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There's
a new
phenomenon that has come roaring out into the hosta world - The
Hosta
Tailgate Party! As the name suggests, it is to be
thought of as being
patterned after the pre-game cookout parties held in a stadium parking
lot,
just prior to the start of a home football game. Each
year, a Great
Lakes Regional Hosta Society (GLRHS) club member is given the game ball
to play
the "home team" to the event. The opening ceremony commences
with a cookout, with the playbook rules determined by "flip of a
coin" (Nah ... just kidding!). Actually,
the play rules are determined by the planning committee, who
will create a
feasible game plan. Individual players/participants are
allowed to bring
plants along for sale, barter or just to show them off. A
fund-raising
plant auction is conducted as the "Fireworks Show" of
the
evening. The next two days consist of leisurely all-day
visits by
individuals and tour buses to participating nurseries and private
gardens. Maps
and directions are provided online on the GLRHS website, at the Friday
night
host house location, or at most of the private gardens.
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The three day
event began on Friday afternoon, June 28th, with the Northwest Indiana
Hosta
Society taking the offensive. Approximately
150 hungry hosta enthusiasts converged over to the grounds of Bev and
Dave
Stegeman's home in Chesterton, IN. Were
they waving team pennants? Well,
let's hope so - for they definitely had something to
root for! For
a relatively small $5.00 donation, they were feted to a grand Hog Roast
...
with unlimited access to seasoned pork, seasoned red potatoes, salad,
cole
slaw, bread and rolls, a choice of beverage and dessert to finish
things
off. For early birds, plant sales and trades were
conducted on the
grounds earlier in the afternoon. It was indeed fortunate
that two
pitched white tents had been set up, side by side, over the dining
area. As
the plant auction was conducted afterwards, a monstrous cascade of rain
opened
up from the heavens above. This "Monster of the Midway" held
reign for most of the equally lively auction. While
the tents provided ample shelter to
the audience, were they afraid of this turbulent weather? Nah, they were on a mission
from God ... for
there were hostas to be had! | That large
Friday night storm front turned out to be a great weather relief for
those
Saturday and Sunday garden walks. The weather was partly
cloudy to sunny,
with temperatures never exceeding 74 degrees. These garden walks were
divided
into two regions: North and South.
North Region: Comprised
of five private gardens, one
is also a nursery. Participants visited the private gardens of Judy
&
Stephen Kroczek, Bev & Dave Stegeman, Olga Petryszyn,
the Brincka-Cross
Garden (now a county park), and Dan and Carla Coffman, owners of Trillium Woods Nursery.
South Region: Comprised
of 4 private gardens and
two nurseries. Participants visited the private gardens of
Mary Bardens,
Peggy Sierzputowski, Ginny Feyes, Brian McKay and the nurseries of Fox
Hosta
Farm and Gardens on The Prairie. | ![](images/RMGL02.jpg) | H. 'Liberty' | | |
All of the
gardens were spectacular, as the comfortable weather served to amplify
the
breathtaking ambiance of these magnificent places. While all
places were
well attended by individual walk-ins that showed throughout the day on
both
days, busloads of garden fans came a-rumblin' in, too. They came
from areas as diverse as Kalamazoo, MI, Indianapolis, IN, and
Chicago,
IL. Their brief stay at any one location was usually for
45-60 minutes,
before the respective team coach blew their whistles, announcing the
game clock
had run out. Never fret though - it would be reset once again
at their
next appointed destination. Besides hostas, viewers delighted
at seeing greatly assorted collages of daylilies, perennials, grasses,
confiers
and rare trees. Plants
were
offered for sale at a number of stops, satisfying the need of those who
really
needed to bring a "gotta have" memento of their unforgettable trip
back home.
The game ball
to next year's Hosta Tailgate Party event will be handed over to the
Miami Valley
Hosta Society in the Dayton, Ohio, area.
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H. 'Ebb Tide' |
Brincka/Cross home entrance |
Kroczek Garden |
Petryszyn hybrid |
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Brincka/Cross Garden |
Petryszyn hybrid |
Hakone Grass |
Kroczek Garden Art |
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![](images/RMGL11.jpg) | ![](images/RMGL12.jpg) | ![](images/RMGL13.jpg) | Furnessville Round | Krozcek Bird Bath | Petryszyn Garden |
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All photos by Joanna Kovalcsik
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