Horticultural Society

H/7/1939-1-

Tanglewood July 7 - 1939 -

In a more peaceful atmosphere than the 4th of July would have been. The Horticultural meet at Tanglewood on the 7th. The meeting was held on the shady lawn. After the minutes were approved Roberta Adams read a delightful description of the beauty of Hawaii, and the various customs peculiar to the islands. Flowers, pine apples & Cocoanuts in abundance. No docks for landing, no bill boards. Elza Thomas & Mariana Miller read a letter concerning the camp on the grounds of Dorothy Canfield Fisher. where Cornelia Thomas has been asked to spend two weeks with friends.

H/7/1990-1-

July 3, 1990, Riverside, page 1

What was in the air when we had our July meeting at Riverside? Before there was a packed house and a delicious meal the porch and garden were laced with conversations and strolling groups unaware of the passage of time and lost in the pleasure of the gathering. The meal didn't start until 7:30 and the meeting didn't start until almost 9:00 when the sun and its light slipped from our day.

We were graced with a lovely array of guests; Peter and Anita Ligon, Louie Canby, Cathy Nelson & Brian Cousin, and Margaret Jones & Michael Jones.

When the meeting finally got started Elizabeth Thornton read the minutes from the previous meeting. They were passed with the correction that slugs similar to their human counterparts will not drown themselves in vinegar - only beer will do.

As there was no unfinished business Buzz Hussman read the seleced article which was by Robert Courick in Harrowsmith Magazine. It was about asian pears; history, virtues, cultivation, and economics. A short discussion followed on the gathering's experience with the fruit and although there seemed to be no lack of enthusiasm, knowledge, or good intentions about this intriguing fruit, no one has yet grown them.

Bill Hartge next read a quote from the highly esteemed Montgomery County Journal attributed to his son John.

The Century-old minutes were read by Elizabeth Thornton. July 1st at Fair Hill, 1890. The exhibits included ripe (which was underlined) tomatoes and potatoes indicating a veiled yet fierce competition. Also mentioned was a "digusting" poultry report that detailed a night when rats stole 100 chickens. Those rodents aren't called rats for nothing.

The Forethought recommended that vegetables be watered one inch per week. Fertilize tomatoes at 3/4 cup of 10-10-10 per plant. Stake plants. Give roses their last feeding at the end of July. Stop pruning chrysanthemums. French hydranges need lime now to turn their blooms purple next year.

John Hartge's meteorologist's report mentioned 2.9 inches of rain which is 2 inches low for the year. It was a dry month with 11 days with no rain, 8 days with 1/10 and then 3 days until appreciable rain fell. The high temperature was 97 on the 5th of June and tthe low was 69 on the 31st.

H/8/1990-1-

August 7, 1990, National Cathedral Garden, page 1

A stalwart collection of the Society congregated on the garden grounds of Washington DC's National Cathedral for our August meeting. Absent were the Preusses, Rudi Hanel, the Fletchers, and the Ellers. Guests were Nancy Bye and Louise Megansen. The weather favored us and our leisurely inspection of what a full-time gardening staff and the proximity to a holy edifice can do. Some of us were greatly impressed. Others of the Society could easily give the Cathedral groundskeepers a tinge of envy by what truly superlative gardeners can raise from the earth.

We repaired to the Cathedral School's cafeteria to a repast more off the cuff than usual but no less sumptuous. Caroline Hussman, Mary Seiler, Bettes Hartge, and Susan Canby did very well organizing the meal's appointments leaving nothing in absence.

Since we had invested our time and profited from the august garden tour and novel dining arrangement, our time for the meeting was diminishing fast. The previous meeting's minutes were raced through, unfinished business skipped over, the assigned article stumbled through hurriedly, and the 100-year-old minutes read with speed and grace.

Harold Earp gave us the Forethought for the month. We were to continue fertilizing tomatoes as before, advised not to prune shrubs, cut hardy perrennials to start in water. Also remove and destroy bag worms from arborvitae and other afflicted trees. Plant fall bulbs. Mentioned was the hue and cry that has recently been raised by county trash authorities regarding lawn clippings which constitutes a large part of landfill mass. We are advised to not encourage lawns to grow so vigorously, mow no more than every 5 days, and leave the clippings where they fall.

John Hartge followed with the Meterologist Report. The average low temperature was 65 and the average high was 90. The high temperature was 101.8 on the 5th and the low was 59 on the 13th. 5.7 inches of rain fell at Riverside (2 more than at National Airport who reports that their rainfall exceeds the average by 1/2 inch). Even though it seemed like a wet month July went 18 days without rain.

The Bird Report encompassed the sublime and...uh...less than sublime. Elizabeth spotted a snowy egret in the pond at Olney's Hallowell Village. On the other end of the scale, during the standard romantic, candel-lit dinner (with champagne!) at Riverside a shadow of a creature first thought to be a bird flitted uninvited and unappreciated about the dining area. Later with the assistance of Bill

H/8/1990-2-

August 7, 1990, National Cathedral Garden, page 2

Hartge, John and Ellen banished the bat to the night's embrace. There was no sign whatsoever of how the wee beast enterred the room although the chiminy was suspected.

There was no Committee Reports of substance nor New Business.

Questions

Mary Seiler spoke everyone's mind in that this field trip was a wonderful idea - a round of applause for Caroline Hussman followed. Mary also asked how to control wild grape. Like kudzu wild grape can bean aggressive pest best cut off repeatedly at ground level or exposed to sheep or goats.

Crows have found Lydia Haviland's corn and are fat and smart. Mo Chance recommends balloons with eyes - also seems to work for deer.

Nancy Chance mentions thousands of starlings roosting nearby. Edwina Erp sympathizes - had same noisy, foul smelling congregation near her house last year.

Mo Chance asked Jim Bullard if he still has bluebird houses - yes; lots.

Harold asked Eli Rogers if nets over his grape vines work. Yes, but they must be anchored or the birds find their way inside.

Beth Bullard inquired if anyone understands nicotina plants whose blooms are only fragrant at night. It is understood that that's just the way the plants behave perhaps to attract night-flying pollinators.

Jim Bullard mentioned that the franklinia tree is not known to grow in this area. Sherry Fletcher's mother, Herb Kinney and Pete Hutton, however, have grown the tree successfully.

Tom Canby wanted to know what makes asperagus plants fall over - too much fertilizer and not enough support. A discussion ensued regarding asperagus plants that were purchased as an all male selection but turning out to contain lots of females.

Leslie Rogers has a hoxta plant that us muchh taller than usual - too much fertilizer blamed.

Eli Rogers saw a magnificent fig tree on the Cathedral grounds. Caroline says it's in a very sheltered spot that

H/6/1989-1-

Lakeview, June 6, 1989 ; page 1

The June meeting of the Sandy Spring Horticultural Society took place at Lakeview, home of Mary Seiler. The grounds were lush and the house welcomed us with its blend of modern lines and graceful comfort. Missing were Lydia Haviland and Beth Bullard. We were pleased by the reappearance of Sylvia Woodward and Bill and Bettes Hartge. Our guest were Ted and Sherry Fletcher.

After a sumptuous meal the meeting was called to order in fits and starts due to the loquaciousness of the group and the absence of an commandantsized gavel.

The Minutes from the May meeting were read and since there was no unfinished business we proceeded to the Selected Article brought in by Tom Canby.

The article was from the August edition of Science News and concerned research undertaken at Clemson University. It dealt with mulch and the effect that the reflected color has on the plants around which it is applied.

There were a great many recommendations and suggestions about how certain plants can benefit from specifically colored mulch. For instance tomatoes like red mulch and bell peppers like white. The article's conclusion was that each plant may prefer its own stripe of the spectrum and these colors can affect taste, shelf life, or resistance to blights. Taken seriously a proper garden would give the horticultural a tough ray to hue.

We followed the Selected Article with the minutes from 100 years ago. At Falling Green on June 4, 1889 2 1/2 foot corn plants and peas having been harvested for 2 weeks were brought in as exhibits. Once again, the 1989 meeting was impressed.

Ellen Hartge followed with a forethought distilled from the information kettles of the extension service. We are advised to deal with bagworms and aphids from mid-June to mid-July. Prune flowering shrubs and clip and dry summer flowers worthy of preserving. Look out for squash bugs and control (i.e. kill) with sabadilla dust [spelling ?]. During this wet weather we should expect legions of slugs sliming through the garden. Their advance can be quashed with traps and shallow pools of beer.

Fall crops such as broccoli and cabbage should be started as well as successive plantings of snap beans and corn.

We were reminded that dill can be an effective trap plant for tomato worms. Also mentioned was the value of nasturtiums as pest repellents.

John Hartge followed with the Meteorologist Report. May had been a wet one with 12 days of rain - the first 17 days of May giving us 10 inches.