First Look Quick Info

Hello everyone! We've got lots of pictures from our last meeting for you to enjoy if you missed it, or if you'd like another look at the sights of First Look 8. It was a great meeting in an unusual venue - the ski resort of Ascutney, Vermont. Once again there was a great turnout of some fantastic new hostas, and a lot of fun for attendees. Famed hosta expert Mark Zilis came to tell us about his new book, C. H. Falstad taught us how to use the new HVX test strips on samples the attendees brought, and we saw the world class hosta collection of Glen Williams to name just a few of the things to see there.

The deadline for room reservations at the Doubletree at our special rate of $99 has been extended to May 30th. Don't miss out or you may end up paying more!

COOL NEWS!! --- We have finally finalized our schedule. You can get to it by clicking HERE.

COOL NEWS!! --- We have an exciting new contest for everybody to enter! Bob Adams gets the credit for coming up with this one - The Adan & Eve Biggest Leaf Contest. To learn more go HERE.

COOL NEWS!! --- Join us this year for a very special moment in First Look history as we honor the great Mildred Seaver with our Lifetime Achievement Award! As of this writing we are expecting her to be present to accept the award. Our Keynote Speaker who will follow the award ceremony is her son Charlie Seaver, also a noted hosta hybridizer, who will give us a walk down nostalgia lane about Mildred's life and times and share slides of her vanished Massachusetts garden. Help us celebrate the life and work of the one and only "Queen of the Hostas" this spring at First Look 9! You don't want to miss this!

The 2009 First Look Auction is over and we had our best showing ever!!! We set a new internet hosta auction record with $11,135! To go directly to the auction results, you can click the banner on the front page, or just click HERE. We had some great donations and some fantastic bidding and the New England Hosta Society is happy as can be with their share! Thanks to all of our generous donors and bidders for making this the best auction ever!

The registration forms are now up HERE! They include the hotel info and will get you signed up for First Look 9. Also, we now have our exciting new Directions page up HERE. Click the map button there for you map lovers - you can even zoom in on the hotel in "Satellite" view. We think it is just the coolest thing! Our thanks to "the Google" for letting us do that!

We have a date and a place for First Look 9! Hotel negotiations are finished and we will be at the Doubletree Hotel Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts on Saturday, June 13th! Get ready for a great day in the land of the Pilgrims! On Sunday, garden tours will feature our first Head Judge Barbara Jones and Leo Blanchette's fantastic nursery Blanchette Gardens. We'll have those registration forms up soon along with more hotel information. Stay tuned!

2008 was a big year for the Seedling and Sport Competition. Alttara Scheer collected her second major award, along with three Best of Class ribbons. Amy Bergeron doubled, winning both sport awards and two Best of Class ribbons. Perhaps most exciting was an award for a plant from longtime First Look supporter and star of our online auction Chick Wasitis! Following last year's award for a huge plant, we saw several truly gigantic hostas entered, along with some fascinating smaller plants like Amy's Best of Class sport entry.

Until we have more information, feel free to spend a little time viewing the photos from our last meeting. Photos from the Competition and other First Look activities can be found in our Photo Viewer by clicking the "2008 Photos" button in the main site, or just clicking HERE. To see how the competition went, with photos of our award winners, and a complete list of ribbons click the "Competition" button, then the "Awards" link. You can go directly there by clicking HERE. Be sure not to miss our Slide Show (HERE), which features 25 gorgeous photos of new and exciting hostas, and help yourself to a copy of our free wallpaper if you like.


Alex J. Summers 1914-2009

On Sunday, April 12th of 2009, the hosta world lost perhaps its brightest light. Alex Summers passed quietly away at the age of 95. He was the person most responsible for the creation of the American Hosta Society in 1968 and its first president, first editor, and so much more. Hostas would not be what they are today if Alex had not become interested in them.
Alex was a quiet and humble man who loved birds and dogs as much as he loved plants, and he possessed a wicked sense of humor. He began building his famed garden Honeysong at the young age of 76, in Bridgeville, DE after moving from Long Island, NY. It became one of the great gardens of our time.
Rest in peace, Alex. Thanks for all you have done. You will always be in our hearts and minds.

The 2002 Mildred Seaver Award, which was given to the plant now called 'Peanut' remains under review at this time. A committee is considering charges brought to us that the plant is actually 'Lakeside Dot Com'. No decision is expected until at least Fall 2009 after the plants can be examined further.