Black Swamp Hosta and Daylily Society

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Black Swamp Hosta and Daylily Society The BSHDS is a group of gardening enthusiasts who are enamored with growing hostas and daylilies in NW OH and southeastern MI.

Taking its name from northwest Ohio's once formidable Black Swamp, BSHDS is a member of the American Hosta Society and the American Hemerocallis Society. BSHDS holds regular meetings in the spring and fall at the Conference Center. Special speakers, programs and refreshments are featured at the general membership meetings, which are free and open to the public. In the summer, BSHDS holds a members’ garden tour and picnic, a bus trip, either a hosta or daylily show, and a daylily auction. Gardening workshops and special events are also held at various times during the year. January is the annual dinner meeting with a featured speaker, May is the Perennial Plant Sale (the society’s major fundraiser), and November is the holiday potluck with a featured speaker. For more information about this organization, please contact Charlene Patz at 419-874-8964 or [email protected].

THROWBACK THURSDAY - November 2025 Luncheon
10/23/2026

THROWBACK THURSDAY - November 2025 Luncheon

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10/23/2026

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Downtown Columbus has a famous painting you can walk right into, and it is made entirely of shrubs. 🌳

The Topiary Park sits on the grounds of the old Ohio School for the Deaf, on East Town Street. Beginning in the late 1980s, artist James T. Mason shaped yew bushes over bronze frames to recreate Georges Seurat's painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

Ladies with parasols, gentlemen in top hats, a dog, a monkey and even boats on the pond all stand frozen in green, arranged to match the scene in the original canvas. It is one of the most unusual and charming sights in the city, and a favorite spot for a quiet stroll. 🎨🌿

Have you ever spent an afternoon walking among the topiary figures?

In 2014, I met a Finnish woman when I volunteered at TBG's Season's Gift Shop/visitor center.  During the time her husba...
10/13/2026

In 2014, I met a Finnish woman when I volunteered at TBG's Season's Gift Shop/visitor center. During the time her husband was working in the States (Perrysburg), Ani and I became friends. Ani chose to help my husband and other Black Swamp Hosta and Daylily Society volunteers each Wednesday morning in the TBG hosta gardens.
This week Harold and I have the good fortune to be houseguests of the Makinens in Tampere, Finland.
Last night seemed to be the area's first frost, and we came across these hostas at a local garden center this morning.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cv5zvr6Tp/Beware...they've found a new disguise.
10/13/2026

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Beware...they've found a new disguise.

Two deer resting in a field beside enormous hay bales have created a hilarious optical illusion, making them look like giant snails carrying their shells! 🦌🐌

The illusion comes down to perspective. The deer are lying directly in front of the large, circular hay bales, making their bodies appear connected to the rolls of dried grass behind them. From the photographer’s particular angle, two completely ordinary parts of the countryside suddenly look like something out of a cartoon.

Our brains constantly try to organize shapes and patterns into familiar objects. Most of the time, this helps us understand what we see, but sometimes the alignment of objects creates a surprisingly convincing illusion.

Deer often rest in open fields where they can remain aware of their surroundings. Even when lying down, they can use their sensitive hearing and wide field of vision to help detect potential danger.

Meanwhile, the giant-looking “shells” are simply hay bales, made by compressing cut and dried grass for storage and livestock feed.

Nothing unusual is happening here. No giant snails, no extraordinary animals—just two resting deer, a few hay bales and a perfectly timed camera angle.

Sometimes, nature doesn’t need to do anything extraordinary. All it takes is the right perspective to make an ordinary moment look unbelievable.

THROWBACK THURSDAY-  2016 Jack Church, Karol Emerich, Mike Anders
09/17/2026

THROWBACK THURSDAY- 2016 Jack Church, Karol Emerich, Mike Anders

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Toledo, OH
43614

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