As a fellow computer user, I am pleased to announce two new online
American Hosta Society services:
- a more user friendly, and flexible, searchable cultivar database,
- coming soon (hopefully by the time of the convention) the capability
to register your hostas online.
I want to take the opportunity to thank Rebecca Board, the software
contractor, W. George Schmid, Warren Pollock, and Tom Micheletti for their
parts in helping me flight test this version of the database and making
suggestions for phases 2 and 3 of my plans.
Both of the products are located at the www.hostaregistrar.org link.
You should go there and try them out.
Our site has some other nice things for you. For example, you can find
listings of all of the registration checklists. These lists can be viewed
online, or printed, using convenient buttons. There is also a "Registering
Your Hosta" Guidebook which also can be can be viewed online, or printed.
ONLINE HOSTA REGISTRATION AND DATABASE SEARCHING
In 2006, The American Hosta Society launched a long-range plan to use
computer technologies to deal with registered hostas. Thus, the AHS has
used computerized procedures to create and maintain a database for all
registered hostas for several years. This database is useful for many
things, such as making it much easier to produce the new checklists that
are printed each year.
Our database has been available in a searchable form sporadically since
2006. Some of you know this system because you have used it at home and
in your hosta shows. W. George Schmid has used it regularly and reported
to me on his needs for the future as well. Using them in exhibition shows
has proven to be a great benefit, since it precludes the need to have a
complete set of old copies of the Silver Book, the Silver Book Supplement
or copies of the Registration issues available to help out in identifying
cultivars and the categories in which they can be shown.
Prior to 2006, all registration data entry has been handled using paper
forms. The images of the new hostas normally are mailed to the Registrar,
along with the registration fees. The procedure for doing a check on whether
a particular name has already been reserved has required direct communication
with the Registrar. These checks have been made by mail, email, or phone
communication.
Many members have expressed interest in two new features:
- Some of you want the ability to do your hosta registration transactions
online, including sending in all of the registration data, sending
a digital image of the hosta, and even making your registration fee
payments. This will be coming soon, hopefully by May.
- Others of you have stated that an flexible, user friendly, online s
earchable database would make you happier.
The American Hosta Society's Hosta Registration web site is open and ready
for your enjoyment. The AHS Hosta Registration site is located at
www.hostaregistrar.org and represents our initial attempt to provide you
with these services. It is a free resource for hosta enthusiasts featuring
a search mechanism for querying the AHS registration records, and it will
also be a convenient tool for hybridizers to utilize for registering hostas
online in the near future.
Database Searching Capabilities
Without apologies, we'll say that the online searching options are not as
extensive as those we would like to eventually provide. We simply haven't
had enough time to include all that we wanted to, but we didn't want to
hold back on releasing something for you to try, any longer than absolutely
necessary. We do not consider this site to be a replacement for the hard
copy Registration Issue, as the International Code still requires hard copy
publication. The AHS plans to maintain both facilities for as long as they
are both used by a large number of our members.
Let's start describing the online searching capabilities by saying that
both the CD and the online database contain the same entries; that is to say
that they contain the more than 4,000 cultivars that were registered up t
hrough the end of 2008.
The search utility has been designed for ease of use.
To start your search, you go to the top of the page and click on "Searches".
This will bring up a page that says, "Search the Hosta Database."
Enter text after "Cultivar Name", and, as you would guess, you can search
on the names of hostas. If you simply type in part of a name (for example,
"Gold") select the "Beginning of Cultivar Name" button, then hit the
"Search" button, the program will locate all of the cultivars that have
Gold at the beginning of the name, even if it is only the first part of
the first word of the name. Thus 'Goldsmith' is also returned by the
search, which captures a total of 87 hostas.
You don't even have to type in the full names. If you type in "Gol", you will
locate 88 cultivars - the additional hosta captured is 'Goliath'.
If you want to search for hostas that have "Gold" at the end of their name,
type in "Gold", select the "End of Cultivar Name" button, then hit the
"Search" button. The program will locate all of the cultivars that have the
name Gold at the end of the name -- this search captures a total of 59 hostas.
Further, if you want to search for "Gold" anywhere in the name, type in
"Gold", select the "Anywhere in Cultivar Name" button, then hit the
"Search" button.
The program will locate all of the cultivars that have the name Gold anywhere
in the name, even if only as part of a word therein, such as 'Blaugold'. This
search captures a total of 182 hostas.
If you choose to search by Hybridizer Name, you will have to keep
in mind that the hybridizer's names are NOT listed by full, or shortened names,
but by first initial followed by last name.
Thus, searches for Thomas Micheletti or Tom Micheletti will be fruitless
whether using "Beginning of Name," "End of Name," or "Anywhere in Name".
However, using T. Micheletti in the hybridizer's box will turn up the same
results using any of the three buttons.
Further, variations of initials may result in differences in the results.
The name Robert is often shortened to Bob. As first names are not used in
the database, neither will turn up a response. However, R. Solberg and
B. Solberg will bring about significantly different results. B. Solberg
will turn up the same results using any of the three buttons - nothing!
Whereas, R. Solberg will bring up anywhere from 87 to 91 results depending
on the button used and the location of R. Solberg in the field. For
example if M. Zilis & B. Solberg are listed as the originators this would
not come up if the button "Beginning of Name" is selected. Using Solberg
"Anywhere in Name" gives 91 results, as does R. Solberg "Anywhere in Name".
Other, anomalies in searches of hybridizers may result as some registered
under different guises, such as M. Zilis, Q&Z, and T&Z. Similarly, R. Kuk
will turn up a fruitless search. B. Kuk will result in 12 items, whereas
Kuk will get 54 results if searched anywhere in name. The reason being
Bob Kuk registered some with B. Kuk, and others as Kuk's Nursery. Using
just "kuk" with lower or upper case returns the greatest number and then
you can pick and chose.
There is also an "Advanced Search" option, which can be reached by clicking
on "click here for Advanced Search". Some of the search options come with
pull down menus as these are the only choices, others with detail to be
typed by the person searching, such as leaf color.
Try out the searches. When you see things that you think should be modified,
or you think of a search that might be added give me some feedback. You can
send them to Kevin P. Walek, Registrar at
registrar@americanhostasociety.org
or, you can also click on the top menu button that will allow you to send
an email to me directly from the website. Please use it to make comments or
ask me any questions about the registration process that you want to know.
We know of many things we want to do and we won't muddy the waters by
mentioning them, but please do send in your suggestions so we can be sure
that we don't miss something really, really nice.
Other Nice Features
If I ever get to retire from my "9 to 5" job, I plan to add other functionality
to the site, such as scans of the original registration forms, and
original pictures submitted with the form, and eventually even more modern
day mature pictures of the clump and leaf detail. But these will be a few
years in coming.
The American Hosta Society is proud to present you with this update to the
online Hosta Registry search utility. It is a fast and powerful essential tool
for any hosta historian, grower and enthusiast. Look for us to offer continuing
enhancements to this fine utility, and keep an eye out for the inclusion
of the official hosta registration cultivar images in the Hosta Registry
in the distant future. We are just getting started, so please take your time,
enjoy, and take advantage of this wonderful resource provided by the
American Hosta Society.
Your Friend in Hostas,
Kevin P. Walek
