May 4-7, 2023
“Choose Your Own Adventure”
Cary, NC
It will not be long before spring is here and the hostas are jumping out of the ground. This year the Dixie Regional will try to take advantage of the excitement of early May to have our annual meeting. It will be hosted by Bob Solberg, Regional Director and Beth Barnes, Regional Treasurer centered in Cary, NC. The dates are May 4-7 at the Comfort Suites Regency Park, 350 Asheville Avenue, Cary, NC 27518.
The meeting will have a new and fun format. It will be a “Choose Your Own Adventure”. Attendees will choose from a too long list of world class botanical gardens, excellent nurseries, and local gardens to visit in their own vehicles on Friday and Saturday. Of course, we suggest carpooling, so you make new hosta friends or catchup with old ones. Suggested lists will be provided for both days, emailed to all registrants before they arrive so they can start to plot their adventure ahead of the meeting.
There will be hospitality at the hotel on Thursday and Friday nights with an educational presentation Friday night after dinner on your own. Saturday night we will have our Annual Meeting, pizza party, and fun auction after we return from touring.
Some of the attractions include the J. C Raulston Arboretum, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, WRAL Azalea Gardens, and the NC Farmers Market. Plant Delights will be open that weekend as well as Green Hill Farm on Saturday as well as many, many local nurseries. There will also be some private gardens to visit featuring hostas and a variety of gardening styles. Check the schedule for suggested days to visit each of these.
Registration is easy and very affordable, just $35.00. Please copy and mail the registration form to Beth Barnes with your check. You can register for the hotel online at this link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/SW24E8 or call the Hotel (919) 852-4318 and mention the Group is the Dixie Regional Hosta Society and the code is SW24E8. The rate is $124.00 for King or Double Room plus State and local tax.
We hope we can be part of your hosta adventure this spring and you will choose to come and see us in May. Questions? Contact Bob Solberg, HostaBob@gmail.com.
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.