Are you a member?

[SWMOgardens]

I was just elected president of the Greater Ozarks hosta society. I am curious, how many of you are members of your local hosta society? And, can you recommend some fun things for us to do in 2011?
Thanks, SWMO

[Tigger]

Member of Delaware Valley Hosta Society for 17 years and newsletter editor for 5 (I think).

For fun? Don't be the newsletter editor!

Seriously, we love our open auctions, where members bring in divisions from their gardens and the more knowledgeable among us talk about them as we auction them off.

Another thing you could try is the hat competition we had at the 2006 AHS convention. Create a hat to represent the name of a hosta. Some of them were pretty elaborate, and many of them were hilarious.

[Diana]

Wish I could, but there aren't enough people growing hostas in the whole state of California for even a state society, much less a local one. I am, however, a member of the American Hosta Society and I LOVE their Journals.

-Diana

[ViolaAnn]

Tigger - isn't being newsletter editor the BEST job? (I've JUST gotten rid of being editor for the Canadian Viola society - producing a 28-36 page book twice a year for the last 20 plus years). You don't do that job if you don't enjoy it.

I'm a member of the Ontario Hosta Society and let them include my garden on a local tour last year, but most of their activities have been too far away for me to get to. They have bus tours of gardens and a couple of picnics each summer. Talks in the winter.

Ann

[renaldo75]

I've been a member of the Russ O'Harra society here in central Iowa since 2003. Have [had] been a member of Shady Choice [eastern NE/western IA] since 2002, but didn't get my dues sent in this year. Planning to join the Harshbarger group [Cedar Rapids, Iowa City] next year.

ROHS only meets 3 times a year [not enough for me] with speakers/pot luck lunch in spring and fall and a tour & auction of plants donated by members in summer. I'm looking for more 'fun' ideas to suggest to do this year. I just became newsletter editor for ROHS. I've been working on my 1st for several weeks now.

And Congratulations on being elected president of the Greater Ozarks club!!

[lykaon78]

Are the local societies in the Cincinnati, OH area?

[lovem]

I have been a member of the Ontaio Hosta Society for quite a while now. I also take care of the seed program offered by the Ontario Hosta Society.the Ontario Hosta Society is now forming a division in south western Ontario, Canada. this will be called the South Western Ontario Hosta Society (SWOHS). we are currently accepting new members and setting up our programs and trying to get a handle on how to support ourselves and line up speakers and other activities. any inquiries or suggestion can be sent to bryan.tunstall@gmail.com .we are going to begin this new Hosta Society in Jan,2011. hope to hear from hosta people in sowthwest Ontario and any one with ideas for starting. thanks Bryan

[ThisIsMelissa]

Are the local societies in the Cincinnati, OH area?

There are a few societies in the Dayton/Cincinnati Area:
http://www.americanhostasociety.org/Ohio.html

[viktoria]

Past president and newsletter editor of the Upstate New York Hosta Society. Great way to make friends with similar interests.

I particularly enjoy the bus tours to gardens I likely would not visit if I had to go by myself. We have been to the Brooklyn Botanical garden, the one in Montreal (don 't recall exact name) and others. The tours are subsidized by funds from plant sales, which brings the cost down to as low as $25.00 (yes!), making them affordable to all members.

Viktoria

[Linda P]

I'm a member of both the Mississippi Valley Hosta Society and Dubuque Regonal Hosta Society.
The plant sales are always a lot of fun. DRHS hosts a Hosta Fest every year in June at the
Dubuque Aroboretum, where members bring divisions of plants for sale. We usually have
two large tables that are priced for sale, with the choicest donations held back for an auction.
Between the open sale and the auction is a speaker. Some recent ones are Mark Zilis and
Josh Spece. It's always a good time, and a nice way to raise funds for the club. We meet
at members gardens in the summer months, and have one bus trip a year in May.
We support the AHS display garden at the arboretum, and have one clean up day a year there.
MVHS has many activities, including a plant sale at Duck Creek Park in June, speakers
at many of the meetings, at least one bus trip a year, and we support the DeeEtta Montgomery
hosta garden at Vander Veer Park, which is also an AHS display garden.
Congrats on your election as president, and I hope you have a great year!

Linda P

[morgansrgr8]

I have been a member of The Midland Hosta Society for 10 yrs or so. New Hubby graciously accepted the president position. He's so sweet. He knows not a thing of hosta but they make me happy so he volunteered. Affective tomorrow. LOL
Linda

[ViolaAnn]

Bryan - nice to see you here. As you mentioned there will be and east and west of the Ontario Hosta Society and I think that's positive. To date, most of the activities have been held around Toronto or between Toronto and Windsor where the largest population areas are. As a result, some Ottawa area people joined the Quebec society instead. I'm looking forward to more activities closer to home.

[Lessadragon]

I have been a member of the Ontario Hosta Society for some time now. Our biggest fund raiser has been the annual auction. We always have a picnic and a bus tour every year as well. Currently, I am a Director at Large on that executive.
As Bryan has already mentioned, we are in the process of launching the SW Ontario Hosta Society. Our first meeting is February 26th in Sarnia. We are honored to have Amy Bergeron from Walters Gardens to speak to us, so I hope we are able to get as many people out to the meeting as possible. If you would like more info, contact me at swohspresident@gmail.com .

Lynn