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H/8/1990-1-

August 7, 1990, National Cathedral Garden, page 1

A stalwart collection of the Society congregated on the
garden grounds of Washington DC's National Cathedral for our
August meeting. Absent were the Preusses, Rudi Hanel, the
Fletchers, and the Ellers. Guests were Nancy Bye and Louise
Megansen. The weather favored us and our leisurely
inspection of what a full-time gardening staff and the
proximity to a holy edifice can do. Some of us were greatly
impressed. Others of the Society could easily give the
Cathedral groundskeepers a tinge of envy by what truly
superlative gardeners can raise from the earth.

We repaired to the Cathedral School's cafeteria to a repast
more off the cuff than usual but no less sumptuous.
Caroline Hussman, Mary Seiler, Bettes Hartge, and Susan
Canby did very well organizing the meal's appointments
leaving nothing in absence.

Since we had invested our time and profited from the august
garden tour and novel dining arrangement, our time for the
meeting was diminishing fast. The previous meeting's
minutes were raced through, unfinished business skipped
over, the assigned article stumbled through hurriedly, and
the 100-year-old minutes read with speed and grace.

Harold Earp gave us the Forethought for the month. We were
to continue fertilizing tomatoes as before, advised not to
prune shrubs, cut hardy perrennials to start in water. Also
remove and destroy bag worms from arborvitae and other
afflicted trees. Plant fall bulbs. Mentioned was the hue
and cry that has recently been raised by county trash
authorities regarding lawn clippings which constitutes a
large part of landfill mass. We are advised to not
encourage lawns to grow so vigorously, mow no more than
every 5 days, and leave the clippings where they fall.

John Hartge followed with the Meterologist Report. The
average low temperature was 65 and the average high was 90.
The high temperature was 101.8 on the 5th and the low was 59
on the 13th. 5.7 inches of rain fell at Riverside (2 more
than at National Airport who reports that their rainfall
exceeds the average by 1/2 inch). Even though it seemed
like a wet month July went 18 days without rain.

The Bird Report encompassed the sublime and...uh...less than
sublime. Elizabeth spotted a snowy egret in the pond at
Olney's Hallowell Village. On the other end of the scale,
during the standard romantic, candel-lit dinner (with
champagne!) at Riverside a shadow of a creature first
thought to be a bird flitted uninvited and unappreciated
about the dining area. Later with the assistance of Bill