The 2014 Midwest Regional Hosta Society Winter Scientific Meeting

Joan Poos, St. Louis, MO It is the middle of January. Snow is in the forecast. The temperature has plunged, and the winds are howling. It must be time for the annual Midwest Regional Hosta Society Winter Scientific Meeting in Lisle, Illinois. Our reservations were in early, for both the Saturday symposium and a special local treat, a Friday evening meal my husband and I enjoyed with hosta friends at Hugo’s Frog Bar and Fish House. Back at the hotel, camaraderie was not in short supply. Firm handshakes, hugs, and pats on the back greeted each new arrival to the registration table. The hospitality room was in full swing. Groups of long time hosta friends mingled with new attendees.

Saturday’s program consisted of four presentations and three concurrent breakout sessions given by well-known hybridizers, growers, and educators. This year, topics ranged from the historical and the philosophical to a beautiful European travelogue. There was information about hostas, of course, but also about other plants we might wish to include in our landscape. Suppose I am walking through my hosta garden and spy an unusual eye developing within one of my specimens. I am ecstatic. It is truly unique and I want to name it. “Pretty Woman” is a great name that fits my hosta. Now what? Bob Solberg gave us insights into just how complex this fun task can be. Obviously, one cannot re-use registered hosta names. That is easy to check; just access www.hostaregistrar.org. Bob, however, explained there is another restriction called establishment. A name published anywhere in printed form with adequate description cannot be reused. “Anywhere” could be a small notation in Mark Zilis’ The Hostapedia,a line item on some hybridizer’s list or even a reference in a convention handbook. I am crushed! “Pretty Woman” is taboo, since it appeared in a 2001 Hosta Library photo.

Attendees  Gather  for  a  Full  Day  of  Learning  

Bob designated these as “hostas of indistinction,” ones never seen in a collection, in a garden, in a nursery catalog, never listed for sale, and which may not even exist. However, their names are sacrosanct, since they are established. After Bob Solberg extolled on the age and dubious distinction of some hostas on the AHS Popularity Poll and the need to replace them, Dave Wanninger echoed the same theme. He introduced us to new and better landscape plants. We do not need to forsake our grandmother’s favorite shrubs, just replace them with improved varieties. There are numerous trials around the country, such as Earth-Kind® for roses and hydrangeas, that are producing plants that exhibit better sustainability. Dave had a long list of choices that require less maintenance, look better and are more suited to life in the Midwest.

After Dave Wanninger introduced us to new shrubs and trees, Glenn Herold switched to the subject of lilies. Many plants, which call themselves lilies, such as the calla lily, toad lily, daylily, and lily-of-the valley, are not true lilies. They are not in the Genus Lilium of the Family Liliacea. True lilies have scaly bulbs and flowers with six petals and six anthers. Glenn discussed planting, light, and water requirements. Good drainage is very important. Lilies are relatively easy to propagate, using the bulbs’ scales. Of the nine lily divisions, six are common. Glenn described the attributes of Asiatic, Martagon, American, Longiflorum, Aurelian, and Trumpet hybrids. If there is a bit of sun in your garden, consider these beauties.

Bob Olson’s breakout session reminded me of the words to an old song by Ronald and Russell Mael.

Let’s take a walk, a walk down memory lane. Past the signs of the times that lit our little way. And decide what it is that made it all this way.

Bob emphasized that to thrive, a hosta organization, whether local, regional, or national, must organize events and gatherings, so that members can network with other hosta enthusiasts. That organization needs a publication to disseminate useful information, be it dates, times, and places of activities, or information about hostas and gardening in general. Hosta publications have been Bob’s life since the early 1980s. Searching for a way to spruce up his “contractor’s garden,” he joined a club that happened to include Bob Savory. As a “Bob Savory groupie,” he attended a Midwest Regional Hosta Society convention at which Gretchen Harshbarger arranged activities. In the early days, many hosta collections consisted of a small grouping of plants under a single tree. However, Gretchen had a tiered garden with staircases and pathways. Sun loving plants abounded, but so did hostas. Thus began a hosta love affair. Mike Heger, then president of MRHS, asked Bob to write a newsletter. From a typewritten, xeroxed missive that contained only the president’s message and a member roster to today’s journals was quite a journey. The pleasing glossy covers, artistic layouts and beautiful photographs are important, but the key to a good newsletter or journal still lies in its good articles. A Renaissance man enjoys doing many different things. He is comfortable with multiple languages, has a love of literature and science, enjoys art and architecture, has spiritual and philosophical tendencies, and, above all, is a social creature.

Rick Goodenough proposed all growers of hosta have renaissance qualities. In working with hostas, we are exposed to multiple languages. All plants have Latin names and many cultivar names have foreign origins. Hybridizing has its own language, specialized words with specific meanings, such as cross, progeny, additive, and f1. Science is part of a gardener’s everyday life. We frequently seek information found through studying botany, pedology (study of soil), and plant pathology (diseases). Our gardens contain artistic and spiritual features. We get inspiration from our gardens, from the seasonal changes, from the juxtaposition of color, texture, and form. We include architectural elements, such as rock walls, gates, winding paths, and colorful borders. Above all, the hosta is the friendship plant. Many specimens are in our gardens because someone dear to us gave them to us. Some carry the names of special people that we have grown to love or admire.

Ending his session, Rick exhorted us to be Renaissance men and women by challenging ourselves to do something we have not done before. In past meetings, we have gone west to Japan with Mark Zilis in his search for hosta knowledge. This year he did something he had not done before and traveled east across the pond to Belgium and the Netherlands. Mark spent several weeks motoring through these two countries, visiting the nurseries of Marco Fransen, Jan van den Top, Paul Vernooij, Danny Van Eechaute, and others. We tagged along from Amsterdam, the city that never sleeps, sharing the road with bikes, passing canals, fields of brussel sprouts, and herds of sheep, to visit small nurseries located in the beautiful countryside. The nurseries were distinct, but they shared many qualities. All had greenhouses filled with tissue-cultured plants, warehouses for shipping, and very few employees. One nursery had 25 greenhouses and one part-time

employee. Most shared land and greenhouse space with other growers. Many new and exciting introductions are coming from this hard-working band of hybridizers. We know where we have been, so now where are we going? Mark Zilis’ last presentation of the day was about current trends in the hosta marketplace. Tissue culture is now the accepted way to propagate. This trend, started in the mid 1970s, has become more refined through the years. Tissue culture has also accelerated mutation rates and sport formations. It is ever more important for hybridizers to keep in mind that these mutations be distinctive. We are seeing more polyploid hostas, plants that contain more than two sets of chromosomes. Visible effects are an increase in leaf thickness, bigger flowers, and wider margins. However, the only true way to tell polyploidy is by testing. Exposure to growth regulators and chemicals in tissue culture, or in the use of herbicides, creates hosta polyploids. More unusual sports, like Hosta ‘Praying Hands’, ‘Wheee’, and ‘Amine Tachi’, are hitting the market. It also seems opposites attract. Both the trend toward minis and the trend toward giant hostas continue. There seems to be more interest in flower color and form. Red and purple leaves may be right around the corner.

Another trend is toward the use of hosta patents, especially in Belgium and the Netherlands. Lastly, Mark believes new hosta problems will appear. Indeed, an article on Tobacco Streak Virus appeared in the last On-line Journal. The popular silent seed auction ran throughout the day. Over 150 seed packets and a few live plants, donated by hybridizers, were on the bidding block. If you wanted to try your hand at growing a streaked, a giant, a bold gold, or a silver blue hosta, seeds were available. To follow one of the latest trends toward red, select ‘Cinnamon Sticks’ x ‘Candy Dish’. Want a classic? Try seeds from ‘Dorothy Benedict’ or ‘Golden Sculpture’. Interested in adding a streaked plant to your collection? Experiment with seeds from ‘Christmas Tree Gala’, ‘Fickle Blue Genes’ or ‘Hosanna’. Want big? How about a packet from ‘Humpback Whale’ or ‘Empress Wu’? All monies collected support the continuance of this great January event. Alas, all good times must end. This has been a perfect winter respite. The hosta is our common bond, but we keep coming back for the friendships we have made. While the presentations are always interesting and educational, most enjoyable are the one-on-one interactions with fellow gardeners. See you next year.

The  Popular  Lunch  Buffet   Day  Long  Seed  Auction