Eastern Michigan Hosta Society

Thursday, June 29, 2017

July 2017 Newsletter

President’s Note- Our next meeting will be very different for the group in that we will not be doing a potluck, nor will we have any sort of a business meeting. Mark and Becky Hanner are preparing the clay for all members who have signed up to do a Pinch-Pot which will be suitable to plant a mini Hosta in once it has been fired. The Hanners will have the clay prepared for the project, instruct you on how to texture the clay and form the Pinch-Pot, and have a choice of glazes to be applied before they fire the pot.

EMHS is paying for the materials and the firing for the membership to take this class.

The guidelines are:

*You must be a member in good standing to take the class

*You must be listed on the sign-up sheet to take the class

*If you want to take the class but are not signed up, call the Hanner’s and sign-up now

*Be in the studio at your sign-up time and ready to start

Since we are not having a potluck, please do not bring food. The Hanners will have bottled water and store-bought cookies, but with arrival times being over such a long period, capability of hot or cold food safety is poor.

Mark’s dad is back in the hospital so if you call them to sign-up and they do not answer, please leave a message on the answering machine. Please don’t just show up at the meeting and expect to make a Pinch-Pot as Mark and Becky are preparing the clay beforehand and they are being remunerated for supplies and firing by EMHS for the people who are signed up.

Next Meeting- is on July 13^th, 2017 at the home of Mark and Becky Hanner, 10414 Oak Rd. Otisville, MI 48463, Ph. 810-631-4292. Tour their gardens before or after your class time.

            Driving Directions- From our regular meeting place at the Mayfield Twp. Hall in Lapeer; starting on M-24 drive North 5.3 miles to Columbiaville Rd. Turn Left (West) and drive 7.5 miles to Washburn Road. Turn right (North) and drive ½ mile to Main St (Wilson Rd.). Turn left (West) and drive 2.0 miles to Oak Rd. Turn Left (South) and drive 2/10ths of a mile to the house on the left.
    From downtown Otisville on M-15; turn right (Northeast) onto Wilson Rd (Main St) and drive 2/10ths of a mile to Main St and turn right. Drive 1.1 miles to Oak Rd and turn right (South). Drive 2/10ths of a mile to the house on the left.

*Parking will be in the open area between the greenhouse and the studio or along the side of Oak Rd. Use the driveway only as a drop-off.

I look forward to seeing you and hoping you all enjoy the clay project.
Glen Pace

2017 EMHS Calendar of Events

Meeting Dates- Places- Speakers/topic

July 13- the Hanner’s in Otisville, Clay Project

Aug 10- the Gavits’ in Saginaw, Garden Tour

Sept 14 – Melva Bonds in Bridgeport- Plant Exchange

Oct 12- Mayfield Twp. Hall, ?_________________

Nov 09- Annual Board Meeting, Whitey’s in Davison

Dec 14- Christmas Party, Mayfield Twp. Hall

Name Badges- If you need one of the new EMHS name badges, please put your printed name on the sign-up sheet at any meeting or you can email Glen with your request. Glen will try to have your name badge at the next meeting.

Club Members selling Hosta or Related Products-
Please call or email to set an appointment before visitingBrown, Deb- Aeroponic Tower Garden. 505-379-9100, www.debbrown.towergarden.com
Daniels, Marlene- Bottle wind chimes. 810-664-8317, gardenfairy50@aol.com
Hanner, Mark/Becky- Pottery. 810-631-4292, mhanner@aol.com
Hunter, Barb- Hosta, Daylilies, Pond supplies. 810-664-7531, baha@chartermi.net
Lisik, Phil/Ginger-Hosta, Daylilies, other plants. 989-642-5772, lisik46@yahoo.com
Pickard, Carolyn- Daylilies, Hosta. 989-871-2873, robfamily5 @yahoo.com

Comments to the EMHS blog: I am mentioning blog posting to let you know that your comments to the blog can be published too. All you do is go to the EMHS blog at http://easternmichiganhostasociety.blogspot.com and comment to a blog posting which will alert me that you have made a comment. Once I deem the comment valid for publishing I will okay and it will automatically be posted. Please note that I cannot edit or spell check your comments, all I can do is to publish, ignore, or delete your comments. All comments will be screened by me to deter any vulgarity or inappropriate comments being published to the EMHS blog. Glen

Websites of Interest:

American Hosta Society- http://www.americanhostasociety.org/

American Hosta Society Convention Website- http://www.americanhostasociety.org/Activities/Conventions.htm
AHS Hosta Library Website- http://www.hostalibrary.org/
Michigan Hosta Society Website- http://www.hostahappenings.com/
Eastern Michigan Hosta Society blog- http://easternmichiganhostasociety.blogspot.com/

Hosta College Website- http://ihostohio.com/portal/glhc/

Hosta Society Membership info-
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

Michigan Hosta Society, Dues are $15 per household for up to two people, good for 2 years. Make checks payable to: The Michigan Hosta Society and send to; Michigan Hosta Society, 2509 Wembly Lane, Troy, MI 48084-1280

Eastern Michigan Hosta Society, Dues $5 per year per household, Make check payable to EMHS and mail to: Barb Hunter, EMHS Treasurer, 316 Davis Lake Rd. Lapeer, MI 48746

Saginaw Valley Hosta Society, Dues $20 per year per household, Make check payable to SVHS and mail to: Gordon Burnside, 11640 W Freeland Rd. Freeland, MI 48623

EMHS Board of Officers:

President Glen Pace
PaceGardens@charter.net 989-244-4029

Vice-President Becky Hanner
BGHanner@aol.com 810-631-4292

Treasurer Barb Hunter
baha@chartermi.net 810-664-7531

Secretary Marlene Daniels
gardenfairy50@aol.com 810-664-8317

Past President Mark Hanner
mhanner@aol.com 810-631-4292

Fund-Raising Mick & Cathy Hodgson
cehodgso@hotmail.com 810-664-8985

June 08, 2017 Meeting Minutes

The Meeting – was held at Pace Gardens, Clio

Networking – 5:00pm Tour gardens, sign in, networking

Refreshments – 6:00pm the meeting was called to order by President Glen Pace, and members enjoyed a wonderful potluck.

Approval of Minutes – there were no changes to the May 2017 meeting minutes. Motion to accept the minutes was made by Becky Hanner and seconded by Paulette Johnson. Members voted to accept the May 2017 meeting minutes.

Treasurer’s Report – Barb Hunter, treasurer gave a report for May 2017, beginning balance was $XXX.xx, income was $XX.xx, and expenditures were $XX.xx, leaving the club with an ending balance of $XXX.xx. Motion to accept the treasurer report was made by Mark Hanner, and seconded by Dyane Moore. Members voted to accept the May 2017 treasurer’s report.

Calendar of Events – next meeting will be at Mark & Becky Hanner’s home in Otisville and the club will be making pinch pots. Signup sheet for times was available.

Annual Fund Raiser – no report, Mick & Cathy Hodgson and Gene Arms were at National Hosta Convention.

Other Announcements - Carolyn Pickard talked to the members about the Hosta Tailgate and wanted to know if the club would be interested in hosting next year’s tailgate and maybe have Saginaw club join us. Members discussed and we will pick back up next month.

Marlene Daniels announced the Lapeer County Master Gardeners will be having a garden tour on July 22, also they are having a Fairy/Gnome Garden contest at the gardens at Suncrest, no cost to enter and anyone may enter.

Donations – Thank you to Barb Hunter, Glen Pace, Patrick & Patricia Major, Barbara Colling, and Teresa Dillon for donating items for our door prizes. No raffle was held.

Next Meeting – Our next meeting will be July 13^th and will be held at Mark & Becky Hanner’s home in Otisville.

Adjourned – The meeting was adjourned at 7:28 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Marlene Daniels

Secretary

Sunday, May 28, 2017

June 2017 Newsletter

Note from the President- Our summer garden tour meetings start with the June meeting. The garden tour meetings are when we visit the garden of one of our fellow members. This is our chance to see other’s gardens and to get ideas of what we can do in our own gardens. It is also a great opportunity to see plants that you may not have seen before. Don’t forget to bring a chair, bug spray, something for the door prize or raffle, and your favorite dish to pass for the potluck.

This spring has been great for watering the plants, but terrible for me getting into the gardens to clean out last year’s fallen leaves. As most of you know, I work every weekend and the rains have been primarily Monday through Friday with rather nice weather weekends. I am desperately trying to get the gardens cleaned before the EMHS meeting on June 8^th. The portable greenhouse will still be filled with this year’s purchases and the blocks for the new pathways through the woodland gardens will still be stacked along the path near the front, but I assure you that the gardens will have some unusual plants for you to look at. A lot of the spring ephemeral are already gone, the tree peonies are finished, and the cypripedium orchids will most likely be gone by the time you visit. You will find Japanese Maples in spring leaf color, Japanese Dogwoods in bloom, Podophyllum (Mayapples) that you have probably never seen before, numerous forms of Solomon’s Seal, and a garden full of other unique plants, trees, and shrubs. I look forward to seeing all of you at Pace Gardens on June 8^th.

This is also the time of year to begin dividing the plants you want to bring to the EMHS Plant Exchange in September. Dividing the plants now will give them time to establish a good set of roots and look great for the exchange. As a reminder, it has been suggested that instead of dividing a nice plant you are going to donate, keep the plant as a larger multiple eye plant. Also, don’t forget that the plant exchange is not just for Hosta. Companion plants for the shade garden are a great donation as are garden ornaments, garden tools, gardening books, and anything else that pertains to our addiction of gardening. Cathy Hodgson will be running the $5.00 table for the Plant Exchange and the person donating the plants can make the decision if they want their donation to be placed on the $5.00 table or if they want it in the regular exchange. If you have any questions, please ask Cathy.

A big thank you to Teresa Dillon for the suggestion of obtaining Aaron Strouse as a speaker. Aaron’s presentation on Michigan’s Wild Native Orchids was fantastic!

I look forward to seeing you all at the June meeting on June 8^that Pace Gardens in Clio.

Sincerely,
Glen Pace
EMHS President

Next Meeting- June 08, 2017 at Pace Gardens 2426 Delwood Dr. Clio, MI 48420. The phone number is 810-687-2512. If you get lost on the way you can call for help.

Directions- From Lapeer, take I-69 West to I-75 North.   Drive North on I-75 to the Clio/Montrose/Vienna Rd/M-57 exit (Exit 131). Turn right (East) onto Vienna Rd and drive 5.4 miles to Bray Rd. Turn left (North) onto Bray Rd. and drive 1.3 miles to Delwood Dr.   Turn left (West) and drive to the forth house on the left.
            or I-69 East 9.5 miles to M-15/State Rd.   Turn right (North) and drive 11.8 miles to
                   M-57/Vienna Rd.   Turn left (West) and drive 7.1 miles to Bray Rd.   Turn right (North)
                   and drive 1.3 miles to Delwood Dr. Turn left (West) and drive to 4^th house on the
                   left.
             from Saginaw- Drive South on I-75 to the Clio/Montrose/M-57/Vienna Rd exit (Exit 131).
                   Turn left (East) and drive 5.5 miles to Bray Rd.   Turn keft (North) onto Bray and drive
                   1.3 miles to Delwood Dr.   Turn left (West) and drive to the forth house on the left.

This meeting begins our summer garden tour meetings. Please remember to bring your own chair, bug spray, your favorite dish to pass for the potluck, and plan to have a great time.

The time schedule for the evening is;
1700-   Networking
1800-   Potluck
1900- Program
2000-   Business Meeting

Review the May 11th, 2017 Meeting Minutes on the blog. We will vote to accept the minutes at the June 8^th, 2017 meeting.

2017 EMHS Calendar of Events

Meeting Dates- Places- Speakers/topic

June 08- Pace Gardens in Clio, Garden Tour

July 13- the Hanner’s in Otisville, Clay Hosta Project

Aug 10- the Gavits’ in Saginaw, Garden Tour

Sept 14 – Melva Bonds in Bridgeport- Plant Exchange

Oct 12- Mayfield Twp. Hall, ?_________________

Nov 09- Annual Board Meeting, Whitey’s in Davison

Dec 14- Christmas Party, Mayfield Twp. Hall

Websites of Interest:

American Hosta Society- http://www.americanhostasociety.org/

Hosta College Website- http://ihostohio.com/portal/glhc/

Eastern Michigan Hosta Society, Dues $5 per year per household, Make check payable to EMHS and mail to: Barb Hunter, EMHS Treasurer, 316 Davis Lake Rd. Lapeer, MI 48746

Saginaw Valley Hosta Society, Dues $20 per year per household, Make check payable to SVHS and mail to: Gordon Burnside, 11640 W Freeland Rd. Freeland, MI 48623

EMHS Board of Officers:

President Glen Pace
PaceGardens@charter.net 989-244-4029

Vice-President Becky Hanner
BGHanner@aol.com 810-631-4292

Treasurer Barb Hunter
baha@chartermi.net 810-664-7531

Secretary Marlene Daniels
gardenfairy50@aol.com 810-664-8317

Past President Mark Hanner
mhanner@aol.com 810-631-4292

Fund-Raising Mick & Cathy Hodgson

cehodgso@hotmail.com 810-664-8985

May 11, 2017 Meeting Minutes

The Meeting – was held at the Mayfield Twp. Hall

Networking – 5:00pm doors open, setup refreshments, sign in, pay dues and networking

Presentation – Glen Pace introduced Aaron Strouse, Aaron’s presentation was The Wild Native Orchids of Michigan.

Break – 8:15pm

Business Meeting – The meeting was called back to order at 8:27pm by President Glen Pace

Approval of Minutes – There were no changes to the minutes from April 2017meeting. Motion to accept the minutes was made by Robin Bratton, seconded by Mark Hanner. The membership voted to accept the April 2017 minutes.

Treasurer’s Report – No treasurer report was given due to a speaker being present at this meeting. April’s beginning balance was $XX.xx with an income of $XX.xx and expenditures of $XX.xx giving us an ending balance of $XX.xx for the month of April.

Sad news – We have had sad news recently, Van Wade passed away on April 26, 2017 the hosta world will miss him very much. Also, Joyce Vescio has passed away on April 23, 2017; Joyce will be missed by our club. Jan Everson is very ill and will no longer be able to be our speaker in February.

Dues – If you haven’t already, please pay your 2017 membership dues tonight.

Calendar of Events – Glen went over the calendar and noted we might not have a meeting in October due to not having a speaker yet. We will keep the membership informed.

Announcements – Carolyn Pickard let the membership know that she will be selling all of her daylilies, if interested contact her, she will however still be selling hostas. Mark Hanner has a petition regarding the pipe line, if anyone would like to sign please see Mark at the end of the meeting.

Raffle – Thank you to Mark & Becky Hanner, Glen Pace, Teresa Dillion, Dyane Moore, Betty Valentine and Wanda Rybak for donating items for our raffle. The club made $XX.xx

Next Meeting – Our next meeting will be held at Pace Gardens in Clio.

Adjourned – A motion to adjourn our meeting was made by Mark Hanner and seconded by Pat Maitland.

Respectfully submitted

Marlene Daniels

Secretary

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

May 2017 Newsletter

Note from the President- As gardeners we have encountered a fantastic spring here in Mid-Michigan. The warmer days and cool nights have fostered the extended flowering periods of the spring ephemerals and early spring bulbs and the consistent rains have kept the plants watered so we aren’t having to give supplemental moisture. This is the time of year that I love walking through the gardens daily just find out what is emerging from dormancy today. Finding a plant that you either forgot you planted last year or one that you thought had died makes spring a time of a gardener’s delight.

This is also the season that we receive the plant orders we placed either late last year or very early this year. Getting a box of plants in the mail is like opening a Christmas present, the thrill of the first sight of what you ordered is so exciting. If you have ordered plants from a company and were pleased with what you received, share that experience with your fellow gardening friends so that mail order company is promoted. So many of the mail order plant companies have either gone out of business or were bought out by big business that we need to support the smaller businesses that provide us with the joys of receiving wonderful new plants.

We have another first- time-for-us speaker for our May meeting. We will have photographer Aaron Strouse presenting a slide show titled “The Wild Native Orchids of Michigan”. This will include plants most of us have never seen. Aaron lives in Clare, MI and has made numerous photography trips through Michigan’s woods to capture the subjects in this presentation, so don’t miss this meeting if you want to see what we have growing right in our own state that you have probably never seen growing in its natural environment.

I also want to thank Melissa Jaskiewicz for her informative presentation at our April meeting on bee-keeping both here and abroad as well as the tasting samples of honey she provided at the meeting. Who knew that the taste of honey was affected so much by the flower the bees were gathering from to make the honey. Yes, we knew there was clover, orange blossom, and buckwheat honey, but I was thrilled to get to try the specialty honey Melissa shared with us.

I look forward to seeing you all at the May meeting on May 11^th.

Sincerely,
Glen Pace
EMHS President

Next Meeting- May 11^th, 2017 at the Mayfield Twp. Hall, 1900 N. Saginaw, Lapeer, MI 48446. This is our regular meeting place located just south of the point of M-24 and N. Saginaw, (the driveway just north of the Cemetery).

Aaron Strouse will present “The Wild Native Orchids of Michigan”. Aaron is a photographer from our great state of Michigan. Aaron said he has been compiling the photos for this presentation for some time is ready to share it with us.

The time schedule for the evening is;
1700-   Networking
1800-   Potluck
1900- Program
2000-   Business Meeting

Review the April 13th, 2017 Meeting Minutes on the blog. We will vote to accept the minutes at the May 11^th, 2017 meeting.

2017 EMHS Calendar of Events

Meeting Dates- Places- Speakers/topic

May 11- Mayfield Twp. Hall- Aaron Strouse, Wild Native Orchids of MI

June 08- Pace Gardens in Clio, Garden Tour

July 13- the Hanner’s in Otisville, Clay Hosta Project

Aug 10- the Gavits’ in Saginaw, Garden Tour

Sept 14 – Melva Bonds in Bridgeport- Plant Exchange

Oct 12- Mayfield Twp. Hall, ?_________________

Nov 09- Annual Board Meeting, Whitey’s in Davison

Dec 14- Christmas Party, Mayfield Twp. Hall

Club Members selling Hosta or Related Products-
Please call or email to set an appointment before visiting
Brown, Deb- Aeroponic Tower Garden. 505-379-9100, www.debbrown.towergarden.com
Daniels, Marlene- Bottle wind chimes. 810-664-8317, gardenfairy50@aol.com
Hanner, Mark/Becky- Pottery. 810-631-4292, mhanner@aol.com
Hunter, Barb- Hosta, Daylilies, Pond supplies. 810-664-7531, baha@chartermi.net
Lisik, Phil/Ginger-Hosta, Daylilies, other plants. 989-642-5772, lisik46@yahoo.com
Pickard, Carolyn- Daylilies, Hosta. 989-871-2873, robfamily5 @yahoo.com

Websites of Interest:

American Hosta Society- http://www.americanhostasociety.org/

Hosta College Website- http://ihostohio.com/portal/glhc/

Eastern Michigan Hosta Society, Dues $5 per year per household, Make check payable to EMHS and mail to: Barb Hunter, EMHS Treasurer, 316 Davis Lake Rd. Lapeer, MI 48746

Saginaw Valley Hosta Society, Dues $20 per year per household, Make check payable to SVHS and mail to: Gordon Burnside, 11640 W Freeland Rd. Freeland, MI 48623

EMHS Board of Officers:

President Glen Pace
PaceGardens@charter.net 989-244-4029

Vice-President Becky Hanner
BGHanner@aol.com 810-631-4292

Treasurer Barb Hunter
baha@chartermi.net 810-664-7531

Secretary Marlene Daniels
gardenfairy50@aol.com 810-664-8317

Past President Mark Hanner
mhanner@aol.com 810-631-4292

Fund-Raising Mick & Cathy Hodgson

cehodgso@hotmail.com 810-664-8985

Thursday, April 20, 2017

April 13, 2017 Meeting Minutes

The Meeting – was held at the Mayfield Twp. Hall

Networking – 5:00 PM, doors open, setup refreshments sign in, pay dues

Refreshments – The meeting was called to order by President Glen Pace, everyone enjoyed a wonderful potluck.

Presentation – Glen Pace introduced Melissa Jaskiewicz, bee keeper, she also raises dairy goats. The club enjoyed her presentation “Beekeeping” and tasting the many different honeys she had bought.

Break – 7:50

Business Meeting – the meeting was called back to order at 8:10 PM by President Glen Pace.

Approval of Minutes – there were no corrections to the minutes from the February meeting. Motion to accept the minutes was made by Paulette Johnson and seconded by Steve Balabon. The membership voted to accept the February meeting minutes.

Treasurer’s Report – There was no treasure report given due to having a speaker. February’s beginning balance was $xxx.xx; total income for the month was $xxx.xx leaving us with an ending balance of $xxx.xx for the end of February. March’s beginning balance was $xxx.xx; total income for the month was xx cents, leaving the club with an ending balance of $xxx.xx for the month of March.

Audit of Treasury – Glen Pace thanked Mark Hanner, Barb Hunter, Bruce Pollard and Deb Brown for auditing the treasurer’s books.

Annual Fund Raiser – Glen Pace thanked Cathy & Mick Hodgson and Gene Arms for taking over the Plant sale fund raiser, plants were available at the meeting for purchasing.

Announcements – Ethan Griffith has successfully grown baby hosta from seed. Way to go Ethan.

Raffle – We brought in $xx.xx in raffle, thank you to Jan Geisken, Mark & Becky Hanner, Teresa Dillion, Jim & Lorraine Jessop and thank you Dyane Moore for the wonderful door prizes.

Next Meeting - Our next meeting is May 11, 2017 at Mayfield Twp. Hall

Adjourned - 8:26 PM motion was made by Ethan Griffith

Respectfully submitted,

Marlene Daniels

EMHS Secretary

Thursday, March 23, 2017

April 2017 Newsletter

Note from the President- Officially it is SPRING! Of course, for Michigan this means we will still have the chance of frost for another 2 months, but we do get to see signs of renewed growth and flowers. The Galanthus are in full bloom, Adonis are beginning to bloom, certain crocuses are blooming, the Cyclamen are showing their buds, and other spring ephemerals are soon to follow. The sun is warmer and when it is shining through the windows you can feel the warmth on your skin…...the warmth of spring.

EMHS has an exciting year of monthly events scheduled. This month we will hear Melissa Jaskiewicz talking about beekeeping, a beekeeping tour she went on Slovenia, how their beekeeping methods differ from ours, and combining raising bees with small farm animals, as not all bee plants are good for animals. She will be bringing samples of some honey to taste and discuss their differences pertaining to the plants from which it was produced. Melissa will also talk about the upcoming Michigan Honey Festival.

In May we will have photographer Aaron Strouse presenting a slide show titled “The Wild Native Orchids of Michigan”. This will include plants most of us have never seen.

During the summer months, we will be visiting our member’s gardens to see what they have growing, how their gardening techniques differ from our own, and getting ideas to use in our own gardens.

Our July meeting will be at Mark and Becky Hanner’s and we will be working on a clay project. This project is open to all EMHS members and will be a fun day with clay.

Our other activity is our annual plant exchange at our September meeting. Now is the time to think about what you want to divide from your own garden to bring to the exchange. As always, we ask that you refrain from donating Houttuynia, Bishop’s weed, Ostrich Fern, and other invasive plants.

We look forward to another year of promoting the interest of Hostas and shade gardening; to extend horticultural education and activities to our members and the community.

Don’t forget the potluck we enjoy at every meeting. EMHS provides the table setting and coffee, so all you do is bring your favorite dish to pass.

Lastly, I will be sharing info from the AHS Newsletter Exchange in our newsletter, enjoy!

See you at the April 13^th meeting,
Glen Pace
EMHS President

Next Meeting- April 13^th, 2017 at the Mayfield Twp. Hall, 1900 N. Saginaw, Lapeer, MI 48446. This is our regular meeting place located just south of the point of M-24 and N. Saginaw, (the driveway just north of the Cemetery).

Melissa Jaskiewicz will present a slide show on beekeeping, discuss the similarities and differences of beekeeping in Slovenia and the USA, as well as combining beekeeping and other small farm animals. There will be samples of some honey with discussion of their differences as compared to the plants from which they were produced.

The time schedule for the evening is;
1700-   Networking
1800-   Potluck
1900- Program
2000-   Business Meeting

Review the February 11th, 2016 Meeting Minutes on the blog. We will vote to accept the minutes at the April 13^th, 2017 meeting.

2017 EMHS Calendar of Events

Meeting Dates- Places- Speakers/topic

April 13- Mayfield Twp. Hall-
Melissa Jaskiewicz, Bee Keeping

May 11- Mayfield Twp. Hall- Aaron Strouse,
Wild Native Orchids of MI

June 08- Pace Gardens in Clio, Garden Tour

July 13- the Hanner’s in Otisville,
Clay Hosta Project

Aug 10- the Gavits’ in Saginaw,
Garden Tour

Sept 14 – Melva Bonds in Bridgeport,
Plant Exchange

Oct 12- Mayfield Twp. Hall, ?_________________

Nov 09- Annual Board Meeting, Whitey’s in Davison

Dec 14- Christmas Party, Mayfield Twp. Hall

Comments to the EMHS blog: I am mentioning blog posting to let you know that your comments to the blog can be published too. All you have to do is go to the EMHS blog at http://easternmichiganhostasociety.blogspot.com and comment to a blog posting which will alert me that you have made a comment. Once I deem the comment valid for publishing I will okay and it will automatically be posted. Please note that I cannot edit or spell check your comments, all I can do is to publish, ignore, or delete your comments. All comments will be screened by me to deter any vulgarity or inappropriate comments being published to the EMHS blog. Glen

Club Members selling Hosta or related products;

Please call or email to set an appointment before visiting

Daniels, Marlene- Bottle wind chimes.
810-664-8317, gardenfairy50@aol.com

Hanner, Mark/Becky- Pottery.
810-631-4292, mhanner@aol.com

Hunter, Barb- Hosta, Daylilies, Pond supplies.
810-664-7531, baha@chartermi.net

Lisik, Phil/Ginger-Hosta, Daylilies, other plants.
989-642-5772, lisik46@yahoo.com

Pickard, Carolyn- Daylilies, Hosta.

989-871-2873, robfamily5 @yahoo.com

Websites of Interest:

American Hosta Society-

http://www.americanhostasociety.org

American Hosta Society Convention- http://www.americanhostasociety.org/Activities/Conventions.htm

AHS Hosta Library Website-
http://www.hostalibrary.org
Michigan Hosta Society Website-

http://www.hostahappenings.com
Eastern Michigan Hosta Society blog- http://easternmichiganhostasociety.blogspot.com

Hosta College Website-

http://ihostohio.com/portal/glhc

Eastern Michigan Hosta Society, Dues $5 per year per household, Make check payable to EMHS and mail to: Barb Hunter, EMHS Treasurer, 316 Davis Lake Rd. Lapeer, MI 48746

Saginaw Valley Hosta Society, Dues $20 per year per household, Make check payable to SVHS and mail to: Gordon Burnside, SVHS Treasurer, 11640 W Freeland Rd. Freeland, MI 48623

EMHS Board of Officers:

President Glen Pace
PaceGardens@charter.net 989-244-4029

Vice-President Becky Hanner
BGHanner@aol.com 810-631-4292

Treasurer Barb Hunter
baha@chartermi.net 810-664-7531

Secretary Marlene Daniels
gardenfairy50@aol.com 810-664-8317

Past President Mark Hanner
mhanner@aol.com 810-631-4292

Fund-Raising Mick & Cathy Hodgson

cehodgso@hotmail.com 810-664-8985

TC (Tissue Culture) vs. OS (Originator's Stock)

by Ray Rodgers

(Originally appearing in the Central Illinois Hosta Society’s March 2004 newsletter, it is reprinted here courtesy of the AHS Newsletter Exchange.)

Have you ever looked at a hosta price list and wondered what the “TC” and/or “OS” meant in

some of the hosta descriptions? Occasionally one would even see two prices for the same plant, the lower price being for TC (Tissue Culture) and the more expensive price for OS (Originator’s Stock).

TC references plants which have been propagated via tissue culture. In very simple terms, these are chemically energized test tube babies started from small shavings of the parent plant's meristem (the central growth point of a hosta crown).

Compared to increasing the number of plants through manually dividing garden plants, tissue culturing results in rapid reproduction. Tissue culturing must be performed in a sterile lab type environment. This is a tedious, exacting, repetitious process that must be monitored very closely. Except for a few serious hobbyists, tissue culturing is better left up to the professionals. The resulting plants are typically wholesaled in multiple quantities to retail outlets.

The OS designation basically means the plant being offered is a division of the original named hosta. This hosta could have been derived through hybridization (seedling) or sporting*, which is not uncommon with hostas. If an as plant was purchased and a division was given to another person, who in turn eventually gave a division of their plant to yet another person, all these plants would still be considered originator’s stock. On price lists, the OS designation is most often used for newer or rare plants. Originator’s stock plants can help to validate exactly what was originally registered and ensure the direct lineage of the original plants are not lost.

Are originator's stock hostas better and should they demand a premium price? The newer the plant and the more unique it is, the more likely an as division is worth the extra money. Some of the truly unique hostas are not replicated easily via tissue culturing. With these plants, a TC lab may develop a high percentage of babies not possessing the same characteristics of the parent. This inability unquestionably drives the price of these varieties up. Luckily for us consumers, most hostas can be TCed with a high degree of success.

Responsible wholesalers and retailers will typically guarantee their plants to be true to name. This starts with the TC labs’ commitment to cull (throwaway) or give a new name to hostas not meeting specific criteria. Since it is not always possible to know for sure if small tissue cultured plants will look like their parents in subsequent years, a small percentage of untrue hostas do reach nurseries and other retailers. Since responsible retailers typically grow TC plants on for at least one full season prior to selling them, some additional variants may be caught.

It is the untrue forms that slip through the cracks that generate some of the unfavorable comments about tissue cultured hostas. Usually such comments are used to justify the price of as plants. Certainly people should expect to receive what they pay for. Some variants are not as attractive or as good of a grower as the named variety. But, some variants are actually better than the original plant. As an example, in a batch of tissue cultured H. ‘Great Expectations’, some wider-margined plants were discovered. These plants were given the name H. ‘Dream Weaver’. The additional green leaf surface allows this hosta to produce more chlorophyll then H. ‘Great Expectations’, making it a better grower.

Tissue culturing has also accelerated the popularity of “Sport Hunting”. This is the act of hosta enthusiasts searching through nurseries for hostas that are different from their published descriptions. These plants may vary in a variety of ways, including variegation pattern (including Instability**), coloration, plant size and leaf shape. For those interested in hybridizing or just growing open pollinated seed, finding an otherwise desirable plant with some degree of splashing could be a significant find. Except for somewhat rare occasions, it requires an unstable pod parent (mother plant) to produce variegated seedlings. Whether the found plants turn out to be better than the named variety or not, it is occasionally worth the purchase price to the hunter to have something a little different to display in their garden.

Make no mistake; tissue culture plants have fueled the popularity of hostas by rapidly increasing the availability of many newer varieties of hostas at affordable prices. The elevation of hosta to the rank of most popular perennial from almost obscurity can directly be linked to the early 1980s when plant tissue culture was in its infancy.

Tissue culture and originator’s stock plants both have their place in the hosta world. Whether purchasing as plants is a good value depends largely on the specific hosta variety, but the ultimate decision rests with each individual buyer.

* A Sport is a hosta arising from another hosta, possessing different characteristics.

**In hosta, Instability is a plant that does not maintain its solid or variegated pattern, resulting

in a Splashed pattern (formerly referred to as Streaked, also known as Striated). Splashed

hostas have many non-connected light and dark variegated sections. Splashed hostas typically stabilize into a solid colored or variegated plant over time.

Buyer Beware!

That new hosta might not be what the label says you’re getting!

by J.D. Belanger

(Reprinted from the Northern Wisconsin Hosta Society’s newsletter, Northern Star, Volume 21, Issue 1, January 2017, courtesy of the AHS Newsletter Exchange.)

What's in a name? Shakespeare might think a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but Warren I. Pollock, a columnist for the American Hosta Society’s The Hosta Journal, thinks otherwise.

He frequently dwells on what, to some, might appear as nitpicking. Not too long ago he was

upset, perhaps justifiably, we don’t know, because a hosta with “Dr.” in the name contained – horrors! – a period, when there shouldn’t have been one. This is probably important to purists, but to us, it was more interesting to learn that abbreviations like Prof. and Rev. have periods, but others, such as Dr and St [Doctor and Saint] do not – in England, that is. And in AHS.

His latest revelation is more pertinent. It involves television giant’s HGTV selling plants, including hostas. The problem is, they’re renaming wellknown registered hostas, presumably to add some sales pizzazz.

One is Bob Solberg’s ‘Orange Marmalade,’ which they call “Citrine SupremeTM.” Another is “Blue Dew™,'” registered as ‘First Frost.’ The list goes on.

Just be aware that if you buy an HGTV Home, or Hosta Treasures™ hosta, you might not be getting what you think you’re getting. You might already have it, under another name.

Eastern Michigan Hosta Society

Thursday, June 29, 2017

July 2017 Newsletter

June 08, 2017 Meeting Minutes

Sunday, May 28, 2017

June 2017 Newsletter

May 11, 2017 Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

May 2017 Newsletter

Thursday, April 20, 2017

April 13, 2017 Meeting Minutes

Thursday, March 23, 2017

April 2017 Newsletter

Next Meeting

Blog Archive

Visitors