Sum & SubstanceNewsletter of the Greater Ozarks Hosta SocietyJANUARY 2013, Tom Lakowske - Editor

H. 'Great Expectations' And now, a word from your president...Isn't a mild winter wonderful? I know some folks want snow, but I'm not one of them. Any day I can wander around my garden with the temperature in the 50s or 60s in January, I'm a happy camper. The Lawn and Garden Show is fast approaching, and the very next weekend is our 2013 GOHS Kick-Off Party/Ice Cream Social. More info below. Have you visited GOHS.org?Take a moment to check out our website. It now contains more photos, archived newsletters, 2013 Event Calendar, and more. Lawn and Garden ShowThe Lawn and Garden Show is Friday, February 15th through Sunday, February 17th. We will have a real nice booth full of hostas to display to the general public. We need members to greet the public and answer questions on Friday from 9-6, Saturday from 4-6, and Sunday from 11-5. Please e-mail me what time would work best for you, and how many hours you can be there. Also, we could use more help on Thursday the 14th around noon to set up our booth, and Sunday evening from 5 on to tear it down. By the

way, if you work our booth, you get free admission to the show. Please help. 2013 Kick-off Party and Ice Cream SocialMark your calendars for Saturday, February 23rd from noon to 3, at the Botanical Center. This is a fun and well-attended event. We auction off all the hostas from our booth at the Lawn and Garden Show. I have some excellent door prizes. And, we eat A LOT of ice cream! This will be a great opportunity to meet other GOHS members. Power to the hosta gardenWe've waited 10 years, but it appears we may have permanent power to the fountain in 2013. The parks department has a big project going in at the spillway of Lake Drummond. This project is scheduled to start this spring and be completed this year. They have agreed to run a line to the hosta garden. We may finally have a gorgeous waterfall running every day.

ALL TIME FAVORITE HOSTASby: SWMOgardens.com

Hostas are the #1, top selling, favorite perennial plant worldwide. They are loved by gardeners for many reasons. Hostas are very easy to grow; they thrive in the shade; they can be divided into many plants to quickly fill a garden; and, there are hundreds of colors and sizes to choose from. Sometimes the huge variety of hostas can be a problem when you are at the nursery trying to decide which ones to buy.We have been collecting hostas since 1999 and have over 150 varieties in our garden, ALTA BIRDSONG. Here is a list of beautiful, dependable, available, and affordable hostas for you to grow.GIANT HOSTAS. With leaves as big as dinner plates, these plants can get 6 feet wide over time. Sum and Substance is chartreuse green – it almost glows. Sagaeis green with a creamy yellow edge. Guacamole is light green with a light yellow edge – yummy! Libertyis a stunning green with a wide, yellow edge. Blue Angel is the biggest blue, and gets bluer in more shade.VASE-SHAPED HOSTAS. Upright, vase-shaped hostas look elegant –they are our favorite. Krossa Regal has long blue leaves. Regal Splendor is green with a lovely white edge. Praying Hands has green, lance-shaped leaves folded in with a wavy edge – very unique.JUST GORGEOUS HOSTAS. You will love these beauties in your garden. Gold Standard is green with a creamy yellow center that turns white in the summer. Paradigm is a beautiful chartreuse and green combo. Patriotis dark green and has a pure white edge. June is the world’s most beautiful hosta. It’s colors are rich blue, green, cream, and yellow.THE BEST BLUE HOSTAS. Halcyonis a lovely powder blue, mid-sized hosta. Love Pat has large, wrinkled, bowl-shaped, blue-green leaves. First Frost is a stunning blue with cream edge that lasts very late into fall. Blue Mouse Ears is as cute as it sounds with small round leaves and pure white flower clusters. Touch of Class is a rich blue with a thin chartreuse center stripe.THE BEST YELLOWS. August Moon is a mid-sized chartreuse-yellow. Stained Glass is a glowing yellow with green edge. Sun Power has upright, long, bright yellow leaves.You will love having hostas in your garden. Care is minimal. Fertilize with 13-13-13 in the spring, and sprinkle a few slug killing pellets three times a year. Divide in early spring or early August if you want more plants. The rest of the year, just enjoy the show!

Hosta do now...On the next warm day, head out to your garden and clean up the hosta foliage. It pulls away very easily. You can also clean up your ferns and coral bells. I rake up leaves, mulch them with my lawn mower, and keep them in a compost bin to spread on my beds in the spring. This is the perfect time of year to prune your Japanese Maples.

Hosta BFFs

Palace Purple Coral Bells are one of my favorites. They accent the chartreuse in these Gold Standard Hostas beautifully. They don't seem to tolerate direct sun; they get crispy edges. So, I keep them in the shade and they do just fine. In the winter I cut the old leaves off which reveals fresh new growth underneath. Just be careful when you cut because the crown sticks up and you could inadvertently cut it off. They are fairly carefree. Welcome to our newest members for 2013Welcome to Patricia Tursi, Jerry Stotts, Renee Pellham, Richard and Dorothy Taylor, Richard and Janie Magdziarz, and Debi Hunget.

Garden JumblesCan you unscramble these gardening words to solve the answer to the question? When rearranged, the circled letters will form the answer. The answer will be in the next newsletter. Solution for December's puzzle: One Shady Character: RHODODENDRON Soft, Lovely, and Hated ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

MPEAL ____ ____ ____ OO OOWYD ____ ____ OO____

RAONC O ____ ____ ____OCVEHIS ____ ____ O ____ ____ ODPUENR ____ ____ ____ O ____ O

Our hosta garden at the Springfield Botanical GardensOur goal for 2013 is to submit our hosta garden to the American Hosta Society to be recognized as an American Hosta Society display garden. We have to meet several criteria. First and foremost is to have over 100 hostas labeled. We have the labels. I am working on a Powerpoint presentation to give to the American Hosta Society. Katie Steinhoff is collecting pictures of the Springfield Botanical Gardens to include with it. I will use these photos to show the AHS that our hosta garden is part of a beautiful botanical garden.

H. 'Sagae'

Sagae was named Hosta of the Year in 2000. It is a large, semi-upright mound of creamy yellow-margined foliage. It can get as big as 6 feet wide. Grow a Sagae Hosta in your garden and everyone will admire it. (Information from The Hosta Handbook by Mark Zilis.) Help find new membersPlease forward this newsletter to all your gardening buddies, any societies you belong to, or anyone else who enjoys growing hostas and would like to be involved with a fun group of people. Dues are dueThe dues for 2013 are $10 per family. Please send your check, payable to the Greater Ozarks Hosta Society, to: Tom Lakowske2610 W. AltaSpringfield, MO 65810 Please include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. 2013 Event CalendarFRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15-17, OZARK EMPIRE FAIR GROUNDS, THE LAWN AND GARDEN SHOW We will have a booth with a gorgeous hosta display.SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, BOTANICAL CENTER, NOON TO 3, KICK-OFF PARTY/ICE CREAM SOCIAL We will announce all the upcoming events for 2013, auction off the beautiful Hilltop Farms hostas from the Lawn and Garden Show, elect 2013 officers, have door prizes, and eat lots of ice cream. This will be the perfect opportunity to meet other GOHS members.SATURDAY, MARCH 30, BOTANICAL CENTER WORKSHOP/LAB, 9-12, HOSTA DIVIDING SEMINAR AND PLANT SALE Open to the public! Three 1 hour seminars at 9, 10, and 11. You’ll learn the easiest way to divide and care for hostas. Plus, several of the most dependable and popular hostas will be for sale. Don’t miss this!SATURDAY, APRIL 20, HOSTA GARDEN, 11-1, SPRING PICNIC Our hosta garden should be beautiful, showing all the freshness of spring. We’ll have an old fashioned picnic, meet new friends, and relax. Bring your favorite picnic dish to share. RAIN DATE, SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 12-2SATURDAY, APRIL 27, BOTANICAL CENTER, 7 - 12, MASTER GARDENERS PLANT SALE Open to the public! Come buy perennials, shrubs, trees, and lovely hostas.THURSDAY, MAY 16, HILLTOP FARMS, 10-12 Come out to enjoy one of the largest and most beautiful hosta gardens in the Midwest. Truly a sight to behold. RAIN DATE, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 10-12FRIDAY, MAY 31, AN EVENING IN THE GARDEN, 6-9 One of our biggest events of the year. Tour J.J. Averett’s gorgeous garden, and enjoy good friends, good food, and good times. Free to members. $10 per person for guests. RAIN DATE, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 6-9SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 4-7, BBQ PICNIC, We’ll have a wonderful time out at DON NICHOLSON’S MISSOURI EXTENSION RECOGNIZED CENTURY FARM. Enjoy a beautiful collection of clematis and large hostas. This garden is a must see, and the grills will be smokin’! RAIN DATE, SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 4-7

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 9-NOON, BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL We will have a booth.SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, BOTANICAL CENTER, 3 - 6 , HOSTA PLANT AUCTION, AND SWEETS TABLE A good time will be had by everyone! Hilltop Farms and Peggy’s Flowers bring dozens of assorted hostas and perennials for sale in our lively auction. While buying, satisfy your sweet tooth from a giant sweets table! Door prizes, too!

QUESTIONS? CALL TOM @ 860-4959 OR GO TO GOHS.ORG