Local Hosta Society Meeting

baja220 · Post by **baja220** » May 29, 2008 12:13 am

I just joined the local group 3 months ago so this was my third time to go. It was also trade night. The lady speaking was talking about where to get the plant from for the fall sale. Naylors and Hilltop were the choices and I said something like either is fine, you should have to worry about HVX with either place. The lady speaking said "What's HVX?"

Only 1 person knew about it so she ask me to explain to her. So I did, told her to go the HL to see pics, told her to go to Lowe's and see it first hand, told them how to sanatize your tools . Well, she kind of blew it off. Back to fall sale. It was decided Hilltop would be where we get the hostas. She got kinda snotty then. "We'll have a hosta dividing/potting party at my house (and she looked straight at me)with my not sanitized knives.
Why wouldn't she go home and look up info before she decides it's no big deal. I'm not kidding, 1 other person besides me knew what it was. And nobody really seemed to care.
Now, the deal with the plant swap is you took home how ever many you brought. I brought in 4 hostas, a heuchera, a fern, and a helleborus and I came home with a daylilly and a fern. I wasn't about to touch the hostas.
How do I handle this?

Carol W · Post by **Carol W** » May 29, 2008 12:44 am

I would of done the same as you and not come home with any hostas! Maybe this person thinks she a hosta expert been a member for a long time...doesn't want to be shown up to the others member who thinks she know everything?
Who know maybe she does most of her hosta shoping at those big cheap discount garden stores and doesn't want to start thinking about she has a bunch of HVX hostas. Kind of like what I don't know won't hurt me.

But I'm really hoping that even with her remark that even if a few of the members decide to look up HVX it will start the ball to the club to knowledge. Who know maybe they (other members) will ask you to give a speech in a few months. But I wouldn't let her bother you she'll be the one later down the road feeling stupid

.

party_music50 · Post by **party_music50** » May 29, 2008 2:58 am

sigh. I read the comments about them not being interested in the names in the other thread too, so it sounds like a group of people who don't take it seriously or scientifically -- they just want to have a little "fun" and get cheap plants.

I can tell you how *I* would handle it: I'd offer to give a presentation on HVX at the next meeting.

In 2006, I was contacted by a local garden club (consisting of many "master gardeners") and was asked to give a presentation on seed-saving and growing from seed. I learned then that not all members of garden clubs (including master gardeners) are as knowledgeable about gardening as you might expect. Some are completely new to gardening! I suspect that your hosta club may have a similar make-up. They enjoyed my show-and-tell immensely, and freely asked questions that went off on every tangent -- including asking about my little hosta collection. I brought up the topic of HVX and the next question asked was whether it killed the plant -- and, since it didn't, then why worry about it?! They understood and seemed to appreciate my simple analogy: "it's like a really bad case of psoriasis that's contagious and won't go away."

Offer to give a presentation at the next meeting!

largosmom · Post by **largosmom** » May 29, 2008 6:58 am

I agree, offer to present. One person's reaction won't be everyone's.

Maybe you can do a picture show and show infected ugly plants next to gorgeous, uninfected plants. I'd almost advise taking a badly infected one in, but that would be rewarding a bad retailer in order to get one. I swear once you have seen a really ugly one in person, it's hard to argue that it isn't very bad. The early stages are so easy to miss or even like. I bought one thinking it was supposed to look like that, in my ignorance.

Laura

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » May 29, 2008 9:02 am

Man what a bunch of morons

(the people at your meeting, not the ones on this forum

, thought I better make that clear

) I would find another club to join... don't waste your time on these people.

Maybe get with the one person who knew about HVX and start your own!
Ginger

chelielynn · Post by **chelielynn** » May 29, 2008 9:07 am

Some people just don't want to understand. I agree with everyone, do a presentation. Or at least bring in some pictures and information to the next meeting. That way everyone can come up with their own opinion. If that doesn't work I guess that wouldn't be a club for me.

Shelly

playinmud · Post by **playinmud** » May 29, 2008 9:25 am

Wow Debbie, that's scarry! I'd look for another club, sanitizing tools is a good idea even if there were no HVX, but I can understand that you want to stay to make gardening friends. Along with a presentation you can print out the flyer (I think its on the hosta library site) and hand them out or offer them to anyone. They're informative, I keep them in the glovebox of my car and hand them to the nursery manager when I see a diseased plant (sad, but its when, not if). The leader of the group

sounds like she's threatened by you (she may not even allow you to give a presentation), too bad, its not a competition, but a shared appreciation for plants. I wish you the best, and hope you cultivate one or two "real" gardeners from the group.

Noxtra · Post by **Noxtra** » May 29, 2008 10:47 am

It's an Oklahoma thing

Debbie you have offered food for thought and the serious hostaphyles will heed the warnings and maybe start to realize the seriousness of the problem. While you are fully aware of HVX most gardeners are not and couldn't recognize it if they saw it. That's why the big box stores are still selling their wares for 4.99 apiece. Looks like it might be time for you to develop a short presentation for the group on HVX. It doesn't have to be to scientific just understandable. While they might view the whole subject with disgust it will surely start some further discussion on the matter. How do you handle this?
Take the ball and run Lady!! Many others have been in the same shoes and if they had stuck their head in the sand and ignored the problem HVX would be infecting many more hostas than it already is.

You have just been designated as the HVX instructor for the State of Oklahoma..........

Lee

nmb · Post by **nmb** » May 29, 2008 11:37 am

Just a suggestions

Maybe Chris has some extra DVDs of this HVX presentation available. It's extremely well done.

Mary

addieotto · Post by **addieotto** » May 29, 2008 5:23 pm

Debbie,

I think that there are still a lot of people who aren't internet savvy and I think that's a big part of the education process. Well ... ok, it's probably THE education process for HVX since even nursery owners don't often know about it or recognize it.

You have a great opportunity to teach and I bet you just your mentioning it sent a lot of people home who then hijacked the family computer for the evening to research it!

nanny_56 · Post by **nanny_56** » May 29, 2008 7:52 pm

Just adding my 2cents...I agree offer to do a presentation, if they don't take you up on the offer I would drop them like a hot potato!

Is there some place to file a complaint about this club if it is connected to the Hosta Society? I really know nothing about them.

Marlys · Post by **Marlys** » May 30, 2008 10:45 am

I was at Lowe's a couple weeks ago in Des Moines, IA. There were several hostas 'Gold Standard' infected with Hosta Virus X. I told an outside clerk. She said she would bring it to the manager's attention. Yeah, right!

When waiting in line to pay the manager was prancing around up by the checkout lines. I asked for a minute of his time. I told him about the infected plants. He of course, had no idea what I was talking about but he did want me to show him the infected plants which I was only too happy to do. I also explained to him what a serious threat Hosta Virus X is in the plant industry. BUT!!! What really concerns me is the nurseries that ship these plants out to retail locations should know better!!! I told the manager to contact them and ask for a refund as the plants should be destroyed.

We all need to stick together on this. I think offering to doa presentation at the next mtg is a good action. When I give my Shade Garden presentation to groups I include information on Hosta Virus X and use pictures of 'Filagree' to show what the virus looks like.

MM

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » May 30, 2008 2:33 pm

Oh Oh, I thought of another idea!! Get the guy from Gardening by the Yard to come to a meeting!! He is based in Tulsa... I know he knows about it, have heard him mention it on his show. Would that not be a kick in the pants if he showed up to tell the group about it!!
I just think if the lady who runs the show doesn't believe it is a problem and is worried about you amking her look bad cause you are more knowledable than her, then she won't let you do a presentation yourself, but how could she refuse a TV star

Just MO

Ginger

whip1 · Post by **whip1** » May 30, 2008 3:57 pm

I'd go to one more meeting. ask some of the other members if they are concerned about it, now that they know. If nobody cares, I'd find another club.

Arlene · Post by **Arlene** » May 30, 2008 9:43 pm

Debbie,

I did a presentation to my Master Gardener group, complete with printed out pictures from here and the hosta library of what to look for. There's only one other couple in the group who are real hosta experts, and they know about HVX and were supportive. Everyone else listened, took the papers, asked questions and seemed interested.

I'd give it a try, and if you get the cold shoulder, I agree with the others . . . find another group. They don't deserve you.

myskyblue2 · Post by **myskyblue2** » May 30, 2008 10:43 pm

I'm with everyone else on this. Including, reporting her to the Hosta Society.
When ya know better, ya do better. Knowledge is power.
By you presenting, you will have done all that you can for the greater good of the group and the hosta. Those that have a intelligent mind will listen, the rest will fall away.
Good luck.

baja220 · Post by **baja220** » May 31, 2008 12:58 am

Thanks for all yals concerns. I wasn't even thinkin when I brought up HVX that they wouldn't know what it was. I just figured it was common knowledge of members of AHS and it's local groups.
Ginger, you don't happen to be a member around the OkCity area? Tomorrow, the OkCity Hosta Club is coming to Tulsa for a Garden Tour with our Hosta Club. We switch off, us goin to OKCity and them coming to Tulsa.
I'm hoping the 1 person that knew about comes and I'll talk to her. Maybe we can come up with a way to do a presentation. If no one wants to learn, then this ain't the club for me. It's the only hosta club that's listed on the AHS site.

Ginger, you mean Paul James the Gardener Guy!!!! I used to be soooooo in love with him!!!!

Party, that was a question I couldn't answer? If it doesn't kill the plants what's the harm? I'll use your analogy!!

Lee, thanks for that honer!!!

Laura, that's not a bad idea!!!! I've got a 'clean' so far anyway Gold Standard I could pot up. I'm sure I could find a really ugly one with just a couple stops around town. Sad but true.

Playinmud, where's a flyer to print out? There's a lot of info on the HL, but not just a one page flyer to have on hand. I'd like to have that!

Marlys, I did the same thing at Lowe's a few weeks ago. I came home and printed out everything from the HL and took it back to show them. I haven't been back to see if they did anything with the plants tho.

largosmom · Post by **largosmom** » May 31, 2008 7:49 pm

Hi, I'm going to be in Oklahoma City on business travel in two weeks...sorry to go off topic, but I am wondering if there are any good hosta nurseries, or just good nurseries that I should try to see while I'm there?

Laura

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Jun 24, 2008 1:52 pm

Debbie,
I am sorry, I just saw this

I don't belong to any clubs. I use to do that type of thing, but I am just not club material

When your club comes to OKC, let me know in advance and maybe we can hook up for lunch or something.

LargosMom, I bet I am too late for your request for information also. There is only one Nursery in OKC area that really carries anything I would consider or any Hosta worth buying and that is one of the NW side of OKC, and I cannot for the life of me remember the name

But since I am so late responding, I don't suppose it matters now.

Hope you had fun

Ginger

Ginger

baja220 · Post by **baja220** » Jun 25, 2008 7:07 am

I'll do that Ginger!! All these peeps up north a little have got all kinds of things goin on and there nothin around here.

We otta go up and crash one of their hosta parties one day!!!

My little group when up to Hill Top Farms in Mo and bought about 800.00 worth of hostas for a fall sale. Our meeting next month is gonna be dividing and potting all these hostas. I'm taking Clorox Wipes and try to get some interested in what's goin on. Also, my neighbor have an HVX Halcyon. I'm gonna dig it up for show and tale. And would you beleive I bought an infected Gold Standard to have for educational purposes. I hope a few will listen and wanna learn.