Horticultural Society

H/7/1991-1-

July 2, 1991, Pi Acres, page 1

The Sandy Spring Horticultural Society met at the Fletcher's for their first hosting of the group. If that distinction had anything to do with the lovely and much needed downpour that immediately preceded the meeting, we can thank the Fletchers for having a parade for the clouds to open up on. Despite a lightning damaged transformer in Sandy Spring that routed many of us to take a circuitous path we arrived and the rain tapered off so that we could admire the many endeavors of an imaginative and talented family. The Secretary can vouch that at any time of the day or year the Fletcher's enclave is always presentable, productive, and resplendent as the Society viewed it that evening.

Unfortunately missing were the Canbys, Priscilla Allen, Nancy Preuss, Beth Bullard, and Elie Rogers. Guests included Sherry Fletcher's parents Twyla and Lyle Mader.

Unbelievably, there were only two dessert dishes fielded for the meal's end. Not so unbelievable, we dined extravagantly and began the meeting around 9:00 with Ted Fletcher wielding the gavel in Nancy Preuss' absence. The previous minutes were read, corrected and passed.

The assigned reader was Edwina Earp who brought an article from the Wall Street Journal about 92 year old Brother Adam who has spent the last 76 years raising honey bees. "Raising" is a pale, insufficient term for the exhaustivem painstaking, and vitally important task of selectively breeding bees to resist diseases, parasites, and environmental peculiarities. When he's not roaming Europe and the Mediterranean searching for resistant strains of honeybees he is in a remote part of Scotland where he carries out the nuts and bolts of breeding strengths and weaknesses in and out of honeybees.

There was no volunteer article and so we went on to the reading of the minutes from 100 years ago.

We continued on to the Forethought which began with the understatement that there were a great many things to do. We were advised to water lawns early in the morning. Pant - I mean plant for fall harvest. Spray when air is calm. Apply 10-10-10 to tomatoes. Prune flowers. Stake plants. Give roses their last feeding and stop pinching mums ! The black locust trees will be suffering from seasonal leaf miner damage but don't worry. Side dress corn if bottom leaves are yellow and other indications hint low nitrogen. Weed, harvest, plant, and pray for rain.

Speaking of rain the Meteorologist reported that the 1st two weeks of the month gave us less than a quarter inch. The total for the month was 2.9" which was not helpful but the same as last year. The high temperature was 95 and the low was 47. The winds were mild and generally the whole month bore a close resemblance to last year's June.

Exhibits

Among the offerings Rose Hill included phlox, yarrow, astilbe, zinnia, nicotiana, cornflower, perovskia, and an unidentified white flower.

H/4/1990-1-

April 3, 1990, Lydia Haviland's, page 1

The dormant season ended with our April 3rd meeting at the home of Lydia Haviland. With her grounds poised for growth and her parrot poised to raise the hairs on everyone's scalp, the familiarity and atnosphere of Lydia's house was a fitting spot to open our season.

In addition to Lydia's family we welcomed Sheri Fletcher's mother Twyla Mader. With insufficient fanfare we also welcomed the newest member of the Society, Sarah Janney Hartge, tipping the calendar at 3 weeks, 2 days.

The gathering was called to order and we got under way with a request from Jim Bullard to sign a petition requesting that the Sandy Spring Corridor remain unique and apart from Olney when the area's master plan is revised. Murmurs of assent accompanied Jim's presentation.

The minutes from the previous meeting were read, corrected and nodded into perpetuity.

There was no unfinished business.

As is the custom during the first meeting of the season, the by-laws were read to all.

Mo Chance followed with the volunteer article from the July 1978 issue of Organic Gardening entitled Surgery for Squash Borers. It was a helpful description on how to spot vines afflicted with the borer before it's too late and excise the pest without losing the vine.

Mo followed with an article detailing the many uses of vinegar in the garden. Among its many applications viinegar can lower the ph of the soil, it can prolong the life of cut flowers and if sprayed repeatedly [and probably eternally] on bindweed will kill the plant.

In closing Mo reminded us that the average chicken has 8,143 feathers and beef scraps are good to add to chicken feed.

Beth Bullard volunteered an article titled Salsify: Maryland Oyster from Your Own Garden. Following the article it was admitted that salsify has been grown by Society members but not eaten.

Elizabeth Thornton read the minutes from 100 years ago in which fishberries soaked in vinegar were mentioned as helpful in repelling lice but not nits from the heads of chickens. The nature and specifics of fishberries was queried and Ted Fletcher volunteered to research and report back.

H/4/1990-3-

April 3, 1990, Lydia Haviland's, page 3

QUESTION

Mary Seiler is contemplating letting a portion of her field go unmowed. The notion was encouraged with the caution that some bird-hating, superficial, restrictively nonenvironmental and heavy-handed local ordinances require mowed expanses.

Mrs. Mader offered her method of planning her lilly plantings. She puts markers in plastic bags and stakes them in her yard where she will want specific items to be planted the following spring.

Ted Fletcher wanted to know if peaches will survive the capricious weather we're having. His answer came in shrugs and he was asked to report back.

Harold Earp wanted to know where water chestnuts come from. Cans was the predominant answer and otherwise he was asked to find out and reporrt back.

Susan Canby asked Tom Canby how he got rid of their moles. He replied in a spontaneous fashion that ground chili powder peppered across the lawn apparently repels them to less savory digs.

Tom Canby followed with a question on what eats tulip bulbs. Recent rumor has it that robins have been reported as culprits. More commonly known villians are voles and squirrels. Both can be foiled by planting in open ended quart cans buried to ground level.

Buzz Hussman said if anyone needs wood chips, he still has some to offer.

On that note of cooperation and generosity we thanked Lydia for her hospitality and agreed to meet next at the Chances' when John Hartge would be reader.

BUT before we dissassembled such a pleasant and long awaited gathering Lydia mentioned that although in favor of tradition and continuity she believes that monthly hosts should not feel it absolutely de rigeur to seat at the dinner table all who attend the meeting. It is too much to ask. This gathering should be fun for all and not laced with anziety for the host family over tables, chairs, plates, and other trumped up formalities.

The comment was greeted with genuine approval. Nobody would dare argue with Lydia anyway but it was a very good point to bring up and agree on.