We are pleased to welcome Tom Micheletti, the new President of the American Hosta Society, as the guest speaker at our meeting at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum on January 26. Tom is a retired middle school technology teacher and having the summers available led to his passion for gardening. His interest in hostas began when he was given a green hosta, a green one with a white edge, and a green one with a white center. He thought he had “one of each kind” until he reviewed some garden catalogs and discovered that there blue ones, gold ones, blue ones with gold margins, etc. He didn’t have one of each after all and he was hooked!

Tom joined the American Hosta Society in 1990 and has served as President of the Midwest Regional Hosta Society, before his recent election to the Presidency of the American Hosta Society. He was, and still is, the organizer of the widely attended Winter Scientific Meeting sponsored by the Midwest Regional Hosta Society in the early spring. Tom also founded the Northern Illinois Hosta Society in 1992 and is the Publicity Director for the American Hosta Growers Association. He has over 800 different hosta varieties in his one-acre garden and sells over 500 varieties via his website at www.hostapatch.com.

Tom’s presentation is entitled “Hostas in the Landscape”. With the aid of slides, Tom will discuss the variety one can achieve in the garden landscape using color, size, shape, and variegation. He will also address some maintenance issues such as dividing, slug control, fertilization, soil preparation, etc.

So bring your lunch at noon and mingle with hosta friends AND PLEASE BRING A DESSERT OR SOME BEVERAGES TO SHARE. The program will begin about 1:00 pm after a brief business meeting and the election of new officers.