Hosta Harmonies in Music City
May 30-Jun 1, 2024
Brentwood, TN
May 4-7, 2023
The Dixie Regional’s 2023 conference took advantage of the excitement of early May to have the annual meeting in Cary, NC. It was hosted by Bob Solberg, Regional Director and Beth Barnes, Regional Treasurer centered in Cary, NC. The dates were May 4-7 at the Comfort Suites Regency Park, 350 Asheville Avenue, Cary, NC 27518.
The meeting had a new and fun format. It was “Choose Your Own Adventure”. Attendees were able to choose from a long list of world class botanical gardens, excellent nurseries, and local gardens to visit in their own vehicles on Friday and Saturday. Carpooling was encouraged so participants could make new hosta friends or catchup with old ones. Suggested lists were provided for both days and emailed to all registrants before their arrived so they could plot their adventure ahead of the meeting.
There was hospitality at the hotel on Thursday and Friday nights with an educational presentation Friday night. Saturday night was the Annual Meeting, pizza party, and fun auction after participants returned from touring.
Some of the attractions included the J. C Raulston Arboretum, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, WRAL Azalea Gardens, and the NC Farmers Market. Plant Delights was open that weekend as well as Green Hill Farm on Saturday as well as many, many local nurseries. There was also private gardens available for visits featuring hostas and a variety of gardening styles. Complete agenda is here.
June 2 -4, 2022
The East Tennessee Hosta Society in Knoxville, TN hosted the 2022 Dixie Region Meeting “Hostas in the Smokies“. The meeting included a welcome reception, vending and hostatality on Thursday, two large gardens with lunch at the last garden, speakers, vending, hostatality on Friday,. The meeting concluded on Saturday with three large gardens ,with lunch at last garden , speakers, vending, reception, banquet, awards, 2021 convention presentation, live auction and hostatality. The first 72 registrants received a gift plant ‘Diamond Lake’ (PP30769 CPBRAF) SHADOWLAND® Collection 2022 Proven Winners National Hosta of the Year.
May 3 – 5, 2019
The 2019 Dixie Regional Hosta Society Convention, was hosted by the Delmarva Hosta Society and was held in Rehoboth Beach, DE. There were speakers Friday from 2-5:00 PM, including Mark Zilis who was just back from his sixth trip to Japan to see hostas in the wild in July. That was followed by a Welcome Social sponsored by the DelMarva Hosta Society Friday night with a surprise program and vending. Five great gardens were on tour Saturday, the auction was held Saturday evening, preceded by a pizza party. The full schedule is here.
May 31- June 2, 2018
The 2018 Dixie Regional Hosta Society Convention, was hosted by the Middle Tennessee Hosta Society and was held in Clarksville, TN. Speakers included Jeff Poppen “The Barefoot Farmer”, Troy Marden host of NPT’s Volunteer Gardner, Rita Venable author of Butterflies of Tennessee: Field and Garden, Dr. Chris Cooper host of PBS gardening television show The Family Plot, and Adam Chapman, plant expert from award-winning Bates Nursery in Nashville. Activities included garden tours, plant sales, live auction, silent auction, banquet, and door prizes. Full schedule is here.
September 15-16, 2017
Pictures from the 2017 Convention
The 2017 Dixie Regional Hosta Society convention, hosted by Georgia Hosta Society, was held in Peachtree City, GA. Attendees learned about new developments in hostas as well as other shade companion plants. Speakers included Rob Mortko of Made in the Shade Gardens, Bob Solberg of Greenhill Hostas, Mark Maher of Flowerwood Nursery (distributors of Encore Azaleas, Southern Living Collection Plants, Proven Winners plants and other plant material to Southeastern nurseries), and more. Activities included informal garden tours, plant sales, DRHS photo contest, live auction and silent auction.
June 2-4, 2016
The 2016 Dixie Region convention was hosted by the Hosta Society of North Alabama in Madison, Alabama (near Huntsville). Highlights included car tours of 4 local gardens, a buffet lunch followed by 2 speakers on June 3 and a bus tour of 5 gardens with a catered lunch at Lake Guntersville followed by a dinner banquet buffet with a speaker on June 4. With vending and both silent and live auctions the 80+ attendees had a great time and were very appreciative to the hard work of the Hosta Society of North Alabama.
JUNE 18 – 20, 2015
The 2015 Dixie Regional Hosta Society convention was held in conjunction with the 2015 National convention in Raleigh, NC. Members met at 6:00 pm on June 19.
MAY 30 – 31, 2014
The 2014 Dixie Regional Hosta Society convention was hosted by Bob and Nancy Solberg in Wake Forest, North Carolina (near Raleigh). Highlights included visits to the Solberg garden and nursery, Green Hill Farm, the State Farmers Market and gardens in Wake Forest.
There was a lively “Auction” and a lineup of speakers that enriched the participant’s hosta knowledge!
Thanks to all who worked to make the 2014 Regional convention a success.