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 2010, Issue 3 Inside this issue: First Look 10 4-5 TSHS Garden Tours & First Look 10 photos Starting Hostas from Seeds Fall Meeting with Ran Lydell 6-7 8 11 How time does fly when you are having fun! I guess I have this same thought as each growing season comes to an end, but for some reason this summer seemed to pass the quickest. This year there was so little time to dig in the dirt, stroll the pathways of the gardens, or sit and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of summer. Much of my summer this year was spent spending time with my kids, something that is becoming harder and harder to do as they grow up and move on in their lives. Having moved my oldest son off to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute two summers ago should have prepared me for packing up and moving my daughter to Ithaca College this year it didn t. If anything, I found it even harder. Thank goodness there were a number of hosta events to take my mind off of the fact that my kids are all growing up way too fast and starting to fly out of the nest. This summer was filled with lots of great garden events for members of President s Message Tri-State. In May, Roberta and Dave Chopko opened up their incredible garden and even though I try to visit them often, their garden was bigger and better than ever! In June, Tri- State Hosta Society hosted First Look 10 in Parsippany and it was a wonderful experience. Thank you to Carol Brashear and Bill Meyer for giving hostaphiles 10 years of hosta fun! I also would like to thank Roberta & Dave Chopko, and Helen Donn for opening up their gardens to the First Look attendees. A BIG THANKS to all Tri-State members who volunteered their time to this special event. First Look was so special because of YOU! In July, Tri-State members were invited to visit the garden of Dhanu Sannesy in Goshen, NY. I was unable to attend but have heard many compliments about her lovely gardens (and her husband s delicious cooking!) I was told that all who were in attendance had a great time. Thank you Dhanu, for opening up your garden and for arranging for a great Fall 2010 shopping opportunity at Manza s Family Farm. In August, we held our annual member picnic and garden tour at the home/nursery of John O Brien in Granby, CT. It was a fabulous day shared with our friends from the New England Hosta Society. The gardens were great, the food was tasty and plentiful, the weather was cooperative and the hosta friends were abundant! Thank you John, for hosting this terrific event. Coming up in October, TSHS is looking forward to having Ran Lydell from Eagle Bay Nursery in Dunkirk, NY, speak to us about Asian influences in the garden. I have heard Ran speak before and he always has great information and pictures. I hope to see many of you there! In January, we would LOVE to hold another Members Only meeting. Last year s Chili -n- Chat was such a success that many members (See Message Page 3)
PAGE 2 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2010, ISSUE 3 Tri-State Officers President Kathie Sisson 860-673-1426 kcsisson@aol.com katailsgarden@gmail.com Past President Roberta Chopko 973-334-2116 daveroc2@aol.com Vice President Joan Naugle 973-838-0491 naugs@msn.com Treasurer Ernie Jeffery 201-664-5720 271 Piermont Avenue Hillsdale, NJ 07642-1923 erniethehostafarian@yahoo.com Membership Matt Sanford 860-417-3954 38 Stoneleigh Road Watertown, CT 06795 msan78@hotmail.com State Directors New York George Rasmussen 516-694-6179 joanras@optonline.net New Jersey Dave Chopko 973-334-2116 daveroc2@aol.com Connecticut Jack English & Bob Lavigne 203-838-2248 napoleon4@optonline.net Auction Director Dave Chopko 973-334-2116 daveroc2@aol.com Recording Secretary Madhuri Mukherjee 973-783-1492 mukherjeem@wpunj.edu Treasurer's Report for the First Half of 2010 Submitted by Ernie Jeffery, Treasurer of Tri-State Hosta Society Balance Forwarded (12/31/09) $9,286.08 INCOME Dues $2,455.00 Raffle 240.00 Auctions 1,649.00 Hosta Finders 208.00 Plant Tags 238.00 Hosta Books 50.00 Plant Sale 6,172.00 TOTAL INCOME $11,012.90 EXPENSES Website $100.00 CT Flower Show 255.18 Gift Certificates 100.00 Postage $172.04 Printing 873.45 Insurance 964.00 Plant Tags 343.00 Plants for plant sale 3,768.00 Raffle Prizes 67.01 Hospitality 154.33 Arboretum plant donation 84.00 TOTAL EXPENSES $6,881.01 Balance Ending 06/30/10 $13,417.97 Sunshine Secretary Emilie Cullerton 215-598-1250 oxfordwalt@aol.com Newsletter Editors Roberta Chopko 973-334-2116 daveroc2@aol.com Amy Cichocki 908-534-2091 amycichocki@msn.com Photography Credits: Many thanks to our members for the donated photographs in this issue: Mikky Lockwood, Dave Chopko, & Amy Cichocki. Tri-State Webmaster Amy Cichocki 908-534-2091
VOLUME 2010, ISSUE TRI-STATE TRIBUNE PAGE 3 Message (Continued from Page 1) have asked to do it again and I have to agree! All we need are a few members to make a minitalk about anything garden related. If anyone has a theme idea and would like to help organize this, please let me know. I have been asked by the American Hosta Society to pass along some information regarding the studies being conducted on Hosta Virus X. For those of you who don t know, local hosta societies like ours have been funding Phase I of this research being done by the University of Minnesota and Dr. Ben Lockhart. The findings so far are of such concern that all involved believe Phase II is necessary to more fully understand this virus. Please visit the AHS website or use this link to view a PDF of the summary brochure regarding the HVX study to date: http://www.americanhostasociety.org /PDF/hvx_research_summary_report _june_2010.pdf. We will be deciding at our October Board meeting whether to help fund a second phase of this important research. If you would like to share your thoughts on this matter, please feel free to contact me. On a lighter note, keep in mind that the AHS National Convention will be coming to New England next June. Our friends in the New England Hosta Society will be looking for many volunteers to help make the 2011 Convention one to remember. I also hear that a couple of TSHS member gardens will be on tour. Please let me know if you could give some of your time to volunteer. The convention dates are June 22-25, 2011. There are many different jobs available and more hands make work lighter and more fun for all! I hope you all have a great fall season and I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming Tri-State event. Hosta Cheers! Kathie Sisson kcsisson@aol.com katailsgarden@gmail.com Congratulations!!! Congratulations to Emilie and Walter Cullerton who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on September 10. Email Addresses A continuing reminder. In an effort to go green, and save on printing and postage expenses, we are now emailing the newsletter to those who are interested in receiving it that way. To date, over 70 of our members have opted to receive our newsletter via email, 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 email address. So please email Kathie Sisson at: kcsisson@aol.com or katailsgarden@gmail.com, both to let her know your opinion on this matter, and to make sure that we have your current email 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! On the Same Subject The American Hosta Society will be sending out more notices and announcements via email whenever possible. We have been asked to notify all members of the AHS to inform the membership chair of the AHS of their current email address. If you are an active member of the American Hosta Society please send your current email address to Sandie Markland at: Sandiemarkland@charter.net
PAGE 4 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2010, ISSUE 3 FIRST LOOK 10 AHS Region One s Great Venue for Selecting Tomorrow s Hosta Introductions by Warren I. Pollock, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania First Look 10 was hosted by the Tri-State Hosta Society in New Jersey this year and we are pleased to report that it was a huge success. For those of you who missed this event, we are reprinting a review of the weekend s activities that originally appea red in the Summer, 2010 edition (Vol 18, #3) of the Delaware Valley Hosta Society newsletter. We thank members Warren Pollock, for granting us permission to reprint this article, and Mikky Lockwood for supplying the photos that accompany it. It is hard for me to realize that First Look is 10 years old. I recall attending the first event in Stamford, Connecticut. It was an instant hit and First Look continues to be a highly popular weekend event. The site moves around each year to a different location in AHS Region One, comprising the New England states, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and northern Delaware. First Look 6 was held as part of the 2006 AHS National Convention hosted by the Delaware Valley Hosta Society in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; this year s First Look 10 was at the Sheraton Hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey, on June 11-13. First Look s novel concept was pioneered by Woodbury, Connecticut-based Carol Brashear and Bill Meyer. Hosta hybridizers and gardeners alike bring entire clumps of their new and unique hosta sports and seedlings to be judged by expert panels and also independently by all the attendees. Prizes are awarded honoring some of Region One s coveted hybridizers, namely Frances Williams, Kevin Vaughn, William and Eleanor Lachman and Mildred Seaver. What makes First Look so different and so exciting from other hosta shows is that the whole plant is exhibited and judged, not just a leaf or two. Many plants that come to First Look go on to be major hosta introductions. It s a great opportunity both to get a peek at and influence what the future of hostas may look like, namely, some of the cultivars that nurseries will be prominently offering in a couple years. Details and winners of the 2010 event, with numerous photos, are posted on the First Look Web site: http://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/. I m only going to mention a few highlights here. I was smitten by a variegated-leaf sport entered by David Chopko of Boonton, New Jersey. I think it fair to say that Dave has the largest and best collection of hostas east of the Appalachian Mountains. He introduced the popular H. Ocean Isle registered in 2006 which, by the way, was Best Sport winner at First Look in 2004. H. Ocean Isle is a large, impressive sport of El Dorado (M. Seaver - 2009), with large, wavy blue-green leaves having a wide, bright gold margin. A highly notable characteristic is that the leaf center becomes a shiny, rich green color by midsummer. This cultivar is slow to mature, but when it gets big it s a real showstopper. Dave s entry at First Look 10 was a sport of Hawkeye, a not -well-known goodie registered by Minnesota s Lillian Maroushek in 1999. (Probably her best known introduction is Frosted Jade, a 1978 registration that s now a classic.) H. Hawkeye has medium green leaves with a wide yellow border. It is a sport of Gold Edger, a popular Paul Aden 76 registration, especially noted for sporting many interesting variegated-leafed cultivars. Dave s sport differs from Hawkeye in that the green leaf center is narrower, with thin rays strikingly jetting and feathering into the yellow border. This is a unique and handsome variegation, and both judges and attendees awarded the plant the Best Sport award. Dave has named the cultivar Ocean Isle Tie Dye and it has already been sent on to the tissue culture lab for propagation. Seems that he will be using the prefix Ocean Isle as the identifying moniker for his introductions. Ocean Isle is the Chopko s favorite North Carolina beach. They have property there, and now that Dave is retired (Roberta retired a few years ago), they spend much time there, when not gardening. Another winner was DVHS hybridizer Arthur Wrede s Almost, a green seedling with colored petioles. Arthur entered it at First Look at the 2006 AHS convention and it didn t get much notice. At last year s First Look, Rick Goodenough (Marshfield, Massachusetts) entered it in Arthur s name and again it didn t get much notice.
VOLUME 2010, ISSUE TRI-STATE TRIBUNE PAGE 5 FIRST LOOK 10 (Continued) Carol and Bill have a clump of Almost growing in their outstanding garden. This year it looked especially nice, Carol wrote me, so Bill entered it in Arthur s name. It was the attendees choice for Best New Seedling, receiving the Mildred Seaver Award. Arthur is thrilled, Carol said, and has named it H. Almost as he has almost gotten the red [coloring from the petiole] up into the [leaf] veins. I need to add that First Look 10 attendees didn t see eye -to-eye with the judges concerning Almost ; the judges panel gave it only a red ribbon. Carol pointed out that it not uncommon for judges and attendees to disagree. You d be amazed, she said, how often First Look winners are chosen from the solid green class by the attendees. Vending is also an important part of First Look. Nurseries come from all over and have great diversity. This year they were: Bridgewood Gardens, near Front Royal, Virginia (Chick Wasitis) Eagle Bay Gardens, along Lake Erie in New York state (Ran Lydell) Glenbrook Farms, in Fultonville in upper New York state (Viktoria Serafin) Long Island Home of Hosta, on Long Island in New York state (Dawn & Mike Koller) Mason Hollow Nursery, in New Hampshire (Sue and Chuck Andersen) Peggy s Flowers, in Missouri (Lee Coates) Silvers-Elbert Nursery, near Atlanta, Georgia (Bill Silvers) I was impressed with the variety of new hostas on display, many being the nurseries own special introductions. DVHS President Conny Parsons gave a very informative presentation in the afternoon on troughs and container gardening, which coordinated nicely with the many dwarf and mini hostas offered by the various vendors. Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, gave two presentations. The early afternoon s was on his adventure of botanical exploration in Taiwan a couple of years ago. The trip was full of unexpected trials and tribulations, and Tony s amusing lecturing manner made the travelogue highly entertaining. Tony also was the Saturday evening banquet s keynote speaker, detailing his own extensive, in -progress hosta breeding program. He showed 96 photos and not a single seedling had variegated leaves. All had plain leaves. I thought this most peculiar since I know Tony s hybrid introductions have variegation. Explaining what seems to be an atypical breeding methodology, Tony said he initially makes crosses specifically designed to obtain a desired clump shape and size, or leaf shape and size, or flowering characteristic. Many of his crosses are quite involved with complex multi-parent lineage. (Thoughtfully, he had passed out a two-page handout analytically listing the parentage of each seedling in the photos.) Intentionally, seedlings from his initial crossings are plain leaved. When satisfied with their overall characteristics (including vigor, particularly for dwarf plants), Tony then goes on to breed for leaf variegation if he thinks the leaves need a border or center stripe. He said there is a fairly large selection of variegated-leaved hostas he can use for this purpose. Tony is the only hosta hybridizer I m aware of that totally develops leaf variegation at the end of the breeding scheme. Several future First Look venues have been decided. First Look 11 will be at the AHS National Convention hosted by the New England Hosta Society in Marlborough, Massachusetts, June 22-25, 2011. First Look 12 will be hosted by the Delaware Valley Hosta Society in the Wilmington, Delaware, area. Dates and hotel will be determined soon.
PAGE 6 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2010, ISSUE 3 TSHS 2010 Garden Tours and First Look 10 Chopko Garden First Look 10
V O LU M E 2 0 1 0, I S S U E Donn Garden T R I - S T A T E T R I B U NE TSHS 2010 Garden Tours and First Look 10 Sannesy Garden O Brien Garden PAGE 7
PAGE 8 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2010, ISSUE 3 Starting Hostas from Seeds by Randy Goodwin (Reprinted from the Late Winter 2010 edition of the Indianapolis Hosta Society Newsletter as presented to the HIS s February meeting) SEED SELECTIONS Decide what you want to create: A. variegation, need splashed pod parent, a 7-year process with edged, solid and medio form development needed B. for yellows, blues, or distinctive forms, solid pod parents needed; edged and center variegations produce lethal or green seedlings only COLLECTING, CLEANING AND STORING SEED A. collect seed only after mature, i.e. 40 days and 40 nights B. timing differs from one to another, i.e. sieboldianas vs. summer vs. late bloomers C. dry pods with name tags D. crushing pod helps speed process E. separate seeds from pods, then dewing for viability F. stratification not necessary, but cool storage is recommended for viability G. create a storage container, paper or plastic, with identification extended time D. room temperature should be maintained between 60-70 degrees E. damp off is a constant problem; use of Benlate or Benomyl in a liquid spray deters after planting F. use of plastic bags does lead to mildew with closed environment CULLING AND DECISION MAKING A. for splashes, thin after 1st or 2nd leaf, eliminating the greens B. for solids and forms, keep most and cull only after 2nd year. C. Up potting helps selected seedling gain size, blooming in 1st year (scapes should be cut off to preserve seedling from energy drain and death.) D. Use deep containers for root growth E. Use a tool that creates a deep hole in porous medium F. Grow in containers until safe to plant outdoors G. Continue culling until the word DISCTINCTION or UNIQUE applies CONTAINERS AND MEDIUMS A. sterilized container; Clorox and microwaving B. use sterile non organic planting medium C. use of Michigan peat or any soil based medium, prohibited D. medium examples: Pro Mix, or peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, thru 3-2-1 mixtures E. moisten medium prior to planting F. use boiled water to kill fungus, fungus gnats, and algae PLANTING PROCESS A. plant in a prepared trench, then cover B. plant in a scatter, then cover with more medium C. use bone meal with seeds to increase germination D. coverage should be 3 times depth of seed E. uncovered seeds have roots unable to penetrate soil F. water planted seeds after planting G. cover with plastic dome H. place in plastic baggie LIGHTING A. use fluorescent shop lights B. 24/7 light cycle or timed with timer from 18 on, to 12/12 also 8/4/8/4 cycle GERMINATION A. from 3 to 14 days, 7 average, with an average 33% germination rate, germination is irregular B. water from bottom, deters salts built up and pathogens, C. with ¼ strength soluble fertilizer roots can sit in water for
VOLUME 2010, ISSUE TRI-STATE TRIBUNE PAGE 9 Congratulations Roberta Chopko chats with Keith Plumley. Congratulations to Connecticut member Colleen Plimpton on the publication of her book entitled MEN- TORS IN THE GARDEN OF LIFE. This garden memoir is available for $16.95 through Amazon.com, bookstores, and Colleen s website www.colleenplimpton.com. Each chapter profiles a flower, tree, herb, vegetable or critter, as well as a mentor associated with each. The book describes the acquisition of attributes such as responsibility, friendship, fortitude, gratitude and forgiveness as they relate to the relationships we establish with our gardening mentors. It showcases the importance of recognizing and honoring those who have gone before, as well as those who will come after us in the garden. First Look 10 Auction First Look 10 Celebration Cake Chopko Garden
PAGE 10 TRI-STATE TRIBUNE VOLUME 2010, ISSUE 3 A Repeat Plea for Locating a Connecticut Meeting Site We have frequently received inquiries from our members in Connecticut and attendees at the Connecticut Flower Show as to why all of our indoor meetings are held at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in New Jersey, whose distance is prohibitive for them. Quite simply, it is because we have never found a meeting site in Connecticut that is equal to the Frelinghuysen. Our CT Directors, Jack English and Bob Lavigne are actively looking for an acceptable meeting facility in CT, preferably in the southern part of the state. Many of you are involved in other organizations that meet in Connecticut. If you are familiar with a CT meeting site that has upto-date technology available, and can comfortably accommodate about 75-100 people for a reasonable fee, please contact Jack and Bob at 203-838-2248 or email them at Napoleon4@optonline.net. Join The American Hosta Society $30 INDIVIDUAL DUES FOR 1 YEAR $34 FAMILY DUES FOR 1 YEAR Currently membership includes 3 issues of THE HOSTA JOURNAL and a spring Members Newsletter Join online at: www.americanhostasociety.org 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 27948 Archivist Tri-State has been in existence since 1993 and in that period of time we have generated quite a collection of memorabilia and documentation regarding our existence. In the last newsletter we asked for a volunteer to serve as our society archivist. Thankfully someone has stepped up to the plate and offered to fill this important position. Pending approval of the board, we will gratefully announce this volunteer at the next meeting. email contact: AHSMembershipSecretary@charter.net
VOLUME 2010, ISSUE TRI-STATE TRIBUNE PAGE 11 Fall Meeting Saturday, October 23, 2010 Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ. Bring Your Lunch and Visit with Friends at Noon Guest Speaker Ran Lydell at 1 p.m. TOPIC: The Oriental Garden and Its Influence On Modern Garden Design Ransom (Ran) Lydell, landscape designer and owner of Eagle Bay Gardens in Sheridan, NY, has worked professionally in the horticultural industry for 55 years. He started a nursery business in 1955 when he was still in high school, then went on to get a degree in horticulture from SUNY in Alfred, NY. He has worked for nurseries and builders, taught classes in horticulture, and had a gardening series on public radio. In 1967 he was awarded The President s Award for outstanding landscaping by First Lady Pat Nixon. In 1969 he purchased Cook s Nursery in Dunkirk, NY and started Eagle Bay Gardens in 1975. Ran has hybridized about 50 registered hosta cultivars and is a well-known figure in the world of hostas. Ran s presentation will focus on the Asian influences we can incorporate into our own gardens through the use of Oriental garden philosophy, plants, and hardscape. He is a knowledgeable, entertaining speaker, offering a wealth of information on hostas and other interesting and unusual plants of all kinds. As you can see from the picture, Ran is delighted to be coming to New Jersey. He has also promised to bring along some of his specially grafted woody ornamentals for sale. So bring your lunch and a dessert to share and join us on October 23.
Tri-State Hosta Society Calendar of Events 2010-2011 Saturday, October 23, 2010 - Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Lunch at noon. Ran Lydell speaking on Asian Influences in the Garden. Saturday, January 29, 2011 - at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Lunch at noon. Program to be announced. Saturday, March 26, 2011 - at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Lunch at noon. Program to be announced. June 22-25, 2011 - American Hosta Society Convention & First Look 11 in Marlborough, MA and are hosted by the New England Hosta Society. Saturday, October 22, 2011 - at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Lunch at noon. The speaker will be John Lonsdale speaking on Woodland Treasures as hosta companion plants. Tri-State Hosta Society Roberta Chopko 93 Intervale Road Boonton, NJ 07005-9758 REMINDER: There will be a Board Meeting at 10 a.m. on the morning of our October 23 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: http://www.tristatehosta.org 2011 Garden Tours To Be Announced