Tri-State Hosta Society Picnic

After visiting John O’Brien at O’Brien Nurserymen (www.obrienhosta.com ) in Granby with a friend earlier this summer, I told Will that we should go up for the Tri-State Hosta Society (www.tristatehosta.org) picnic being held there in August.

We both like Hostas and have a number of them thriving in our yard in Fairfield. A couple of them are a bit more special (not the plain-vanilla ones found at big box stores or supermarkets) and after my first visit to John’s the great variety available became evident. I think he has upwards of 2,000 varieties.

Hosta 'Liberty' at O'Brien Nurserymen in Granby.

The picnic gave us the opportunity to be among hostaphiles doing what they love – adding to their collections, swapping stories and sharing a common passion. On the way up, we even got behind a pickup truck with the license plate, “HOSTA.”

The food and company was good and we had a great time. Ignoring warnings, Will even managed to play with John’s cat without shedding any blood. He managed this feat with the judicious use of a long stick.

Matt Sanford was most helpful to us relative newbies and John -- what can one say about John -- he’s the mayor of Hostaland. A personality as big as the sky, with a thorough knowledge of his subject.

One of the three Liberties we got from John O'Brien.

We asked advice from these two on what to plant under some newly limbed-up hemlocks (a project inspired by a visit to Richard Bergmann’s place in New Canaan), and received two recommendations: Liberty and Brother Stefan.

We went with Liberty because we had already taken notice of a truly stunning example that turned out to be Liberty and Will is not a huge fan of the puckered varieties. We look forward to seeing how our new additions do in our garden.

If you like hostas and are ever in the vicinity of Granby, pay John a visit.


-- AR

Ballek's: More Than Three Centuries on the Same Land

We paid a visit to Ballek’s Garden Center (www.balleksgardencenter.com) in East Haddam a couple of Saturdays ago and met with Nancy Ballek MacKinnon and her mom, Anita Ballek.

They are so completely tuned in to the soil, the plants, and Connecticut -- 340 years on that piece of land -- talk about history! It is such a pleasure to hear what they have to say.

The garden center has a wide variety of plants. The old barn contains a diverse group of more exotic plants, meant for the house or a greenhouse most of the year. Here’s a pineapple that was started from a store-bought pineapple top. That would never happen for me!

I was intrigued by the old barn itself and the various zones it contains -- from plants on the floor that need the cooler temps to those hanging up high that need more warmth.

It was also impressive to see their solar panel array. Anita says this type of an installation is less expensive than roof mounting and doesn’t cause problems when it’s time for a new roof.

Solar panels not only reduce your carbon footprint, they can be a smart investment. Unused electricity can be sold back to the power company or taken as a credit and federal tax credits are also available. For more information, call Rob Ballek with BeFree Green Energy at (860) 873-9440.


AR

Walking Blues?

Diseases and invasive species spread and evolve in myriad ways. There's a good chance you've heard that plant shipments, mulch, firewood and boats can sometimes play a role. The permutations are plentiful. In a sense, it’s Pandora’s Box for modern society. Even the shoes you wear can get into the act.

The first time I became aware of this is when I had the opportunity to play a round of golf at the Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard.

The club takes pride in being organic. They don’t use synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. In fact, that’s the only reason they were allowed to build the course some 8 years ago. I suspect they use every trick in the book and probably a few of their own invention. They may be the only truly organic golf course in the United States.

When I showed up at the club, they asked for my golf shoes. When I asked why, they patiently explained that they needed to clean and disinfect them so that I didn’t introduce any intruders. They relented only when I explained that it wasn’t really necessary because the shoes were brand new and had never been worn.

As a family whose yard has been organic for at least 24 years (17 credited to the previous owner), we understand. It’s not the easiest path to take.

Recently, I read in the Portland Oregonian (www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/) that fishermen who use waders with felt-soles can spread microorganisms from one stream, pond or lake to another. Apparently, the microorganisms can survive in the felt.

Modern modes of transportation get us quickly from place to place but we need to keep in mind how important it is to take common-sense precautions. It seems a trivial thing but the consequences of ignorance (or, worse, indifference) can be substantial.


WR

A Century of Plant Science

The 100th Plant Science Day was held at Lockwood Farm in Hamden on Aug. 4. The annual event features talks, demonstrations, exhibits and field experiments. It’s sponsored by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES).

If you’ve never been, I recommend it. There were dozens of exhibits, ranging from booths with a wide array of information and expertise, to demonstrations and field experiments.

I attended the technical demonstration about control options for invasive plants, expertly handled by Todd Mervosh and Carole Cheah, both with CAES’ Valley Laboratory.

I had lunch while listening to an interesting lecture, given by Jeffrey Ward, head of CAES’ Dept. of Forestry & Horticulture, on the changes seen in Connecticut’s forests over the last 80 years.

Next year, the event will be held on Wednesday, August 3.

If you attend, remember to bring a bag for all of the informational material you’ll want.

For more information, call (877) 855-2237 toll free or visit www.ct.gov/caes

WR

Pondering Peppers

In the spring I purchased a pepper plant for Will -- he likes the hot ones, and I brought home a plant labeled Burpee Home Gardens Hot Pepper Jalapeno Gigante. They are supposed to be the largest jalapeno, but instead of a large green fruit we got medium-sized pale yellow/green peppers that are now, as you can see from the picture, turning orange.

After googling "Yellow jalapeno" and looking at the Burpee website, I believe we actually have a Hot Mariachi Hybrid. They are fairly mild, as hot peppers go, so I'm quite pleased. Will has given them a thumbs up, too (probably because he knows I'll never cook with the really hot ones, so it's better to have a little heat than no heat at all!).

The interesting thing, though, is that over the past seven summers we have NOT ONCE grown a hot pepper that was what the label purported it to be. There must be some kind of poor quality control going on with the growers or the distributors. Be more careful, out there! It's pretty hard for us consumers to tell one hot pepper plant from another in their early stages.


AR

Bird Attacks 'Celebrity'

We aren't used to having our tomatoes attacked by birds, or just haven't sustained much damage over the years from the local bird population.

There are three birdbaths on our small property, freshened daily (or more often during hot weather). I assumed that our feathered friends had plenty of water to refresh themselves. One, apparently, has more exotic tastes.

I caught sight of an unusual bird on one of the tomato plants (a Celebrity) in our back yard, and when I went to look more closely it flew away. It may have been a female oriole. I've heard orioles while home on vacation and I was sorry to miss her. But who knows. Judging by the damage to the tomato I found, this particular birdie had a pretty sharp beak!

Looking online for similar instances, it appears to be a routine problem and folks suggest anything from bird netting to shiny CDs. [What about whirligigs?] My favorite was slipping fruit into sections of nylon stockings. Chic!

We'll be keeping an eye on the many ripening red orbs.


AR