I am a retired middle school Technology teacher by profession. Having the summers available led to my passion for gardening. My one-acre garden has evolved over the past 20 years into its present form, and continues to evolve as it matures. 

My interest in Hostas began when I was first given the green Hosta, the green one with a white edge, and the green one with the white in the center. I had one of each!  Low and behold, after reviewing some gardening catalogs, I discovered there was a blue one, a gold one, and a blue one with a gold margin etc. I was hooked! I didn’t have one of each after all. Through an article in a gardening magazine I discovered there was an American Hosta Society, which I joined in 1990. I attended my first convention in Minneapolis that same year. I currently serve on the American Hosta Society board as President. Through the AHS I joined the Midwest Regional Hosta Society in 1991, and serve on the board as past President. The MRHS holds a Winter Scientific Meeting the last week of Jan. each year, which has traditionally been held in the Chicago area and I had organized that event for sixteen years. Selling Hostas has led to my membership in the American Hosta Growers Association, which I serve on its board as Publicity Director. That not being enough Hosta saturation, I founded the Northern Illinois Hosta Society in 1992, and served four years as its first president.

I currently have over 800 different varieties of Hostas in my collection. In 1990 I began holding a garage sale, selling various divisions and seedlings of a number of varieties of perennials from my garden.  I now sell over 500 varieties of Hostas mail order via my web site at www.hostapatch.com.

I also have slide presentations, which I give to garden clubs, and have spoken several times at the Chicago Botanic Garden. With each slide presentation I show the beauty and diversity of Hostas.