Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1976

THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY April 6, 1976

The first meeting of the horticultural society in 1976 met with Helen and Douglas Farquhar at the Cedars on April 6th. All members present evidenced pleasure to be meeting again. We were sorry that the Seilers could not be with us; and we hoped that they would be with us the next time, at the May meeting.

We partook of delicious food at the dinner, and seconds were taken by several of the folks. After a short period of visiting around, the meeting was called to order by Robert Miller, our president. Mr and Mrs Fletcher, Dr and Mrs Ken Gray, and our former member Dorothy Weske were welcomed as guests. Joy Shotts was a guest. The minutes of the last meeting of the Horticultural were read and they were approved as corrected.

The reader of the evening was Mary Moore Miller. She shared with us an article on The Strange Behavior of Morning Glories. Morning Glories, as do other plants, live in intimate relationship with the sun. Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist of the middle 1700's, planted his garden in the shape of a clock with each plant openning and closing at a predictable hour. Morning glories always open in the morning, not just when the flower reaches maturity. A stone in the soil also has a temperature rhythm that indicates the time of day. but put a plant and a stone in a dark cool cave or in a laboratory dark room and see what happens. The temperature of the stone ceases to change in cave or darkroom; whereas the plant has an internal clock and its leaves keep rising and falling, running through a complete cycle every 26 hours until it perishes from lack

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of sunlight. The exact period of the cycle varies from species to species, but it is always close to the natural 24 hours, never exactly 24 hours. Which goes to show that the plants metabolism is somehow built around a spontaneously cycling internal rhythm that requires daily correction to keep in step with the physical enviroment.

The Imperial Japanese Morning Glory is one of many higher plants whose daily activities are regulated by internal clocks which seem to trigger the opening of each new bud, setting off the process of unfolding and wilting that gives each flower its day in the sun. A profusion of new buds are triggered to replace the flowers of the day before.

Doubtless the morning glory, long a delight to gardeners, may now be looked upon by each of us of the Horticultural with a new respect, and increased joy and amazement.

This is, some one said, the time for violets. Pick violet leaves, wash them and shake them dry. Serve them with lemon juice, salad oil, salt and pepper.

Mary Moore Miller also read us a bit of verse for springtime, as follows: " On the first day of Spring my true love gave to me, Five packs of seeds, Four sacks of fertilizer, Three cans of weed killer, Tow bottles insect spray, And a pruning knife for the pear tree."

Sylvia's " Forethought" came next and , as usual, was full of good advice, as follows: " Clump forming perennials that bloom from early summer can be divided now, such as chrysanthemums, phlox, hostas, sedums and asters;

"Bare rooted tree, shrubs and roses benefit from early planting, so get them into the ground at once;

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"Plant seeds of beets, collards, kale, leaf lettuce and parsley; "Set out plants of head lettuce; "Pruning may be done now of most evergreens and deciduous trees; "Pre-emergent crab grass begins to germinate about seven to ten days after forsythias fade, and herbicides must be applied at this time to be fully effective; "Plant parsnip plants now; "Start fertilizing house plants again. Use 3-M'S time release fertilizer Precise, which is easy to use and lasts for months; "Look at day lilies as the come up, and divide them every 4 or 5 years; "Feed the lawn 10 lbs of 10-6-4 fertilizer per 1000 square feet of lawn; "And clean leaves out of flower borders -- especially when wet -- to avoid decay of plants."

Weather report -- Douglas read his weather report for March, 1976, which reported the following: Temperature: High 80 Ave. 58 Low 20 on the 18th, Ave. 40 Rainfall : 2.3 inches on 8 days. On the 21st of March the temperature fell 20 degrees in a half hour. In March, 1876, the maximum temperature was 65 degrees and the average for the month was 37 degrees.

Questions -- In the question period Alan Thomas reported that he had sold his place, Rockey Ridgeto a Mr. Stanley who lives on Good Hope Road. Alan said there would be an auction at the place on Saturday, May 22nd. He said he would have to store some things, and wanted to know if any one had storage space available. Betty Ligon said she had a shed at Great Ease that could be used.

Mrs. ManaKee commented that in the woods one could hear plants break through, if one has good ears.

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Buss Hussman said that he had a grandfather clock that is not in running order. He wanted to know if any one knew of some one who could fix it. Fred Young, of Olney, was recommended by several of the members.

Joyce Shotts asked if pansies may be used as house plants. The response was that pansies are generally used outside, but that she might try them as house plants and see what happens.

Bill Hartge asked if tomatoes should be staked or not. Whereupon a lively discussion ensued; that it should be done and how to do it, preferably by the Alan Thomas method. Your secretary is fearful that she did not get the details correclty, and anyhow anyone interested should consult Alan Thomas for the know-how.

Betty Hartge wanted to know if there is any one in the neighborhood who could and would teach the minuet. The response was that Gladys Tumbleson might agree to teach that dance.

The Horticultural was adjourned at about this point to meet next with Alan Thomas on Tuesday, May the 11th, at the Community House at Sandy Spring.

Respectfully submitted, Lucy Manning, Secretary.

Hosta - Plantain Lily (Hos'ta). Hardy herbaceoous, flowering and foliage plants from eastern Asia which belong to the Lily family, Lilliacae, and were previously grouped under the generic name of Funkia. They grow 18-36 in. in height and have large ovate or lance-shaped green or variegated leaves which form attractive clumps. In Summer they produce long spikes of funnel-shaped lilac-blue or white flowers.