Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1987

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Mary Seiler has a thornless rose with bugs. Spray it with chewing tobacco that's been boiled with soap. Said to be poisonous at first but breaks down fast. Combine the treatment with fertilization with fish emulsion. Lydia Haviland has nasturtiums that hasn't had germinations the last couple years but this year she started them in wet paper towels and all germinated and are doing well. When does one start limas? Three or four weeks ago inside or last week outside. However now is not too late. Beth Bullard can't get larkspur to grow. Both Priscilla Allen and Leslie Rogers let their larkspur seed themselves. They suggest coming by and taking some to be transplanted.

We were reminded that the next meeting was on July 7 and would be held for the first time at Lea House, home of the Preusses. We thanked the Canbys for their hospitality and brought the meeting to a close.

With apologies for mistakes & bad diction,

O Peter Austin Sec.

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July 7, 1987, Lea House

The fourth meeting of the season was held at Lea House, home of Ari and Nancy Preuss. Lea House occupies a lovely spot on the groomed and genteel grounds of Sandy Spring Friends School where Nancy and Ari have been principal pillars for a number of years. The yard and garden had a neatness & order that indicated creativity and productiveness. We were assured that no student slave labor was used in the Preuss's horticultural endeavors.

A very good turnout of the society was on hand in addition to guests Edwin and Dorothy Hinshaw, Tobias Ruddle and Diane Sullivan.

The minutes from the previous meeting were read and there was no unfinished business.

Flora Goff read an article entitled "Nature's Toughest Plants". If the article dealt with human equivalents, it might be entitled "Thugs, Hell's Angels, and Consummate Tough Guys that You'd Never Want to Compete Against." The article listed a veritable rogues gallery of plants that survive under the most inhospitable and competitive circumstances. There were descriptions of arctic lichens that are able to squeeze life from a cold, minimally daylit environment so that they can live for thousands of years. Desert plants living under forbiddingly hot and dry conditions were described being able to survive by capitalizing on one or two rainfalls a year by incredibly efficient root systems. They otherwise protect themselves by vicious spines or protective colorations.

Carnivorous plants such as pitcher plants, butterworts, sundews, and venus flytraps catch their prey as if with tiger pits, flypaper, or beartraps.

A host of plants were listed that manage to survive and thrive in the southern American forests that are plagued yearly by brush fires. Fireplant communities sputter along at a low level until a time that their growth becomes rampart and the plants shoot up to a eighth safely above the fire zone. Jack Pine cones stay on the tree for up to 25 years until fire triggers the release of seeds perhaps to coincide with less competitive conditions on the ravaged ground below.

Our North American Black Walnut eliminates competition from its vicinity by exuding toxic juglone from its roots, fallen branches, and nut hulls.

The article described the tropical forest as being crowded and extremely adversarial. Plants survive by muscle and wit. The mistletoe is one of the parasitic plants that live

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on the backs of others. The volunteer article closed with a description of the tropical Sumatra Rufflesia. This is the largest flower in the world measuring up to 3 feet across. Its most outstanding feature is its short-lived bloom and the strength of its fragrance which is that of rotting flesh. This last quality draws flies to pollinate the flower and perhaps discourages young men from plucking it for their paramours.

Elizabeth Thornton read the century-old minutes which were written at Whitehall on the 4th of July. Once again the abundance and magnitude of their exhibits were staggering - making us feel as if life as a plant in a rain forest or the desert would be easier than horticultural competition with our predecessors of 100 years ago.

The forethought for July advised that perennials should be well mulched. Spring flowering shrubs should be pruned and in early July the tips of mums can be planted. It's a good time to take cuttings from geraniums and other indoor plants.

We we told to check iris for borers and to spray grapes and remove mummified fruit. blueberry plants should be mulched and acidified. All pit fruits should be checked for borers.

For vegetables: weed & water, weed & water.

Seeds should be planted for fall crops and as producing plants become exhausted they should be pulled up and replaced with seedlings.

The meterologist reported that June's high was 92 degrees on the 15th (average high being 83.6) and the low for the month was 50 degrees on the 11th (the average being 64). We had 2.94 inches of rain from 9 showers. Peter Conlon also reported the closest lightening strike he's ever experienced. It was mentioned that Plyers Ridge receives the most lightening in the area.

Exhibits: From the Havilands: nice potatoes and cucumber plus a gardenia. From Jack Pine: a squash that needed identifying - no luck but a guess - Turbanned Howard County Pepper Squash. Also submitted was a butternut squash. From the Earps: brouvallia, begonias, daylilies, salvia and clematis. From the Cedars: Carrots, Vidalia onions, and potatoes (Irish Cobbler, REd Pontiac, and Kennebec). From Quailhill came a selection of decrepit and nearly pristeen Goatskin Gloves from the Greene Mountain Glove Company.

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Bird Report: At Clifton a woodcock was sighted on the lane performing mating antics that happen 22 minutes after sunset. Similar to human adolescent behavior the bird emits beep,beep, beeps every three seconds then flies straight up in the air to land shortly at the same spot. It was surmised that maybe this is an indication of a resident woodcock population.

John Hartge received a vision of an impending Baltimore Orioles Baseball victory when he saw his first feathered Oriole as he drove by Walnut Hill on the day of the rare win. Fans encouraged him on to more sightings but allowed as how it's probably too late to matter.

Ari Preuss sighted in West Virginia 3 wild turkeys. Also reported were Canadian Geese on Sandy Spring Friends School Pond.

Peter Conlon riding in a small airplane at the Kansas City Airport sighted a young eagle sitting quite placidly on a runway sign.

Beth Bullard sighted a bald eagle on the Maryland side of Great Falls where they (the eagles) have a nest.

There were no committee reports and no New Business.

Questions: Flora Goff commented on Cicada damage indicating spotty populations. Attributed to cicadas not being able to survive in soil worked with a plow. As follows, residential areas have had the most impressive concentrations. Affections towards cicadas have waned considerably since their first sightings.

Tom Canby has Zucchini blossoms but no fruit. Some wanted to know his secret. Others advised that patience would precede overwhelming abundance.

Tom Farquar is mulching his strawberry patch. Advised that pine needles work best. It was suggested that the runners be given free rein then the old plant be cultivated at season's end.

John Hartge has a Kentucky Coffee tree and wants to know if the beans can make coffee. No answer so he'll give it a try and report. He also asked about a disease that afflicts White Oaks. A Trunk Borer may be to blame. Advised calling extension service - ask for Stan Gill if you're fortunate to get through to a human being and not a busy signal or answering machine.

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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.