March 2011 Newsletter

Note from the President- It is one week before I leave for Hosta College in Piqua, OH. This will be my first time attending Hosta College and I am extremely excited to hear the lectures I have chosen, see Hosta friends from other areas, and to get a chance to see and buy new plants. Hosta College is where EMHS unveils the new Hosta Stone each year. This is our primary fund raiser for the club and thankfully this year we have enough people attending to man the EMHS sales table. Mick and Cathy Hodgson work on this project for an entire year to get ready for the unveiling of the Hosta Stone. Our thanks to them for their hard work cannot be heard enough to make up for their time and dedication to EMHS.

Our next meeting will be the PowerPoint Presentation by Clayton Oslund on March 17th, 2011 at 5:00PM at the Mayfield Twp. Hall. Please take note that the meeting will start an hour earlier than our regular meeting. You can read more about the presentation in this newsletter.

Spring is only a month or two away and we will all be busy trying to get our gardens cleaned and making room for new plants. Just don’t forget to take time to enjoy your Hosta.

We have a great year planned and we hope to see you at all of the EMHS events.

Glen

Hosta Stones- The 2011 Hosta Stones are still available for the Member price of $25 for the plain and $30 for the colored. For those that are not EMHS Members the prices are $30 for the plain and $35 for the colored. The stones have to be ordered in advance so please contact Mick and Cathy Hodgson at cehodgso@hotmail.com to place an order. We also still have a few of the “in stock” stones from previous years that are on sale for the price of $20 each. Please contact the Hodgsons’ for a list of availability.

Membership- There has been some confusion regarding the EMHS Membership. As of the Board Meeting last fall, the Board decided to leave the dues at $5 per year with the year being defined as January through December. There will be no prorated dues. Membership will be per household. Household is defined as all persons living in a single dwelling. No household can carry more than one membership in a given year. The membership entitles the household to participate in all EMHS functions, have a single vote in all membership votes, and it entitles the household to one entry in the monthly door prize drawings. In short, whether you are a single member or a house full of people you have the same privileges and entitlements.

Next Meeting- The next meeting of the EMHS will be on March 17th, 2011 at 5:00PM at the Mayfield Twp. Hall in Lapeer. The speaker will be Clayton Oslund giving a PowerPoint presentation on “Bringing Nature’s Beauty into Your Shady Garden”

This presentation is being sponsored by the Eastern Michigan Hosta Society to further the interest of Hosta and companion plants. Clayton started Shady Oaks Nursery in Waseca, MN way back in 1982 in his back yard. Then he developed the tissue culture aspect in his basement and now his son operates Shady Oaks Nursery as a wholesale only business. Clayton has presented his programs to several Master Gardener conferences in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He has also taught courses for the continuing education system program "University for Seniors". Clayton has just completed the third edition of his book “What’s Doin’ the Bloomin’”, A Guide to Wildflowers of the Upper Great Lakes Regions, Eastern Canada and Northeastern USA.

In addition to his presentation, Clayton will be selling and autographing his new book and selling plants. Plants available will be Hosta, Bishop’s Cap (Mitella), Epimedium, and Martagon Lilies. The book and plant sales will be from 5:00 PM until 6:00 PM and again after the meeting.

Book signing and plant sales- 5:00PM- 6:00PM and again after the presentation
Refreshments served- 5:00PM- 6:00PM
Presentation begins promptly at 6:00PM

2011 Calendar of Events
March 11-12th- Hosta College in Piqua, OH
March 17th- Clayton Oslund presenting "The Shady Garden" (first time speaker in our area)
April 14th- Grey Gitzen presenting a slide show on Hellebores
May 12th- Mark Hanner presenting a slide show on Japanese Maples
June 9th- Garden Meeting at the home of Jerry and Bernadette Perrou in Clio
July 14th- Garden Meeting at the home of Carolyn Pickard in Millington
August 12th- Garden Meeting at the home of Dyane Moore
September 8th- EMHS Plant Exchange at the home of Pam Walmsley in Grand Blanc
October 2011- No meeting scheduled
November 2011- No meeting scheduled
December 2011- Annual Christmas Party/Potluck, date to be announced

EMHS Officers
President, Glen Pace pacegardens@charter.net 989-244-4029
Vice-President, Carolyn Pickard (no email) 989-871-2873
Treasurer, Mary Smith brooktrout@tds.net 989-871-9833
Secretary, Marlene Daniels gardenfairy50@aol.com 810-664-8317
Past President, Mark Hanner mhanner@aol.com 810-631-4292
Fund-Raising, Mick and Cathy Hodgson cehodgso@hotmail.com 810-664-8985