Hi Steve,

Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. I just joined the AHS literally about 30 minutes ago, (Thank you!) received my 'Welcome to the AHS' e-mail, purchase verification etc. I was wondering if I'm missing something; I figure I must be missing something... I don't seem to have any log-in information. As far as you know, does it take some time for me to get an e-mail regarding any log-in info I'll need? Thanks for any info you may know pertaining to this.

Don B.

Well, Don, congratulations on being the newest AHS member. I do not recall how things went when I joined, But I'm a "card carrying member" now! Awesome accomplishments, and I'm really pleased to be part of the group.

Steve, thanks for the mention of the tobacco streak virus and the nematode research, both subjects are of interest to me.

Happy belated Thanksgiving!
Thanks, I did not know that the on-line Journal is out, looking forward seeing the garden of Land of the Giants!

You can also buy older Hosta Journals for $1 each. I just got 16 shipped to me from Barbara Schroeder, and started reading those. I just sat in a car dealer's service area reading a Hosta Journal, a great experience. Bernd

I have not received a notice that that Journal is online. Will watch. And will think about selling my old ones...$1 per issue...sounds good.

-Babka

Babka,

I was relating the notice that Reldon placed on the Facebook AHS group page. There was no email notice to all members that I know of. Just go to the AHS site and enter the members area. The password is published in the previous hardcopy Journal. I'm still reading. The descriptions and pictures of the upcoming convention gardens are stunning.

Steve

Thanks, Steve! ;-)

-Babka

I'm glad that Shaw and Vaughn are finally getting official credit for the plants they created...

Don B.

I wonder if some hybrizers are keeping their best creations locked up since then..

Since Aden is no longer with us, it doesn't seem to be such a problem, Bernd. But if you talk to people who were his contemporaries, they were extremely wary. I know an older gentleman who lives near me that was a close friend of Alex Summers. He, my friend, used to go to Honeysong every summer to help Alex with his gardens. I mentioned Aden to him one time and he knew exactly what I was talking about. He replied that Alex had told him to "keep an eye on that one." After a while Aden's reputation preceeded him, and close watch stopped a lot of the stolen plants.

The problem with Florence Shaw was that she died in June of 1975 and her property was tied up in limbo for about a year before the estate was cleared and the property could be sold. So during that time there was ample opportunity for plants to go missing. I know this because I have been to Birchwood and spoke to the current owner of the property who bought it from Florence's estate in 1976. Believe me if we can find Florence's notebooks, there will be a lot more plants that will be registered in her name, than just those few that the commission recommended.

When all is said and done, Florence Shaw will be recognized as one of the handful of great hybridizers of the genus Hosta. Florence not only created great plants like Blue Angel, Sum and Substance, Love Pat, Blue Cadet and Big Daddy, she was also prolific. She was only working with Hostas for less than 20 years, yet she had every rare plant that was available at the time and used these in her work well before anyone else. It is likely that Blue Mammoth is hers, along with Sun Power and Gold Regal. These are classically beautiful plants that have formed the foundation for hybridizing work in the late 20th century and even today.

Steve

Blue Mammoth