas Rose and Lenten Rose are nature s gift to gardeners in the dismal months after Christmas when the weather is cold and discouraging and spring seems a long way off. At a time when few other flowers brave the elements, only Snowdrops in their prime whiteness and fascinating variety of forms can compete with the hellebores. Continued on page 7 6

7 They bloom for two months or more longer when spring arrives slowly and nights stay cool. Elegant simplicity describes their fantastic foliage, precocious bloom and beautiful flowers, singles, doubles and anemone centered in many lush colors. Once new foliage emerges in February March, cut away carefully last year s foliage so plants look tidy and display flowers to the best advantage. By and large, hellebores are pest free. Do not plant hellebore too deeply nor bury the crown of the plant. They come close to being the perfect perennial with long-lasting blooms, hardiness, durability and a few are fragrant. By Anne Randall, MVHS Member Reprinted courtesy of the AHS Newsletter Exchange CIHS Officers President: Wendy Kamischke 1 st Vice-president: 2 nd Vice-president: Susan McCabe, Deb Schoedel 3 rd Vice-president: Debbie McCollum, Deb Schoedel Treasurer: Dan McConnell Parliamentarian: Jennifer Bass Corresponding Secretary: Maggie Keesey Recording Secretary: Fran Stroemer Membership Co-Chairs: Kaeli McIntire, Debbie McCollum Publicity Chair: Shelly Baldini Ways and Means: Carolyn Jones Convention Co-Chairs: Deb McCollum, Penny Bocelli Hospitality Chair: Gloria Smith Librarian: Ella Maxwell Education Co-Chairs: Ella Maxwell, Bob S. Webmaster Barry Ankney Garden Walk Chair: TBD Newsletter Editor: Bob Streitmatter 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: Deb McCollum, or Kaeli McIntire 8 Newsletter Deadline: 20 th of the preceding month Submit items for publication to: Bob Streitmatter com 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 Dues (circle one): $10/year for electronic newsletter or $15/year for paper newsletter: New Renewal Amount enclosed Make check payable to CIHS and mail check/form to: Central Illinois Hosta Society, P.O. Box 3098, Peoria, IL