Spring ROHS Meeting

Talk about hostas, hostas, and more hostas! Companion plant topics should be posted in the Shade Garden forum.

Moderators: ViolaAnn, redcrx, Chris_W

User avatar
renaldo75
Posts: 10306
Joined: Jul 15, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: SW Iowa Z4b

Spring ROHS Meeting

Post by renaldo75 »

Since it hasn't been posted yet.

The Spring meeting of the Russ O'Harra Hosta Society [ROHS] will be this coming Sunday, April 15th from Noon - 5PM @ the Iowa Arboretum which is located SW of Luther, IA [which is SW of Ames]. Potluck lunch @ Noon followed by the business meeting. The afternoon's speaker is Dr. William Roston. His topic: 'A Will to Live' is about a hosta propagation technique which he also presented at this year's Winter Scientific Meeting in Schaumburg, Il. Sounds like an interesting afternoon. :P

I'm hoping to be there & see lots of my hosta~friends again. Gary & Kathy/pepper1 should be there & hopefully Marlys & Trudy & Connie and the rest of the gang from Holland Drive will be there too. :) And anyone else who can make it is welcome as well. :D Club membership is inexpensive. Which reminds me that I need to renew again.

Marlys has written a very nice article for this issue of the club newsletter. It's about the sport of 'Little Wonder' that her friend/neighbor Trudy discovered & named for her granddaughter. She registered it last year & there's been interest in putting it into TC already. :P Pretty :cool: !! Nice article, Marlys!! :P

And I'm sure there will be lots of good covered dishes there too. :wink:
GO HAWKEYES!!!

Renaldo's Hosta List
Latitude: 40° 59' 17.6676"; Longitude: -94° 44' 28.014"
User avatar
putnamgardens
Posts: 1800
Joined: Oct 21, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: LISA in St. Paul's upper West side, MN
Contact:

Post by putnamgardens »

Rats....I'm off to Chicago with Kim this weekend as she's presenting to Tom Michelletti's hosta group and I'm going along for the ride. Your gathering sounds super fun. I'm sorry I'll miss it. Please give my love to the Wilson's. Later, Love, Lisa
Attachments
angel in the garden.jpg
angel in the garden.jpg (37.13 KiB) Viewed 8705 times
Have I mentioned lately that my drinking team has a hosta problem?
User avatar
renaldo75
Posts: 10306
Joined: Jul 15, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: SW Iowa Z4b

Post by renaldo75 »

Thanks, Lisa - it would have been fun to have you & Kim come down for the day. :P Have a safe trip & a good time in Chicago!! Tell all the Hallson folk there hello for me.

What is Kim's topic?? We might have to enlist her to present it for our group someday. :wink:
GO HAWKEYES!!!

Renaldo's Hosta List
Latitude: 40° 59' 17.6676"; Longitude: -94° 44' 28.014"
Trudy
Posts: 344
Joined: Oct 22, 2001 8:00 pm

Post by Trudy »

Hi Renaldo

We are unable to attend the ROHS spring meeting, because of other commitments. It would be great to see everyone again. The way the weather is, it would be nice to get a hosta fix with hosta friends!

Marlys did write a very nice article for the newsletter. She really has a writting talent, bless her for the writting the article.

I am not sure if the article is on line, so others can read it. Maybe she can give us some insite on that.

The hosta that was registered is "h. Little Maddie", it is a seedling (sorry Renaldo, not a sport, that would have been cool too) of OP "h. Little Wonder Supreme".
There is a photo at the Hosta Library.

I also saw in the Hosta Journal 2006 Registrations book that there are others here from Iowa that are Hallon's friends have hosta registered also......Rod, Jimmy Mac, and Roxanne too, sorry if I missed anyone else, please let us know which ones you have registered.
User avatar
hummingbird
Posts: 2024
Joined: Nov 07, 2001 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 9b
Location: SW Florida, USA
Contact:

Post by hummingbird »

Sounds like fun to be had, of course I'm here where there seems to be nothing that goes on as far as hostas go...have to take a plane to get to any festivities by the looks of it. So many folks here I'd love to meet, but can only hope some day :???: .
Trudy that seedling is pretty, the pic looks like it's very misty coloring on the leaves, is that correct? Great name and like where it was derived from too :P ...sweet.
Thanks for posting this Renaldo.
"Friends are as elusive as rainbows"
User avatar
Pieter
Posts: 874
Joined: May 16, 2006 9:18 am
Location: Richmond, BC @ 49°07'49.30 N Elevation: 8ft
Contact:

Post by Pieter »

The afternoon's speaker is Dr. William Roston. His topic: 'A Will to Live' is about a hosta propagation technique which he also presented at this year's Winter Scientific Meeting in Schaumburg, Il. Sounds like an interesting afternoon.
Hey Renaldo, any web accessible information on this topic? Sounds interesting and I'm sure I'm not the only one curious about this. Are we likely to see hi-lites of the talk on the ROHS website perhaps at some point?
Pieter

"Never trust anyone who doesn't have dog hair on their clothes."

Pieter's Hosta List
User avatar
renaldo75
Posts: 10306
Joined: Jul 15, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: SW Iowa Z4b

Post by renaldo75 »

Trudy - I'm sorry you & Bruce won't be able to make it. I was hoping to see you folks again. I know I definitely need a hosta~fix with this wonderful weather we're having... I'll be thinking of you. Sorry I mispoke about 'Little Maddie' :oops: - guess I'd better read the article again. :wink:

I guess a plane is your best option, Rachel. I know from experience that Denver is a 10 hour drive from where I live so this meeting would add almost 3 hours to the trip. :wink: I'll give you more warning next time for the garden tour & you can experience the joys of Iowa hosta gardens in July. LOL

Pieter - I doubt that there will be anything from this speaker that will be on the ROHS website. If I'm able to go, I'll see if there are handouts & try to pass on the information as best I can here on Hallson's.
GO HAWKEYES!!!

Renaldo's Hosta List
Latitude: 40° 59' 17.6676"; Longitude: -94° 44' 28.014"
User avatar
putnamgardens
Posts: 1800
Joined: Oct 21, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: LISA in St. Paul's upper West side, MN
Contact:

Post by putnamgardens »

I've seen Kim present on two topics. Preparing for a cut leaf show and Hosta in the landscape. Sunday she'll do the 2nd one. She's not on the official AHS speaker list, YET but maybe someday soon. Cross your fingers for good weather this weekend. I hate to see freezing rain. Later, Love, Lisa
Attachments
kim in action in WI.jpg
Have I mentioned lately that my drinking team has a hosta problem?
User avatar
renaldo75
Posts: 10306
Joined: Jul 15, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: SW Iowa Z4b

Post by renaldo75 »

Thanks, Lisa - I'll pass that on to our new club president. And let them take it from there.

I sure hope the weather isn't bad for your trip too!! But it doesn't sound like it'll be wonderful here either. :???: Have a safe trip!!
GO HAWKEYES!!!

Renaldo's Hosta List
Latitude: 40° 59' 17.6676"; Longitude: -94° 44' 28.014"
Linda P
Posts: 6212
Joined: Oct 15, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: N W Illinois, zone 5

Post by Linda P »

Once again, I won't be able to make it!!! Maybe next time!
My kids are making dinner for me on Sunday, and I ain't a'gonna pass that up!
I heard that presentation at WSM. You're gonna love it.
Linda P
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
Algernon Charles Swinburne

Latitude: 41° 51' 12.1572"


My Hosta List
Trudy
Posts: 344
Joined: Oct 22, 2001 8:00 pm

Post by Trudy »

Hey Renaldo.....dont be sorry about it not being a sport, no problem.

The speaker sounds very interesting.......am rethinking this, if we could come to the ROHS metting, we wouldnt be able to be there until after lunch. We will be thinking this over. Okay how fast can Bruce drive.


Lisa it would be fun to hear Kim speak also, and if you would come with her, we would have an added bonus. Hope it works out some time soon. Have a safe trip this weekend.

Linda you enjoy that precious time with the kids!
User avatar
renaldo75
Posts: 10306
Joined: Jul 15, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: SW Iowa Z4b

Post by renaldo75 »

Trudy - remember that the business meeting is after lunch [which will go to about 1pm] & before the speaker. Depending on how long that takes [& it always takes a while] the speaker won't start until at least 1:30pm or later. I'm sure Bruce can drive fast enough!! Just close your eyes & don't say a word. And no sudden gasps!! :eek: :wink:
GO HAWKEYES!!!

Renaldo's Hosta List
Latitude: 40° 59' 17.6676"; Longitude: -94° 44' 28.014"
User avatar
pepper1
Posts: 82
Joined: May 18, 2002 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 5
Location: Central Iowa

Post by pepper1 »

Thanks for posting the spring meeting information Reldon!

Trudy...hope you and Bruce are able to make it for the talk. I'm sure there will be plenty of nice desserts left over too, so you wouldn't miss the WHOLE lunch!

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.

Gary
User avatar
Marlys
Posts: 665
Joined: Oct 19, 2001 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 5B
Location: Pella, Iowa

Out of the Loop

Post by Marlys »

Hey, Gang!

I've been working so hard on the Garden Gala that my local (non-hosta) garden club puts on this is the first opportunity I've had to check out things here recently. And now I find you're all talking about me. Thanx! for the kind comments. I will try real hard to post Trudy's article for everyone to enjoy. I should have Josh post it on the webiste too. (Josh? - more work for you.)

Ron & I were just discussing taking off for the Iowa Arboretum here shortly & who's going & not going! Only 3 of us from Dutchman's Landing are going now I think - me, Ron, & David. Connie D & Cindy Sneb are picking us up. Cindy is going to become a new member of ROHS today. Connie got her hooked on hostas over the course of the last couple years. Good work!

It's going to be a beautiful day, FINALLY! Can't wait to see everyone again. See you all at noon!

The guys from 'Quilted Gardens' gave a presentation on Shade Garden Plants yesterday at our Garden Gala. They also set up a vendor booth for us. It was fun! Sure appreciate all the effort / work.

"Let the Sun Shine In"

I tried to attach Trudy's article but it wasn't allowed. I'll have to try to figure it out later. No time now!

MM
JoshS
Posts: 1134
Joined: Oct 11, 2001 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 4
Location: Independence, IA
Contact:

Post by JoshS »

Here's a link to Marlys' article about 'Little Maddie'...it is a pdf file.

Hosta 'Little Maddie'

I hope to see it "in the leaf" sometime, Trudy!!
Image
User avatar
thy
Posts: 9047
Joined: Sep 23, 2002 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 7
Location: Denmark - 7B/8A Lat. 55,23

Post by thy »

Thanks Johs

What a cute story.. :D

Now I just have to wait for it to come to Europe :lol:

Please Trudy or Marly tell me when it ´have been TC'ed.. then I can start begging for it / twisting arms :lol:

Pia
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
E-mail for pics hostapics@gmail.com
User avatar
renaldo75
Posts: 10306
Joined: Jul 15, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: SW Iowa Z4b

Post by renaldo75 »

The meeting today was good. Beautiful spring day to be out & about for a drive. :P Marlys & Connie were there, along with Marlys' neighbor, David & Connie's friend, 'Sneb'. I left at 4:20 & got home about 6:45 so there was still an hour of light to do stuff in the garden after everything got hauled back into the house. :D

Dr. Roston's new propagation technique was purely the result of an accident. He was dividing a hosta and like we've all done at one time or another, the division broke off above the crown. So he tossed it away. Several weeks later he was back at the potting bench again to divide another hosta. He sat a bucket down & then realized he'd set it on something. When he moved the bucket, the hosta he'd broken off & thrown on the ground earlier had landed in a spot where there was a constant drip of moisture. And to his amazement it had sprouted a good set of roots in just a couple of weeks time. Not in soil but constantly moist.

So he began experimenting & discovered that if a cut is made anywhere from just above the crown up to an inch or 2 on the stem, that if it's stuck into spaghnum moss or a soilless growing mix & kept moist that he would soon have a new plant. He also suggested dipping it in rootone to speed up the process.

He had one Royal Standard plant that he estimated he got 500 plants from over 3 years. He'd taken 'cuttings' from it using this process 2 or 3 times a year. After the 3rd year the original plant was finally 'burned out' and died.

Also after the stem is removed above the crown, new eyes form around the crown and the crown can then be divided vertically to produce new plants.

Another slightly different form of increase was also the result of an accident. In the fall he had planted hostas in a new area. They were dormant or mostly dormant when his son dumped a large load of compost on the area without knowing that it was planted. The compost was finished 'cooking' & was 12-18" thick. In the spring he cked on his hostas & to his amazement [he didn't know the compost had been dumped there], the plants were sending up vertical 'stems' to just below the surface of the compost where a new plant would form. And he was able to cut those vertical stems into pieces 1 1/2" - 2" long, plant them & start new plants. And also had a new plant at the surface of the compost + the original plant.

He also did an experiment using this new method comparing it with BAP-10. He used 4 different varieties of hostas and used his new propagation method on 20 per variety & 20 per variety using BAP-10. He said the results were very similar. BAP-10 produced 84 new plants & his accidental method produced 78.

Very interesting. I will definitely be giving it a try.
GO HAWKEYES!!!

Renaldo's Hosta List
Latitude: 40° 59' 17.6676"; Longitude: -94° 44' 28.014"
User avatar
renaldo75
Posts: 10306
Joined: Jul 15, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: SW Iowa Z4b

Post by renaldo75 »

And I forgot to mention that I won one of the door prizes given away today. [Course it helped that the 1st two people whose numbers were selected for that prize had already left for the day. :wink: ] And it was a hosta!! :P Corn Belt 8-)
GO HAWKEYES!!!

Renaldo's Hosta List
Latitude: 40° 59' 17.6676"; Longitude: -94° 44' 28.014"
User avatar
Marlys
Posts: 665
Joined: Oct 19, 2001 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 5B
Location: Pella, Iowa

ROHS Spring mtg

Post by Marlys »

Reldon, Connie, Sneb, David, & I were not the only attendees at our mtg today. LOL!

Hallsonites, Pepper 1 (Kathy & Gary) were there quietly doing all the work and keeping everything rolling smoothly.

Dr. Roston's presentation was quite interesting. I cut some hosta leaves for a bouquet a couple summers ago. One rooted in the water-filled vase. Of course, it was just one of the 'green & white' ones. It is now a special little plant out in garden bed #5.

Josh - Thanx! so much for posting Trudy's article. It is so exciting to live so near a hosta celebrity. Some day there will be a sign out on the hwy; "Dutchman's Landing East - Pella, IA - Home of Trudy Van Wyk & Hosta "Little Maddie".

Trudy - wish you & Bruce could have joined us today. We all seem to get too much on our plates at times. Ron stayed home to work on his bottom pond project on such a perfect day. There were lots of hosta hugs at the mtg. It had gotten to be a long winter. We were all starved for hosta talk. The pot luck lunch was wonderful as always. Gary brought a delicious, huge brisket smothered in mushrooms & onions.

Lisa - Hope you & Kim had a beautiful day too. I think I'll put Kim's name on the possible speaker list for the Garden Gala 2008.

Dave & Donna Rose, we missed you 2.

Happy Spring You All,

MM
http://www.marlysgardens.com
Trudy
Posts: 344
Joined: Oct 22, 2001 8:00 pm

Post by Trudy »

Sorry we didnt get to see everyone who attended the meeting. We had good intentions on going, Bruce even called Ron, to see if he was going, and I talked to Connie, and she talked us into going, but our lifes took a different route, as usuall, we arent in control, but we did have a good day.

Josh thanks so much for getting Marlys's article online for all to read.

Thanks a big bunch again, to Marlys for using your talents in writing, a wonderful article.

"Little Maddie" is a cutie, and to answer Hummingbirds question, yes it does have some misting on it.

Thanks everyone for the kind words on my seedling "Little Maddie".

Also congratulations Renaldo for winning the door prize!
New Topic Post Reply