time to go away

Hi Paula. I contributed to the alphabet last year but was wondering if you have any suggestions or guidelines you would like to suggest?

Also, should the photos be solely of our own plants OR is it OK to add photos we have taken from private gardens, garden centers etc.?

Hi newhostalady, I gave this some thought as, I believe, the alphabet was started as a way to show off our own plants. It is also useful on deciding what to order for spring. I know I have added a few to my wish list and removed some too. I would like to keep it to our own plants unless a discussion on a named plant comes up and then used for comparison but credit must be given to where the photo was shot. Open to suggestions.

Only other guidelines are: Lakesides on Lakesides day.
Make sure a Lakeside is on every new order.
Every body needs a Lakeside Shore Master.
And to have fun. Cannot wait to get started.
Paula

I can't see that it would make any difference if it's a plant from my garden or one I visited. It's a hosta that has grown well or not, in it's environment.

Many of us take this opportunity to show off our prettiest plant photos. That's the way I see it. It's winter and we have nothing, plant wise, better to do other than post photos.

I've never heard any rules posted about the alphabet. It's always been open to all photos and people.

bk

I think it's more special if the photos are our personal pics.

IMHO

Donna

I'm fine with using just our own photos. I thought I would ask that question because I had been able to get a few lovely photos of hostas (that I do not have) from private gardens and nurseries. But as I see it Paula, if you are running the show, then you get to make the rules! So I'm fine with just using our own member's photos.

Lakeside Shore Master is put on the want list!

I've only enjoyed one Alphabet so far, but I just automatically assumed the Hostas we posted were our own. . .

deleted duplicate

This post was edited by josephines67 on Thu, Dec 11, 14 at 18:46

It's true Paula is running the alphabet. However, she's not the first one or only one to do so. Paul ran it when I first started. He's said he wasn't the first. It used to start on or about New Year's Day. One year, Paula started it on the day after Christmas. She's done it twice, I think. There were no jokes prior to Paula. She started that part.

No one has posted any rules previously, at least in the five or six years I've been hanging around here. Paul regularly posts hosta he photographed in other gardens as does Steve_Mass. Sometimes it's an unusual plant that not everyone has, or a mature specimen of a fairly new variety. Sometimes they are just beautiful specimens. They usually identify the hosta as being from a tour garden.

If someone wants to impose rules, I think they should wait and ask during the alphabet and apply them next year. The forum is really quiet right now, so opinions are not necessarily representative.

JMHO

bk

The pix need to be your own, but the hosta could be from someone else's garden. For instance, Ken has so many pix posted that he can run out of PhotoBucket bits. If you visited his garden and took a pic of the best 'Spilt Milk' you've ever seen (you do have a great 'Spilt Milk', don't you Ken?) why not post it in the Alphabet? You could also visit a garden and see a hosta not available or that has limited availability and to share a record of it would be valuable.

The only restriction I could see putting on your own pix is that they were taken in the previous year (2014 for the Alphabet coming up).

Just one man's opinion.

tj

The best Spilt Milk ever seen, you say?? ... gasp ... Where can I see it ?

"Where can I see it ?"

LOL, Jo. Perhaps there are a few at the link...

Here is a link that might be useful: Spillage

Sometimes, when I know about a great photo of a certain hosta. I'd like to show it. One of the best ever photo and arrangements of Praying hands is Tepelus' photo. Once you see it, you want a Praying Hands. Some of those photos deserve showing again.

bk

TJ, that was/is a great thread! Thank you for bringing it forward via link. My eyes were feasting on all those Spilt Milks all over again and I think You've still got the best I've seen, at least the biggest. Phil had made a joke on that thread about his local nursery.... and about their Spilt Milks being "Hosta Dairy Free" lol!

Bookmarked this link for reference. Can't wait to see it emerge in spring. The letter S is a long way away in the Alphabet...

Thanks again! ðÂÂÂ
Jo

Is there going to be the 12 days of alphabet countdown? Starting soon!

My original thought was that it would be nice to add photos of hostas from other gardens or nurseries . . . like this one . . . a mature Olive Bailey Langdon growing in a pot. Taken at a local nursery. Something we can aspire to.

That one is beautiful. Mine has not done so well. It may be the heat. Frances Williams burns here. I'm moving this one to a lot more shade next summer. If it still burns, just ask for it and I'll send it to you.

bk

Sorry to see you have some burning bk. Could be the heat, as you mentioned. I hope yours improves with the shade next year.

If pictures of other gardens, or nurseries, can be included, then we have a chance to see what we think may not possible. I acquired my OBL last year, so it is still young. I do grow many of my hosta in pots. But can mine get as big as the one I just posted? I hope so, but I'll just have to wait and see.

Hi Paula
As a new comer I really look forward to The Alphabet.
Thank you for hosting it!

Welcome Peren.all I look forward to seeing all your plants. Get ready everyone it is not far away now.

I've been meaning to say this for ages now but keep forgetting to...

The Alphabet is like a second CHRISTMAS and everyone's pictures are our presents! ðÂÂÂðÂÂÂðÂÂÂðÂÂÂðÂÂÂ. YES!

I have one recommendation and that is that we ask contributors to include the name of the hosta in the text of their post - not just as a label imbedded in the picture. The reason for this is so that we can search by hosta name later when we are evaluating possible purchases. I find it so valuable to be able to do a google search with the name of the hosta and gardenweb in the search field and have all of your wonderful examples come up in the results.

^^ IT'S COMING!!! ^^