The prices for the Convention plants has not been set yet. But I'm sure it will be reasonable and not outlandish. As soon as I hear the price for sure, I'll post it here. Answers to other questions I saw on this thread: Â You can attend the vending, hosta show and auction without registering. Â You don't have to be member of a hosta society (or the AHS) to register and attend the convention. We want first timers! But be warned, that's how we catch you! LOL! I found out the other day, that Nick Carter, the current President of the Indianapolis Hosta Society, came to the 1997 Convention in Indy as a visitor, immediately joined the organization and now look at him. Â Registration for Indy will be limited and yes, most conventions have had to turn away the latecomers. This is because there is usually only a limited number that can be seated in the banquet rooms and on the buses - which have to be pre-reserved for the tours. Â The early registration deadline is fast approaching. Get it postmarked by April 30th to save yourself money. Two months, one week and counting! 8-) Shadz (one of the Indy team)

Hi there Beth- You are right in that terra cotta can not handle freeze thaw without crumbling apart surprisingly fast- and that glazed stoneware would crack apart as well. Both have happened here in my garden in MN. I can only guess at how that was done- and my first one is they are not ceramic/terra cotta- but a stryo-plastic look alike pot, that might make it through the winter. My second guess would be they are grown in a plastic liner pot that fits nicely inside the pot and both hosta and pot are removed for the winter- I do this with non hardy perennials- and a couple of the pots are a terra cotta plastic look alike pots- and one last guess, they may have done that arrangement special- for the tour only with no other need for longevity of that arrangement. It will be nice to read other suggestions-

Pat, Just a quick response to your comments. All photographers did use digital cameras of varying quality and having different skill levels I surmise. If you have a large monitor you would view the pictures clearer if you just click on them individually as opposed to using the slideshow which blows them up and distorts the image. All of the individual hostas pictured are named in the photos. None of the multiple plantings were ever intended to be named as the bookkeeping for all involved would severely limit the number of photos that one could take in the very short period of time that the buses remain at each garden. I think all the photographers did a fabulous job giving all that were there some great memories of what they saw and those that did not attend, a feel for what they missed. We could never have shown as much (over 600 photos so far) to so many without the AHS website. Our Hosta Journal will have great stories and pictures regarding the convention in the future but has limitations as to number of photos and pages that can be published within budget constraints. I encourage all who wish to submit photos for publication on the AHS website to do so at the link below. Thanks for the comments Pat. Ken Harris AHS Photo Editor Here is a link that might be useful: Submit Photos

My goals are to (1) try to have a few of my pictures accepted into the Hosta Library (2) try to have one of my photos win in the AHS photo contest and (3) to attend a hosta convention! Sorry David. I won't be coming to the convention. Being from Canada, I will need to plan ahead a little more before I can come to any convention. I cannot tell you what I would like to see as I don't know what is being offered. I only know that I just have to get to a convention in the near future!