Horticultural Society

H/10/1988 - 1 -

October 4, 1988; page 1

We had the season's closing meeting at Riverside where the Society had met from time to time for over a hundred years. Fall's first frost was a few days ahead of us but the forests were already tinged with the color of autumn's glory and winter's chill. We were sorry to be missing the Canby's, Hanel's, Goffs, and Jim Bullard. We solaced ourselves over a small and excellent sampling of Eli Roger's grapes in their vinous incarnation.

Guests included David and Linda Hartge and Peter and Anita Ligon.

The meal was splendid and we relished each other's company in consideration of the long months ahead when the Society would be dispersed until the promise of spring brings us together again like returning wayfarers.

Unfinished business dealt with the Nominating Committee (John Hartge, Nancy Preuss, and Beth Bullard) and their task of filling vacancies expected to happen within a year ahead.

Nancy Preuss was the evening's reader. She read from an article by John Thorndike entitled "Gardening by the Moon and Stars". The article was about "biodynamic" gardening as developed and promoted by the English horticulturist Alan Chadwick. Biodynamic gardening was inspired by the teachings (specifically the 1924 agricultural lectures) of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner who lived from 1861 to 1925.

Bio-dynamic gardening could be said to go above and beyond organic gardening. Many esoteric methods are used to enrich the soil with a mix of science, alchemy, perhaps astrology but no chemicals. Emphasis is put on methods to process compost so that it will address specific plants and soil needs. Steiner thought of the ideal farm as an ecological unit - its activities and philosophy being based on the cycles of nature. Biodynamic gardeners questioned in the article admitted that the rules they follow are not chiseled in stone and the theories are complicated and not likely to take the gardening world by storm. However, in these times of chemical dependence and slow crimes against nature biodynamic gardening offeres us sane alternatives - even if some of the processes seem a bit insane or mildly kooky.

There was no volunteer article.

John Hartge read from the October 2, 1888 meeting which was held at the Cedars. On that day at noon it had been 56 degrees. Th specimens on that day had been chiefly floral - said to be good as much had been recently damaged by rain.