GREAT EXPECTATIONS newsletter - Sep.pdfPost Office Box 7539 Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 3 Slate of Nominations e will be voting at the last meeting for the slate of nominations; however,

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Debbie’s Dirt In spite of the severe weather we experienced, 40 brave

souls ventured out to ICC for our August monthly

meeting. Thanks to Barry’s connections and quick

action, we were able to meet indoors at the Horticulture

Lab’s large workroom/storage area. Barry did a great

job giving the history of the ICC Hosta beds and CIHS’

involvement over the years. In addition, he gave an

update regarding the on-going restoration of those beds

and a special thank you to the many volunteers who

have come out on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings

to pull weeds, replant, identify, label and spread

mulch. There is still much work to be done and

volunteers are always welcomed. If those days don’t

work with your schedule, but you would still like to

help, please consider “adopting” an area and work on it

an hour or so per week at your convenience.

We wish to thank the following members who

generously brought refreshments for our

enjoyment: Peg Maddox, Kay Dye, Erma Wieland,

Mary Christiansen, and Dorothy Crowell.

Dan McConnell presented the slate of officers for 2016-

2017. At this writing we are still in need of a Garden

Walk Chairman (next walk will be June 2017) and a

Membership Chairman. If you are interested in either

of these positions, please contact Don McConnell, Barry

Ankney or Debbie McCollum at your earliest

convenience. The slate of officers will be voted on at

our Annual Banquet to be held on September 15.

I don’t know about you, but there are still a lot of things

on my “to do” list that I haven’t gotten to yet this

summer. So, I’m going to end my article here and head

outside. It’s not too late this evening to pull a “few”

more weeds. Plus, it’s the perfect time to go out and

admire the moon vines that have completely covered the

west side of our porch providing much needed

shade. The giant white flowers are delightful to look at and

smell delicious.

Happy Gardening until we meet again,

Debbie McCollum

_______________________________________________

Our Next Meeting

September 15, 2015

CIHS Banquet

Monte Cristo Room

383 Old Germantown Rd, Suite A

Germantown Hills, IL

309-383-4417

Times: Cocktails & Check-In at 5:30, Dinner at 6:30

Guest Speaker: AHS President, Don Dean

Cost (Includes dinner, guest speaker & gift hosta): $25 per

member and $35 for non-members

For Reservations: Please call 309-214-1767 or email

[email protected] or send a check to Penelope Bocelli,

2209 County Road 810 E, Washburn, IL 61570-9373

About the Speaker/Presentation: Don Dean was first

introduced to hosta in 1984 when his mother gave him a sizeable

chunk of H. undulata taken from an old established clump in her

yard. 1987 found Don moving his family, Gail & Jesse, to their

current home site. It was a move from a prairie lot to a heavily

wooded lot. He joined a local garden club and began touring

members’ gardens. He was looking for solutions to a newfound

gardening problem, shade. A visit to hosta collector’s garden

created the ‘hook’ and set Don upon a path involving hosta from

that point to the present.

1991 started the years of growing seeds under lights. Those first

seeds grown indoors during the winter of ’91-92 began a

continued passion for creating new hostas. He has taught middle

school children for 32 years. Continued on page 2

GREAT EXPECTATIONS central illinois hosta society september 2015 www.cihshostaclub.org volume 21, issue 7

2

This has provided the opportunity to continue dabbing pollen. Don had the good fortune

of having had several great mentors along the way through relationships with Ken

Anderson, Herb Benedict, Hideko Gowan, and many others that proved to be excited to

share their passion for hybridizing. He has some standards in his program that have been

passed on to him from his teachers. Growing a plant for five or more years prior to

selection, getting peers’ views upon his seedlings, and trying to be sure that distinction is

present prior to releasing a plant are considered by Don to be a must.

Don began registering some seedlings in 1999. H. ‘Silver Bay’, ‘Faith’, and ‘Pewterware’

are three of these solids became available. H. ‘Bedazzled’, ‘Frosted Dimples’, and

‘Heartbeat’ are each marginal variegated plants that have been introduced. These began

a consistent series of introductions each year. Fifty plus hostas are registered with Don as

the originator, most are available from a retail source. Look for a few more to become

available each year in the fall as catalogs arrive and websites are updated.

Don will share his presentation, "My Path", that follows his gardening experience from a

blank slate and gardening in full sun to hybridizer of the most popular shade tolerant

plant, hosta. He will take us through a photographic journey of gardens from the earliest

beginnings of the growing season to frost and finish with a peek at some future plants yet

to hit the retail lists. Expect there will be something to relate to in your own experience

and/or spark your interest whether you are a beginner or old pro.

________________________________________________________________

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 309.444.3758.

________________________________________________________________

2015 CIHS Calendar If you are interested in opening your garden

for a meeting in 2015, please contact Gloria Hicks,

Janette Smith or a board member.

March 15, 2016

Hosta Trivia

Freedom Hall

349 W. Birchwood Street, Morton

April 19, 2016

Potluck

“How to Make Terrariums” by

Janet Stein

Freedom Hall

349 W. Birchwood Street, Morton

May 17, 2016

Al & Michele Klein

1616 Indigo Drive, Morton

June 15‐18, 2016

American Hosta Society

Convention

St. Louis

June 21, 2016

Dan & Cheryl Taylor

19 Cypress Point, Pekin

June 25, 2016

CIHS Bus Trip

St. Louis

July 7-9, 2016

Midwest Regional Hosta Society

Convention

Champaign, Illinois

July 19, 2016

Gloria Smith

106 Ravine, Morton

August 16, 2016

Annual Auction

Freedom Hall

349 W. Birchwood Street, Morton

September 20, 2016

CIHS Banquet TBA

Officers President Deb McCollum 309.361.4284 [email protected] Vice Presidents Gloria Hicks, Janette Smith 309.266.7761, 309.387.6549 [email protected] [email protected] Second Vice Presidents Barry Ankney, Penny Bocelli [email protected] [email protected] Third Vice President Deb Schoedel 309.256.0479 [email protected] Recording Secretary Sue Eckhoff [email protected] Corresponding Secretary Maggie Keesey 309.264.2253 [email protected] Treasurer Dan McConnell 309.360.4188 [email protected]

To join: Central Illinois Hosta Society $10/year, form on back cover Midwest Reg. Hosta Society $20/2 years, Send dues to: Barbara Schroeder, Treasurer 1819 Coventry Drive Champaign, IL 61822 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 27948

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Slate of Nominations

e will be voting at the last meeting for the

slate of nominations; however, nominations

will be taken from the floor. There are still

a few openings; please let Dan McConnell or any other

officer know if you’re interested in getting involved.

The following is what we have so far for the slate of

officers

President Barry Ankney

1st Vice President Janette Smith/Deb McCollum

2nd Vice President Penny Bocelli/Deb Schoedel

3rd Vice President Wendy Kamisciki

Treasurer Dan McConnell

Recording Sec. Sue Eckhoff

Corresponding Sec Maggie Keesey

Education Ella Maxwell/Bob

Historian Penny Bocelli

Hospitality Mike/Sally Pula

Ken/Betty McGarvey

Library Ella Maxwell

Membership TBA

Garden Walk TBA

Newsletter Bob Streitmatter

Parliamentarian Jennifer Bass

Publicity Shelly Baldini

Ways and Means Carolyn Jones

Website Barry Ankney

________________________________________

he CIHS Board has decided to formally sponsor

the AHS National Display Garden at Illinois

Central College. Previously, CIHS has

informally sponsored the AHS Garden at ICC by

providing funding for plant labels, cost of replacement

plants that were missing from the garden, and by

providing many volunteer hours to help restore the

garden. By formally sponsoring this project, CIHS will

be acknowledged by the Illinois Central College

Educational Foundation as the sponsor of the Hosta

Gardens. Details about the relationship between ICC

and CIHS are being worked on at this time. The Interim

Dean of the College has been contacted by Genny

Gibbs, and she will inform CIHS about the particulars

of formalizing this relationship.

By having a formal sponsorship of the AHS Garden at

ICC, CIHS will now qualify for additional grant money

from the Midwest Regional Hosta Society. MRHS is

currently working on adding an Educational Fund. The

MRHS Board has voted to place $1,500 in a fund which

will be available to AHS Display Gardens that are

sponsored by local societies. The grant application

process is currently being developed and should be in

place within the next several months. Preliminary draft

of the process indicated that each local club that is

sponsoring an AHS Display Garden within the

Midwest Region may apply for a $300 grant each year.

As additional information becomes available, we will

inform you. The CIHS Board decided that a

representative of CIHS be appointed to interact with the

ICC Educational Foundation and the Horticulture

Department at ICC. That representative is currently

Barry Ankney.

By Barry Ankney, CIHS

________________________________________

owa is host to three American Hosta Society

National Display Gardens. Our recent visit to the

Midwest Regional Hosta Society (MRHS)

Convention in Dubuque, Iowa, presented an

opportunity for us to visit all three as we traveled from

Illinois and returned from the convention.

Our first garden was the Vander Veer Botanical Park in

Davenport, located at 700 West River Drive. This

garden was designated a display garden in 2003.

Located in a Park located in central Davenport, the park

is well used by local citizens, as evidenced by our

experience on arrival there. Continued on page 4

W

T

I

CIHS formally Sponsors Garden, at ICC

Touring AHS Display Gardens in Iowa

4

Many families were there with children enjoying the

duck pond and playground equipment. Our primary

interest, of course, was the Hosta Glade. Hostas are

well displayed and marked for easy

identification. Interspersed with the hosta and

companion plants were painted gnomes. These are

painted by local senior citizen groups, and were a hit

with many young children, who were trying to find as

many as they could hidden within the hosta display

beds. The Hosta glade is home to over 350 cultivars.

During the MRHS Conference, we visited the Dubuque

Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Marshall Park

(top right), located at 3800 Arboretum Drive. The

Hosta collection is extensive, with 13,000 plants,

comprising 900 cultivars. Originally designated an

AHS Display garden in 2004, the hosta display was

recently updated by the Dubuque Regional Hosta

Society. Karen Schwarz and a team of volunteers have

put in extensive efforts to upgrade and maintain the

garden. Mark Zilis, a member of DRHS, donated a

significant number of plants from his collection when

he recently reorganized his business. Also within the

display area is a bed with seedlings developed by

Mark. A significant number of plants were also

donated by Jim’s Hostas (Jim and Karen

Schwarz). The setting on a hillside with sweeping beds

of mature Hostas is a delight to view. The Arboretum

is also home to a vast collection of conifers, covering

well over an acre, and containing some unusual and

rare species.

Following the convention, as we travelled back toward

Illinois, we stopped at the Bickelhaupt Arboretum

(bottom right), located at 340 South 4th Street, Clinton,

Iowa. Originally a private estate, the extensive conifer

collection resulted in Bickelhaupt being named an

American Conifer Reference Garden in 2012. The

Hosta Glade displays 225 cultivars of Hosta, and

includes many shade companion plants. Located

across the creek bed and at the back edge of the garden,

the display is well designed, and plants are labeled for

ease in identification. The garden was designated an

AHS Display Garden in 2004.

Each garden offers a different experience, just as our

individual gardens have their own character, usually

dictated by the personality and tastes of the

gardener. While Dubuque offers the most extensive

collection, Bickelhaupt provides a pleasant setting with

beautiful mature specimens. The Vander Veer garden

provides a very pleasant setting that can be enjoyed by

young and mature alike. Perhaps the gnomes serve a

good purpose, attracting children who may become our

future members. They may come to find the gnomes,

but maybe the stunning Hosta will spark an interest in

the plants as well. All three gardens are well worth a

visit.

By Barry R. Ankney, CIHS

___________________________________________

As we transition into the fall season there's much to be

done in the garden.

Fall is for Planting

Many folks might conclude that hostas can only be

planted in the spring because they seem to "disappear"

in local nurseries and garden centers by the first of

June. Fact is, container grown hostas can be planted any

time during the growing season. What's more, by

planting now you can gain nearly a full growing season

as compared to waiting until next spring. This will be

readily apparent next spring as you will most likely

have multiple eyes or pips emerge as a result of planting

now. Remember we maintain our hosta stock year

round and still have thousands to choose from.

Continued on page 5

September Hosta Tips, from the Hosta Guy

5

Dividing Hostas

Fall is considered the "optimum" time for hosta

division as roots can continue to grow and establish

themselves until our first killing frost (which averages

October 26th in KC). Remember hostas never need to

be divided as opposed to most perennials that will

become less vigorous after 3-5 years if not divided.

With hostas it's a choice you make.

To divide hostas it is usually easiest to dig and lift the

entire clump. Then use a spade or knife to divide into

smaller sections. The key is to retain an adequate root

structure for each division. If needed, use a hose to

wash away the soil to get a closer look at where you

should be making your divisions. When replanting, use

a root starter/stimulator solution, but avoid any high

nitrogen fertilizer this late in the season.

Don't forget the value of good soil prep. Since hostas

never need to be divided, you really only get one

chance to do a good job of preparing the soil with

plenty of organic matter. Never plant that $5 hosta in a

50 cent hole. Even worse is planting a $20 hosta in that

same 50 cent hole!!!

Planting Hosta Seeds

Chances are you have at least a few hosta bloom scapes

that set seed. The seed pod will crack open in due time

indicating the seed has matured. The seed is generally

viable if is has turned black.

Hostas do not obey the normal rules of genetics. You

might think that if a variegated hosta is crossed with

another variegated hosta then the offspring would be,

for the most part, variegated. However this is not true,

or at the least it is very, very rare. Hybridizers use

"streaked" hostas as the pod parent for developing new

variegated cultivars. These streaked breeding plants are

somewhat unstable and command a relatively high

market price.

But with all that said, you can still have some fun by

germinating your own hosta seeds. Just realize that they

will likely be a solid color even if originating from a

variegated parent. Here are a few tips for starting seed

which can be a great winter time activity. The timing

on starting seed is a variable with some folks starting in

October or November while others wait until February.

Start the seeds in flats with a clear plastic dome (or

similar high humidity setup). Wash the flats and use a

sterile soilless mix to minimize any potential fungal

problems. Cover the seed lightly to a 1/8-1/4" depth.

Germination typically occurs in 12 to 15 days. Target

an air temperature of about 75 degrees F. Heating mats

can be useful when working in cooler basement

settings.

Lighting is critical when gardening indoors (although

not relevant to the actual seed germination process in

this case). Use supplemental lighting (cool-white

fluorescent tubes) to give 16-24 hours of daily lighting

following germination. Maintain the lights about 2"

above the dome, or 2" above the plants once the dome

has been removed.

Never let the seedlings dry out. Keep the soil moist but

not soggy. Grow until the tops of the plants touch the

dome. Then transplant (typically at the 2 or3 leaf stage)

and begin using a water soluble fertilizer. How much

water soluble fertilizer you use will depend on how

much you want to "push" the growth process.

Before moving seedlings to the spring garden, don't

forget to harden them off - just like a tomato plant that

was started inside.

By Rob Mortko, Made in the

Shade Gardens, AHS Vice

President

s we look around for more hostas that we don’t

really need or have room for, I thought this

might be an interesting way to choose plants.

Growing conditions in Missouri would not be that

much different from northern Illinois. Red, yellow and

brown leaves covered the beds in my garden. October

was in full swing. Time to get out, rake, and say

goodbye to my favorite plants. As I walked about I

noticed a number that were still not ready to say

goodbye to me.

‘Touch of Class’ (upper right) still retains its blue

tones, looking much as it did in May. Thick tri-colored

leaves thwarted slugs and cutworms alike. ‘Tom

Schmid’ and ‘Regal Splendor’, similar appearing

plants, remain upright with their margins intact.

Continued on page 6

A

All Season Hostas… What still looks good in the middle of October?

6

Regal is a good description for both. Bringing

brightness and joy to the top of a berm is ‘Diva’.

Being under an Oak tree canopy results in mechanical

damage, but thick golden leaves resist pests. In

contrast, ‘Twilight Time’ has leaves that become bluer

and much darker as the season progresses – striking

positioned next to ‘Diva’. One of my favorites,

‘Rainbow’s End’ was still putting on a show.

It has incredibly variegated shiny foliage. Perhaps due

to its place under a Kousa Dogwood, its center does not

brighten to white.

At the Missouri Botanical Garden, ‘Corkscrew’ and

‘Stiletto’ were still blooming. Miraculously, slugs and

worms had not attacked their leaves. Two others,

‘Mojito’ and ‘Love Pat’ appeared flawless. Each had

retained most of their spring coloring. Spence Sorenson

praised ‘Sagae’. With good reason! This large, vase-

shaped, variegated hosta with blue green leaves is # 1

on the AHS Popularity poll.

Phyllis and Jim Weidman mentioned ‘Rainforest

Sunrise’ and ‘Paradise Joyce’ as having great staying

power. Jim stated anything with ‘Halcyon’ parentage

was good. Looking at this list he is right as many can

be traced back to ‘Halcyon’. Pat Payton said many of

hers were doing well this year, especially ‘Yellow

River’, ‘Earth Angel’, ‘Unforgettable’, ‘June’ and

Mary Chastain’s beautiful ‘Lakeside Paisley Print’.

Most of these favorites have enough substance to resist

pests such as slugs and cutworms. Their edges ‘remain

strong even with some sun. While their color might

change it does not fade or melt out. What’s looking

good in your garden today?

Reprinted from St. Louis Hosta Society newsletter,

Shady Notes, Nov 2014, Joan Poos, Editor

With each passing season, I notice more

and more the difference among hostas.

Part of that skill has been acquired by

looking at more than just the leaf.

Don’t misunderstand me. The most dramatic and

significant impact of hostas comes from the leaves.

However, by emphasizing only the foliage, we may

miss the subtle beauty and some fun. As a hosta society

(AHS), we honor the leaves. If one of our hybridizers

were to create a hosta with a yellow or red flower, all

of us would likely want such a plant. But if its leaf was

not unique, it would not win an award in the seedling

class at the cut-leaf show.

Consider the flower scapes. Some are rigid and some

arch. Some have orderly ridges. Some are very tall

compared to the plant’s height. Others may be so short

as to have all or part of the blooming under the plant’s

foliage. Some plants have several flower scapes per

division. The color of the flower scape often mirrors the

color of the central part of the leaf and petiole.

Some hosta leaves have a waxy coat called “bloom”,

which is what makes blue leaves blue, and which, after

time, may melt off and create dark-green leaves. Have

you noticed that flower scapes and even seed pods also

have a “bloom”? The bloom on the scape persists long

after the bloom on the leaf is gone.

Flower scapes can also have red pigment. This may

vary from a light stippling to an intense uniform color

such as seen on H. ‘Sparkling Burgundy’. In some

cases the purple color also extends to the seed pods.

This is the case with H. ‘Purple Passion’, making it a

very striking plant when the seed pods are left on the

scape. Several of my seedlings from H. kikutii var.

caput-avis have purple flower scapes. One of them has

a very unusual modification: development of the purple

appears to be photo (light) dependent. The portion of

thesc ape below the foliage is green and that above the

foliage is purple.

Some flower scapes have leaves arising from them.

These vestigial leaves or scape foliations can be very

striking. They often mimic leaves that arise from the

crown. Herb Benedict has commented that they are

often seen in young, vigorous plants, and become

insignificant in established clumps. Splashed vestigial

leaves can be a useful guide as to which flowers are apt

to produce variegated progeny.

We regularly talk about flower color, shape, size and

fragrance. Other flower attributes may distinguish one

hosta from another. Do most of the flowers arise from

one side of the scape or are they regularly distributed

around the scape? Do spent flowers readily drop off the

scape or are they retained until they shrivel and

desiccate? Are the flowers closed?

Continued on page 7

Hostas, more than just pretty leaves; look at the flowers!

7

This can be very beautiful because the flowers are not

pollinated and seem to be retained longer before dropping

off. Orientation of the individual flowers has great

influence on the beauty of the bloom. Some flowers droop

with their open end facing down, while others face straight

out or even face up, making a more dramatic presentation.

Some hosta growers remove their flower scapes, just after

they emerge, and miss most of the interest. Many

hostaphiles remove their flower scapes as the last few

flowers are spent. This, it is felt, puts more energy into the

plant and promotes more rapid growth. It is also good to

remove the scape unless you want to grow the seeds, before

the seed pods ripen and the seeds are spread all over the

garden. It can be difficult discriminating between a

volunteer seedling and one of your prized hostas.

By cutting flower scapes early, you may miss some beauty

and interest in the seed pods. Some are a lovely dark purple,

some are striped, some are gold, some are large, and some

may have a waxy coat or “bloom”.

You don’t have to be a hybridizer to understand this

wonder and wonder-filled plant.

By Jim Wilkins, reprinted from the Mid-South Hosta

Society August 2001 newsletter

White Oak Nursery

Specializing in Hostas, Daylilies, Bearded Iris

and Siberian Iris

Please visit our website for an online catalog of

offerings.

We have 300 varieties of Hostas for 2015.

CIHS Members are welcome to come view our offerings.

Please call for an appointment and directions.

Open Garden Days June 6, 7, 13, and 14, 2015 - Noon to

4 P.M.

White Oak Nursery

Washburn, IL

(309) 369-2065

[email protected]

www.whiteoaknursery.com

8

Central Illinois Hosta Society

P.O. Box 3098

Peoria, IL 61612-3098

First Class Postage

Check us out!

www.cihshostaclub.org

Newsletter Deadline: 20th of the preceding month Submit items for publication to: Bob Streitmatter 309.264.4813 [email protected]

CIHS Membership Form (please print)

Name(s)___________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________ City__________________

State___ Zip_________ Phone___________ E-mail________________________

How did you find us?

Friend/Word of Mouth Website Newsletter Event/Presentation

Facebook Newspaper (which one)__________________________________

Other________________________

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 61612-3098

For information regarding dues or membership, contact Kathy Allen at

309.645.7908 or [email protected]