President’s Letter
Hello Fellow Hosta Lovers,
It’s fall and time for our favorite shade plants to take their winter naps. This summer has brought us much needed relief from the drought we have had over the past few years and the moisture should make for great shade gardens next year.
The September meeting with knowledgeable speaker Don Rawson was full of tips into the world of great and rare shade plants for your garden and where to find them. We were able to vote in a new board at the meeting allowing our society to continue moving forward. Many thanks to the outgoing Officers and to all who make our club a friendly place to share and learn about Hostas and shade garden companions. We have a few new faces in some of our positions but still have familiar faces in other positions which will help give stability for our new board:
- I have replaced Riley Cook as President
- Jodi White replaced Gayle Alley as Vice President
- Deb Guardia and Judy Gabriel are our new Members-at Large
- Troy Vratil will remain as Treasurer
- Cady Pembroke as Secretary
- Stephanie Hamil as Membership
- Sandy Harris and Cindy Sickendick as Hospitality
We had our first board meeting on October 15, 2019, and are already planning for the coming year. Our first agenda was to find a new location where we could have both our meetings and our plant sale. Our new location will be at:
This location is one block east off I-470 and Woods Chapel Road. Many locations were researched and this location worked best for all our needs.
Our upcoming meeting dates for 2020 you will want to mark your calendars for are March 21 and September 19, 2020 We are working on speakers and will get that information to you when they are scheduled. We also have our plant sale scheduled for May 16, 2020. A great selection of hostas has already been ordered with some new introductions for 2020. Emails will be sent when details are finalized and information will be posted on our Webpage and our Facebook page to help you stay informed. Check them out for additional information and pictures about our club and events.
Be sure to renew your membership if it has or will expire this year. Contact Stephanie Hamil if you have questions about your membership or mail your payment to Stephanie Hamil at 9630 State Line Road Leawood, KS.
Charlene Wendel
Nation’s Largest Event of Its Kind Coming to Minnesota, June 10-13, 2020 — Hundreds of garden enthusiasts from around the country and the world are expected to attend the annual American Hosta Society (AHS) National Convention, being held at the Minneapolis Marriott NW, Brooklyn Park, MN. Founded in 1968, the AHS is a non-profit organization that has grown from a handful of members in its early days to about 3,000 active members today. As the world’s leading association promoting the hosta plant, their purpose is to foster the development of the genus and its public interest and, of course, share with others the enjoyment that hostas and gardening in general offer.
In 2018 the AHS celebrated its 50th anniversary at the annual convention held in Philadelphia, PA. In 2020 the Minnesota Hosta Society is hosting the annual convention for the third time. Convention organizer Amy Peterson says “The MHS is proud to once again host the convention. Our membership is excited to join in fellowship with other hosta gardening enthusiast, often termed “hostaholics”. Our theme “Hosta Vision 2020” reflects the ever expanding use of the genius Hosta in the garden as one of the top perennials of choice due to their versatility in use and form in the landscape. Plus they are very hardy in Minnesota’s Zone 4 climate! A major part of the convention is participating in area garden tours by motor coach bus or a self-driving tour over the span of two days, with many gardens displaying over 500 hosta varieties. The accredited Hosta Leaf Show creates an opportunity for membership and the general public to see the plethora of variety in form and color the genius Hosta provides as a landscape plant. Also as part of the 2020 convention a philanthropic element is included and in alignment with our theme, attendees and community attendees are requested to bring used eyeglasses for donation to LIONS INTERNATIONAL.”