Convention time!

[Tigger]

We leave tomorrow morning, so are missing tomorrow's optional tour. I get to judge the show this year.

Who else will I see?

I'll keep posting to this thread, and try to upload some pics from my laptop.

David

[kaylyred]

I won't be making it out East for this one (although hubby and I were just in MA a couple weeks ago.) I will be at the Midwest Regional Convention (http://wihostasociety.com/html/2011_convention.html), though!

[redcrx]

I'm up for the convention. Got in on Sunday. Did a walking tour of Boston yesterday. Did a walking tour of Providence, RI today. Hit the garden tour tomorrow.

[kaylyred]

Did you take the Freedom Trail walking tour, Ed? My husband and I did that when we were there. It was well done and we enjoyed it. Our favorite site to see, though, was the USS Constitution. Great tour guide and great ship.

[redcrx]

Yes we did. It seemed crowded. We wandered around in the capital and Boston Commons. The Constitution wasn't opened when we got there. Got to Bunker Hill and toured it's museum but the monument was closed.

In Providence we saw John Brown's house and the art museum.

[jgh]

Have fun in Bean Town! We aren't traveling East this year, but we lived in Bahstun for four years while I was an undergraduate... still miss the hot pastrami subs at Filthy's...

[kaylyred]

When we went to Boston we asked friends for tourist tips. No one told us NOT to drive in Boston, so we did. Big mistake! I swear, MA is the land where turn signals are entirely optional and the lane markings are just a suggestion. Of course, when we got back and I grumbled about the driving everyone I knew who'd spent any time in Boston (and I know quite a few people in the industry I work in) said, "Ohmigawd! NEVER drive in Boston! Always take a cab! Are you CRAZY?!"

NOW they tell me.

[ViolaAnn]

Years ago when I went to a conference in Boston, there were T-shirts all over the place saying "I survived Boston traffic". I can't image it's gotten any better. I drove at that time, but had a distant cousin who lived in the area guiding me from their house to the hotel.

[Tigger]

I'll have to post pictures later. Having a great time. Had banquet dinner tonight with Ed and his wife. The auction was still going on a few minutes ago. What prices people will pay! Average price for a streaked breeder plant was around $200, and some rare, but not unknown, cultivars were going for well over $100. But hey, it's charity.

Hosta swoon of the day was a big clump of a sport of 'Krugerrand' that had a watermark variegation like 'Tattoo'. Wow.

David

[Tigger]

Here's a leaf of that watermarked 'Krugerrand'. This was at Cochato Nursery, which is a gorgeous place to visit (and shop) if you're in the Boston area.

I'll do another post (or more) with other pics, after I've gotten them into picasa.

[Tigger]

Checking: does it work to do this?
Convention gardens on Picasa

I'll add captions later.

[Edit 11:48, Tuesday, 6/28] Captions added!

I also have a small selection of pics from the leaf show that I could post. My first time judging

[Linda P]

The link worked for me, David! Did not hvae time this morning to go through the pics, but will certainly be
back later to look at them. Thanks!

Linda P

[ogrefcf]

Worked for me also. Thanks for sharing, beautiful pictures.

[pauhaus]

Great pics David, thanks so much for posting.

[redcrx]

Sunday optional tours:

Rick and Sheila Goodenough's garden

A stop at Plymouth Rock

David and Rosemary Parks garden - topiary and hosta

Gerry and Rindy Bennett's garden set 1 - conifers and hosta

Gerry and Rindy Bennett's garden set 2 - conifers and hosta

[redcrx]

Saturday tours:

Roger Kinchen's garden

Cheryl & Rick Cravino's nursery

To Mason Hollow Nursery - Chuck & Sue Andersen:
Mason Hollow nursery part 1

a second set at Mason Hollow - watch out for the snake:
Mason Hollow nursery part 2

[pauhaus]

Thanks for posting your pics Ed, just great!

[redcrx]

Friday's tours:

Oakenstone Gardens - Diane and Bob Adams

Paula Lehtola's Garden

Mary Arnberg's Garden

Cochato Nursery - Chuck and Sue Doughty

[redcrx]

Thursday's tours:

Using your own car.

Phyllis Davis's garden

Dan Pessoni's garden

Had a nice lunch in Orleans overlooking the bay.

Fort Hill Trail - that's my wife on the trail and I'm on the rock

A few shots from the show
I brought one of my Gypsy Rose sports, for the experience and won third place.
It tied with a sport of T-Dawg which looked like the same plant but a year older.

[redcrx]

Wednesday's tours:

Sue & Bernie Apter's garden

Kathie Sisson's garden

the garden of Carol Brashear & Bill Meyer

John O'Brien's nursery