Northern Illinois Hosta Society Home Page
The Northern Illinois Hosta Society (NIHS) was founded in October 1992 when Tom Micheletti, our first president, gathered several fellow "hostaphiles" together and founded the Northern Illinois Hosta Society. He remains one of the country's most knowledgeable hosta experts. We offer a yearlong schedule of activities designed to educate the public about hostas, to promote their use in the landscape, in arrangements, in pots, and in groupings. We also focus on companion plants found in the hosta garden as well as learn about beneficial insects in the hosta garden, healthy soil and soil amendments, pests, diseases and diagnosis, and all things gardening.
Our NIHS society's mission is dedicated to educating the public, to encourage the development of new cultivars and and promote the use of hostas in the landscape. NIHS works closely with the American Hosta Society (AHS) and the Midwest Regional Hosta Society (MRHS) planning and hosting hosta events and donating to hosta research. NIHS is a general not-for-profit organization that serves the people of Northern Illinois and surrounding areas.
Our NIHS society's mission is dedicated to educating the public, to encourage the development of new cultivars and and promote the use of hostas in the landscape. NIHS works closely with the American Hosta Society (AHS) and the Midwest Regional Hosta Society (MRHS) planning and hosting hosta events and donating to hosta research. NIHS is a general not-for-profit organization that serves the people of Northern Illinois and surrounding areas.
Some of our Programs, Events & Activities
American Hosta Society (AHS) Display Garden maintained by NIHS & Cantigny Golf & Park, Winfield, IL This garden is an American Hosta Society (AHS) National Hosta Display Garden we maintain. This AHS garden of one of 26 AHS gardens in America. NIHS continues to add to this display garden through plant donations from our NIHS members as well as commercial growers and hybridizers. NIHS has also purchased a number of desired cultivars. Today when you come to our garden, you will find over 3000+ different cultivars and companion plants to please your garden palette and have you leave desiring more HOSTAS and companion plants for your garden. Come sit with us in this beautiful garden that brings tranquility and rest during busy days. |
2025 MRHS Winter Symposium
Feb 21-22, 2025 Milwaukee-Brookfield, WI 2025 Winter Symposum Hosted by Midwest Regional Hosta Society Symposium Information Printable Registration Form Reserve Convention Hotel MRHS Home Page More Information and Registration Form |
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Hosta College
March 21-22, 2025 GLR Hosta College gift plants for attending. You will choose which gift hosta plant you would like to receive for attending this event.
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Winter Symposium
March 16, 2025 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Cantigny Park, Education Center Mark your calendars for a special afternoon for NIHS Members and their guests. 12-1:00 p.m. Jan Smith will be selling cement garden stepping stones with detailed leaf impressions in her designs prior to the meeting in the Education Center. These stepping stones will be a talking point in your garden, as well as a focal point. She will also be bringing some of her watercolor art work to sell. She does not take credit cards, so please bring your checkbook or cash. 1:00 -2:00 p.m. Speaker: Josh Roggenbuck from Walter's Garden Introducing new plants for the 2025 growing season and market Trade Affiliations
Don't forget we will have our Symposium raffle for our NIHS Members and their guests. A few of you will take home a plant for your garden. We are hopeful your guests will want to become members in this garden society. So we are asking our members to bring a gardening friend who might want to join NIHS. Don't forget to wear your new NIHS name tags. If you haven't picked up your new name tag already with our new logo, please stop by the Membership table located near the doors that you enter in the Education Center. You will also sign the attendance sheet at this table too. We will see you soon! |
Below is the link to the Hosta College website. In past years, 20 or more classes were offered and attendees chose several one or two hour sessions. Members of the Great Lakes Regional Hosta Society (GLRHS) sponsor's this annual learning event, so their members are given the first opportunity to register and choose classes and then registration is opened to the general public.
The Registration fee: $50.00 for classes-does not include lodging Be sure to check it out 2025 Hosta College Registration form for the classes you want to attend Registration opens for GLR Hosta Society Members: February 2025- Registration opens for Non-GLR Hosta Society Members: February 2025- Registration Closes: midnight, March 1, 2025 Where to stay: hostacollege.org/where-to-stay/ Be sure to check it out 2025 Hosta College AND History of Hosta College and how it started GLRHS Tailgate: The website will also includes information about the 2025 GLRHS Tailgate: The Hosta Society of Greater Cincinnati will host the Tailgate on July 11-12th, 2025 Register for the GLRHS Tailgate here The purpose of the Tailgate events is to bring our GLR society members together to enjoy local gardens, area attractions, and, of course, friendship. Previous Tailgates have had well over one hundred visitors, bringing members from other societies within the Great Lakes Region. A different Society hosts the Tailgate each year during the summer, offering garden tours, an auction, and a dinner gathering. It’s a weekend of adventure. Last Day to Register for Hosta College 2025 Midnight on March 1, 2025 |
Gardenfest 2025
Date: April 12, 2025, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00m p.m. Given by: McHenry U of IL Master Gardeners McHenry County College (MCC), Building B, 8900 U.S. Route 14, in Crystal Lake, Ill. 60012-2761 815-455-3700 Registration and Information |
Cell Phone Photography Class
May 2, 2025 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Members only event Details of the program she will present to NIHS members Presenter: Claudia Frost This program will run about 90 minutes and she will be available to answer questions after her presentation. Wear your name tags and sign in on the sign-in sheet at the Membership table. |
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Spring Symposium Presentation May 4, 2025 12:00 noon-3:00 p.m. Cantigny Park, Winfield, IL Education Center Mark your calendars for a special afternoon for NIHS Members and their guests. Change in Sponsor Plant Pick up time: Due to emergence of hostas falling about three weeks behind last years emergence dates, we will be determining a date in about three weeks for pick up. We have all email addresses for these online purchases, so we will send out an email with further news. 12:00 noon until he is finished sharpening: Sharpening by Dave is returning again for a third year. {:ease bring all garden tools and kitchen tools to be sharpened at this time. Dave will sharpen them during the symposium. Master Gardeners Table is available for questions from noon until 1p.m. until the presentation and again from 2-3 p.m. after the presentation. During this time you will be able to go over to the Master Gardener Table where we have certified Master Gardeners through the University of Illinois extension available to answer your hosta questions or gardening questions pertaining to your hosta beds. 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Garden Art Vendor: We welcome back Jaye Hilton as our member artist. She will sell items from her "I Heart Hostas" line of house and garden wares. She accepts Zelle, Paypal, cash and checks. 1:00 -2:00 p.m. Presenter: Cindy Crosby and her topic will be: "Dragonflies in the Garden." Come hear about their cultural history, including some of the myths and superstitions that surround them. Discover how you can garden to attract these remarkable flying creatures. Cindy will have some books available for purchase. We all love to watch the dragonflies dance and twirl above our plants in the garden. 2:00 -3:00 p.m. Also a time to mingle and socialize with NIHS members. We will have water and soda. Baked treats will be provided by our fantastic NIHS bakers. We have some amazing bakers with delicious recipes! We will continue to follow all CDC guidelines to continue to keep all members and presenters safe. Don't forget we will have our Symposium raffle for our NIHS Members and their guests. We are hopeful your guests will want to become members in this garden society. So we are asking our members to bring a gardening friend who might want to join NIHS. Don't forget to wear your new NIHS name tags. If you haven't picked up your new name tag already with our new logo, please stop by the Membership table located near the doors that you enter in the Education Center. All members and guests will sign the attendance sheet at this table too. |
Our new 2025 offerings are posted here with their names below each photo.
Sponsor Plant Pick-Up - Members Only
on : Date to be determined Pick up will be determined and set in about three weeks Our speaker presentation will be from 2-3:00 p.m. Location: Cantigny Golf & Park, Winfield, IL Greenhouse Parking lot before walking up to the Education Center for our Spring Symposium or walking down to the parking lot after the presentation. As Lou Horton, NIHS Past President, 2003-2011, has always said, “the Sponsor Plant Program is designed for the benefit of our members”. Every year we select at least 4 high quality cultivars from two or three NIHS vendors. You will receive field grown divisions that are ready to be placed in your garden after the threat of frost. The offerings are beautiful cultivars that everyone should have in their collection. For more information, look in your email in the March NIHS newsletter. If you have further questions, please contact Bill Brandt or Kevin Jackson, currently our NIHS Chairs for this event. To go to the Sponsor Plant Sale go to our Members Only tab. You must be a member of NIHS and the password will be emailed out to current members again. |
Annual Leaf Display at the Chicago Botanic Garden
Open to the Public & NIHS members Reagan Science Center Room: Bernstein Hall May 31, 2025 and June 1, 2025 10 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The NIHS's mission & purpose is to share knowledge of hostas and to promote the use of hostas in the landscape. How better to do this than to display the most stunning hosta leaves from our gardens. We will display over 300+ hosta leaves ranging in size from minis up to extra large hosta leaves. Members donate their prized hosta leaves. Over two thousand visitors will enjoy this hosta experience. Some visitors buy hostas, and companion plants from our vendors. Attendees also have the opportunity to vote on their favorite hosta leaf. It changes every year! In last year's 2024 Favorite Hosta leaf from CBG Hosta Leaf Show we had 2 hostas that tied for FAVORITE LEAF voted on by visitors at the NIHS Chicago Botanic Garden Hosta Leaf Display and Sale:
Both leaves are beautiful!
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American Hosta Society National Convention
June 19-21, 2025 Peoria, Illinois American Hosta Society website and Midwest Hosta Society website Register to attend convention Here you will find out about this year’s American Hosta Society (AHS) National Convention, to be held June 19-21, 2025. This year, we are combining the AHS national convention with the Midwest Regional Hosta Society convention. The convention is being hosted by the Central Illinois Hosta Society. You may also register on-line with credit or debit card or download a registration form you can print out and mail in with your check. Hostas continue to be America’s number one perennial due to their versatility in the landscape. GIft plant images below. Images of gift plants to choose from will be posted as soon as they are finalized.
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Garden Walks- 2025
A variety of dates in the Chicagoland area June 14-July 19, 2025. Each Summer, at least two to four members open their home gardens to our members as well as other gardeners. This summer we have several exciting garden walks that we believe you will enjoy. Each garden is a reflection of the homeowners that have lovingly created their tranquil environment. You will always find our Summer Garden Walks in our spring and summer newsletters and in emails sent out to all of our NIHS members with details about the gardens and directions. You will find information to these garden walks in your newsletters arriving in March and May 2025. You will also find the information in our Member's Only section on our website navigation bar by the end of March 2025 when we get closer to garden walk visits. |
Annual Bus Trip - June 7, 2025
Our bus trip this year will be held on June 7, 2025. We are headed up to view gardens in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin. Our itinerary will be sent to you once finalized via our eblasts, newsletter, and posted on our website under Member's Only section. On another note, Do you have gardens, nurseries, botanical gardens, public gardens you would like us to consider for our annual bus trips? Send your suggestions to our Vice President through our Contact Us page on our Navigation bar for consideration. Don't forget to wear your NIHS name tag to these events. |
NIHS Summer Symposium Presentation July 13, 2025 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Cantigny Park, Winfield, IL Mark your calendars for a special afternoon for NIHS Members and their guests. Noon -1:00 p.m. A shopping opportunity with Skylar's Hosta. Be sure to bring cash or check to pay for your plant purchases. 1-2 p.m. Presenter: Matt Zerby, owner of Wasco Nursery, His presentation will focus on "Shade Gardening: Beyond Hostas". 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. FREE raffle and Time to mingle with old and new hosta members and continue hosta shopping. Don't forget to check out the hosta garden maintained by Northern Illinois Hosta Society. We are one of 26 AHS recognized gardens in the United States. We will have our Symposium raffle for our NIHS Members and their guests. We are hopeful your guests will want to become members in this garden society. So we are asking our members to bring a gardening friend who might want to join NIHS. Don't forget to wear your hosta name tags. If you have not picked them up from the membership table where you sign in, please do so today. Thank you. |
Live Auction Date to be determined with more information to follow Open to the Public and NIHS Members Thank you to each and everyone of our donors and bidders for making our auction a great success last year and in previous years. Each Summer, members and member vendors contribute plants (hostas & companion plants) from their own gardens or nurseries to the annual NIHS Auction. This is our only fundraiser of the year. The Northern Illinois Hosta Society (NIHS) was founded in October 1992 by a group of people that shared a passion for hostas. The society is dedicated to educating the public and promoting the use of hostas in the landscape. NIHS works closely with the American Hosta Society and the Midwest Regional Hosta Society planning and hosting hosta events and donating to hosta research. NIHS is a not-for-profit organization that serves the people of Northern Illinois and surrounding areas. The funds raised from this event will support our numerous programs and social events including Hosta Garden Walks, symposiums, and meetings. NIHS Members: NOW is the time to dig up those hostas and companion plants you want to donate for our auction. We want to offer a wide variety of healthy good-looking plants at the sale – unusual and more common, hostas and companion plants. Get them potted now so they can acclimate themselves in their pots and look their best by auction time. NIHS really appreciates your participation and donations for this auction, as this is our only fundraiser. Vendors and Advertisers: You will receive acknowledgment and credit for each and everyone of your donated plants to this auction. Thanking you in advance for your donations. |
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Annual Membership Meeting & Potluck-Members Only
September 21, 2025 Place: Cantigny Park, Education Center 1-4 p.m. The purpose of this annual meeting is to discuss and approve the NIHS annual Budget and the election of new officers to fill vacant positions. Our meeting is being held on a Saturday in September. The Nominating Committee Report and the Budget proposal is always emailed to our members for their review before this meeting. After the meeting we can walk the beautiful gardens of Cantigny Park and observe the changing seasonal colors among the vegetation while gathering ideas for our own gardens. Don't forget to bring your favorite potluck dish to share with your fellow members. |
Fall Symposium - October 18, 2025
Cantigny Park, Winfield, IL Cantigny Park, Education Center Mark your calendars for a special afternoon for NIHS Members and their guests. Our Fall Symposium will be held on Sunday, October 18 from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Speaker: to be determined Hopefully the weather will be favorable and many of you will be able to find some time to stroll through our American Hosta Society National Display Garden just south of the Visitor’s Center. We hope you will enjoy the sights of so many wonderful hostas and their companion plants. Cantigny Park is located at 1s151 Winfield Road, in Wheaton. Members, please wear your NIHS name tags. We look forward to seeing many or all of you there in October 2023. Be sure to check out the future newsletters about this event. |
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NIHS Member Vendors & Advertisers
Please patronize our Member Vendors & Advertisers. Our advertisers have special Sale and/or Open House dates that would be a perfect time to shop for some great hostas and companions. Click here to see these special businesses that support NIHS.
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Resources
We feel you will find helpful information and videos to watch as our seasons change. There is much to learn as we hone our gardening skills. During the winter time we begin to dream, visualize, plan, read, rearrange, and read some more gardening resources while we reflect on what our gardens might look like in the spring. In the spring, we can't wait to clean up our gardens and begin to dig in the dirt. Summer lends itself to more work as we reap the visual sensations of our delightful gardens. In the fall, we must prepare our gardens for their long awaited sleep. You will find a page of virtual gardens under the Resources tab to look at for additional ideas in your gardens too. |
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Become a Member Today
An affordable NIHS membership gives you access to informative programs, Garden Walks and botanical gardens, annual gardening bus or car caravan trip, our spring plant sale and more. Become a NIHS member today! Your dues for two calendar years (January through December) are $25.00 so that is just a little over $1.00 a month for dues. |
JOIN and FOLLOW US ON OUR
NIHS Facebook and Instagram pages Our Northern Illinois Hosta Society Facebook page is filled with garden related topics relating to hostas and companion plants, garden issues and other topics that arise in the gardening world. Join and follow our NIHS Facebook group to share garden pictures, post comments, and ask questions with our NIHS followers. |
Thank you for visiting our website. Want to keep up with what’s going on at NIHS? Visit this page often or follow us on Facebook!
Did you know that hosta are known as the "Friendship Plant?"
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