Horticultural Society

Forethought started the advice to trim evergreen candles to make the growth thicker...to block out the visual scourge of encroaching housing developments, for instance. We were told that nothing is dormant and that when transplanting, prune to balance root system and foliage. Don't cut bulb greens. Divide and replant spring blooming perennials. Spray peonies if necessary. Prune spiria drastically after blooming and prune magnolia sparingly. May is a good time to layer plants. Rhododendrons need a shot of holytone and need pruning after blossoming. Sendyour house plants out and cut your grass high. Be on the lookout for the Holly leaf miner - apply sevin or diazanon now and orthene in June. All veggies should be seeded or otherwise ensconced in the garden in May.

The forethought was followed by Peter Conlon's meteorological report. It was mentioned that on the Sweetbriar compound in Ashton the high for the Month was 79 degrees - 63 being the average high. The low was 30 degrees - 39 being the average low. April's rainfall was 3.04 inches. Peter also brought graphs detailing rain and snow fall as well as temperatures throughout the 1987-88 season. These will be entered with the minutes.

The exhibits came next: The Lawrences brough bellwort, juge, sweer woodruff, white and yellow violets, phlox, lunaria, sweetbria, dog wood, lilac, red bud, and apple blossoms. From Clifton came 2 kinds of forgetmenots (snowflake and lucage), columbine, lilac, pulmonaria (lungwort), lillies of the valley, bishop's cap, armeria, phlox dicaricata, and an unkown bulb flower. The Earps brought lilac, jack in the pulpit, primrose, scilla, wisteria, jacob's ladder, azalia, wood hyacinth, iris, daffodil, and lungwort. From Amersley came lilacs, tulips and azalea. The Chance's brought lilacs, tulips, bleeding hearts, clematis, daffodils, viburnum, dog-toothed violet, and virginia bluebells. Rose Hill offered wisteria, lilac (white and purple), redbud, bleeding heart (white and pink), columbine, and iris. Jackpine brought azaleas, bleeding heart, tulip, and a mysterious array of flora called "et al" The Cedars brought azaleas, dogwood, candytuft, tulips, mint, strawberry blossoms, bleeding hearts, and pansies. Riverside brought lilacs, tulips, wisteria, candy tuft, azalea, kerria, columbine, springwort, and chhives.

The questions opened with an inquiry on gypsy moth control. For the month of May a band of sticky tape (brand name Repel-3) around afflicted tree trunks was recommended. Caterpillars get hung up on the band where they can be killed and their progress thus arrested. Tent caterpillars were also inquired after. Their harmfulness was downplayed and if the colonies are out of reach they should be abandoned to the appetites of coocoos. Mary Seller asked after the least offensive and economical weed killer for lawns. Since the problem weedes included everything, some of the suggestion were to plow, pave, or turn the lawn over to an effortless meadow-in-a-can. On the other hand, Weed-be-gone or 2-4-D was mentioned.

H/6/1988-2-

Vegetables should be weeded and mulched. Sow seeds for brussel sprouts, cabbage, beans and carrots. Plant marigolds amongst vegetables to repel insect pests.

The meteorological report detailed a lovely month with plenty of rainfall. Our 7.95" of rain rbought us to within 1/2" of the average to date according to the Washington Post National Airport Report. A couple notable rainfalls at the Conlons happened on the 15th when 3/4" fell in 15 minutes and on the 18th when 1.22" fell in 10 minutes. The month's high temperature reading happened on the 30 & 31st when it was 38 degrees. It seemed the consensus believed the auguries were favorable for our area to escape the crushingly dry summer conditions of the past two years.

Exhibits included the following: 2 varieties of lettuce, roses, bearded wheat, and 3 varieties of mint from Sweetbriar. From the Cedars; Irish Cobbler potatoes, sugar snap peas, kohrabi, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, broccoli, and an "Enigmatic Egg" found buried in the garden. See Bird Report for details. Lydia Haviland brought in a shrub. Lakeview presented peonies, mock orange, clematis, a Dr. Van Fleet rose, pansies, coreopis. The Earps brought chives, strawberries, fuchsia, clematis, heliotrope, iris, a gardenia, and a yellow allium. Lea House shared lysanthus, fox glove, burnet, lavender, lemon balm, and wormwood. Riverside put forth Selma Lollo lettuce, La Brillant lettuce, strawberries, snow peas, sugar pod peas, coriander, bronze fennel, borage, sage, a Dr. Van Fleet rose, coral bells, siberian iris, coreopsis, Dianthus, galardia, potentilla, love-in-a-mist, a maltese cross, Crane's Bill geranium, and yarrow. Rose Hill brought coreopsis, purple andwhite love-in-amist, foxglove, phlox, oregano, french tarragon, lettuce, and caultiflower.

The bird report detailed strange goings on at the Cedars. Mary Grady found a lone phoebe egg in the middle of the garden - with no nest, overhanging tree, or phoebe in the vicinity. Tom Farquhar found a goose egg 4 inches in the ground while he was turning the soil. The first occurrence was blamed on poor maternal timing on behalf of the phoebe. The second phenomena was downgraded to the actions of a fox who was putting aside for a later day goose eggs filched from across the street.

H/10/1988-3-

October 4, 1988; page 3

around the plant's base; sharp sand, wood ashes, barber shop sweepings. Also suggested sotto voce was to move to Colorado. Nancy Chance has lots of earwigs. Suggested she throw out mulch and start again. Perhaps put black plastic over it all for a few weeks which might sterilize it. Perhaps burn the mulch. Perhaps try something and report back. Lydia Haviland wanted to know if Francis Miller's house and Sweetbriar was built by the same person. No. Mr. Thomas built Sweetbriar and Francis Miller's came considerably latter as an original Sears prefab built about 60 years ago. Tom Farquhar is plagued by crabgrass - can anything be done about it? Crabgrass pre-emergence killer recommended. Also does anyone want to combine an order of Gopher-its? They might be cheaper by the half dozen.

Peter Conlon added that a visit to the newly refurbished Union station is well worth a trip.

A final comment was made on Eli Roger's grape squeezings. The experts were shaken awake. Their opinion was that it was of a nice color, captured light well, fruity yet dry, a pleasure of any refined palate.... without a doubt, a wine any vintner would be proud to serve.

On that note we thanked John and Ellen for hosting the meeting. We wished one another a healthy and prosperous fall and winter and agreed to meet on April 4th at Lea House to begin our 126th season.

H/6/1987-2-

20 on the 1st. May had 3.24 inches of rain and a high of 90 on the 30th and a low of 36 on the 5th. No one was able to comment as to whether the rain fall was up or down but Polly Conlon mentioned that Sweetbriar's resident honeybee hive swarmed 4 time so far this year.

The bird report mentioned a scarlet tanager sighted in Pennsylvania. Caroline Hussman told of a friend who raised a robin from 2 days old to adolescence and freedom. Robins were mentioned to be good birds to foster parent. There was a part albino sparrow sighted at Friends House. The second brood of bluebirds has been started at Quailhill. The feistiness of housewrens was discussed - they were said to be vicious. Carolina wrens have disappeared at Quailhill but are doing well at Clifton and Jack Pine. Some had feared that last winter's copious snowfalls may have driven the Carolina wren population southward for a spell.

There were no committee reports and no new business.

Sylvia Woodward thanked Beth Bullard for making an effort to include her in the Society's activities. It was said that such gestures mean a lot to those members who have had to take on a semi-active role and can't contribute fully as they once did.

Questions; How to prune chrysanthemums - prune and pinch until July 4th. Pinch bud close to next set of leaves.. Caroline Hussman's friend wants the proper identity of a vine called Potato Vine which has big heart shaped leaves and pods. No luck - familiar sounding but a picture in a horticultural encyclopedia would be easier to identify - especially if it had a name under it. Priscilla Allen wanted to know about large scale poison ivy control. Advise is to use Roundup in a sprayer reserved exclusively for herbicides and be careful not to spray anything undeserving of a horrible death. Louise Canby wondered about the roses (Courier roses I think she called them) growing abundantly along the roadside - identified as multiflora roses ranked by some along with Priscilla's poison ivy. A question was raised about the old minutes. Did they bring plants that we sometimes assume to be the actual fruit or vegetable? Yes. However, our predecessors were a very competitive and ingenious bunch whose exhibition pieces were more like veritable swordplay compared to our relaxed and goodhearted offerings. Ellen Hartge brought a piece of diseased rhubarb - the brown bumps were attributed to snail damage. Nancy Preuss following up by askimg how to repel snails short of ringing the garden with French gourmands. Snail pellets, slug & snail bait, human hair and ashes was recommended. Cicada stories were requested. Recipes were being given out in Baltimore. Said to taste like asparagus. Also good for fish bait. Shells mentioned as principal ingredient of ancient Chinese cosmetic cream. Has anyone seen any cabbage looper? No and rejoice for their absence. Anyway to take cutting from rose bush. Yes right now. Take new growth, roll in rootone, and plant in peat. Do 10 cuttings of 6 eyes maybe 8 inches, 1/8 inch under leaf. Then take leaf off. Bury 1/2 way at an angle. Leave 3 leaves.

H/7/1987-4.

Priscilla Allen asked what to do about the Mexican Bean Beetle - plant purple pod and yard long beans that are resistant. Also when to move big boxwood bushes - very early spring just after thaw. Whenever one transplants take as big a ball as possible.

Mo Chance revoted zucchini trouble. Nancy Preuss advised human hair to repel borers. Mentioned that once borer gets in, give up as the plant's likely to be bored to death. Another repellent is said to be well boiled tobacco infusions applied daily.

Ellen Hartge had the society identify a mystery plant as Gigantic Evening Primrose.

Buzz Hussman reported a good garden this year and great raspberries.

Harold Earp inquired whether to fertilize tomatoes. Advised not to - just plant in fertile soil. Advised to prune remorselessly tomato plants that grow too rampantly. Tomato plants need phosphorus for fruit vigor and nitrogen for strong leaf growth.

Ari Preuss needs to plant pines to guard his soccer fields from invading vehicles. Directed to the going-out-ofbusiness enterprise at the whilom Miss Mary Hopkin's farm. Ask Walter Teague for details.

Dorothy Hinshaw mentioned her Dahlias who's plants are fine but the flowers are deplorable. Suggested that recent heavy rains could be the cause. Also maybe slugs.

A close was made on a delightful gathering with a reminder that the next meeting would be the society's first to be held at Sweetbriar, home of the Conlons near downtown Ashton.

Humbly submitted A. Peter Austin Sec.