I finally joined the AHS, they are offering $15.00 vouchers to new members who join or old members who upgrade their membership. Yippee!!!
You also get a growers guide and membership directory.

AHS puts out a beautiful magazine. I was a member for a period of time but a few issues ago there was a snarky article where the author, an AHS officer, made remarks about gardeners who chose to plant a a number of variegated Hosta. He referred to those Hosta beds as "a convention of clowns" and also discussed his designer friends and there superior tastes in Hosta. I disliked the tone of the article. I wrote a letter to him suggesting that AHS could remedy our bad taste by limiting the number of pictures of variegated Hosta in the Journal and only letting a small percentage of variegated Hosta win awards. I didn't send the letter but let my subscription expire......I have 100+ varieties of Hosta and over 95% are variegated....I will live with my bad taste and enjoy them........signed...a grumpy old man

.I must have bad taste too! I love variegated Hostas, and I wish you had mailed the letter!. He might be the reason membership dropped off. I can't stand arrogant people, designer Hosta beds? Please!! This man is a prisoner to himself and knows nothing about enjoying his Hostas. My babies are fine and I love them all.

hi all,, ive been a life member of the AHS since 88,,i hybridize hostas for many years,, specializing in giants and golds,,,i dont do streakies because they are not stable....indianabob grower of fine weeds and a few hosta

Thanks indianabob and thanks for dropping by. Love your Hosta! What is the tall one in the background and the one in front?

Paul, I drool over your hosta photos. I believe we have similar tastes in plants. I agree that you should have mailed the letter! I happen to love the varigated hosta...but then I am not a "designer" kind of gal.

Beautiful hosta, Bob! Is that one of your own?

Paul, tell us the name of the AHS officer. That way we can all mail him a picture of a variegated Hosta. How about a variegated Hosta greeting card? Tis the season. Fa la la la la.

Yes, please tell us his name.

I've been a member for a couple of years. Live in Canada and it took me awhile to get around to it. Must say they are really slow getting the Journal out to Canadian members though.

I also love variegated hostas, but DO temper them with solid colour ones so that the garden doesn't get too busy. I try to plant them so that one picks up on colours from the ones nearby. Of course, as they mature, I often end up moving them around.

I thinks somebody on Daves Garden once said that too many variegated ones look like "a herd of zebras"! I guess I have several herds in my yard, because I have a lot more variegated ones than plain ones!

Rose

I need to learn how to group them. I think Ann does a great job with hers. I was looking at her Snug Mug a few weeks ago.
I also heard, with the gold ones you should cause them to flow, rather than planting one here and there because then it looks like polka dots.

There is a nice article in "Fine Gardening" about Hosta with lovely pictures.....all of them variegated. Looked at the magazine at a store but I don't buy mags anymore.....plenty of info on the net.

I belong to the AHS and our local society The Harshbarger Hosta Society. I think such things are worthy groups to belong to. You get to meet people with a like minded attitude about hosta and you learn about the latest educational advances on hostas, etc. Without the AHS we wouldn't have nearly the understanding of how HVX works and damages our hostas. Our dues support research and education. Do join.

Thanks, Susan, for the compliment above. Bottom line, is study them during the season and make notes about what you don't like. Then moved them at the end of the season or beginning of the next. I moved several of mine around last autumn to pick up colours better from each other.

I think I do a lot of that in the winter when I go back and look at my pictures. All I can do is shake my head.

Don Dean just sent out a message that the new Hosta Journal has been placed in the mail. This is such a spectacular high quality publication. If you haven't yet joined the AHS what are you waiting for. It's the best $30 you'll spend this year. You get the two print journals and access to the online journal in the Fall (as well as all the archived ones) and you get that $15 off coupon mentioned earlier. Spring is coming.

Steve

Thank's Steve!

Every time I hear about the Journal arriving at people's homes, I wonder how long it will take mine to arrive. No sign of it yet. It is usually VERY late.

I have not gotten mine yet either.

Finally got that Hosta Journal a couple days ago, and what is on the front cover you ask? A variegated Hosta!!