Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1990

H/5/1990-1-

May 1, 1990, The Chance's, Page 1

The Sandy Spring Horticultural Society had the May meeting on the first of the month at the well-groomed and productive home of Nancy and Mo Chance. A stroll though their garden parallelled the sumptuous meal that followed. Thereafter the meeting got underway with no guests in attendance and Beth Bullard, Tim Eller, Ted Fletcher, and Buzz Hussman in absence.

The minutes from the previous meeting were read. Harold Earp followed immediately by tying up the dangling question brought up in the April meeting about growing water chestnuts. We learned that they are rated #2 on the difficulty scale, is a bog plant that likes full sun, grows in zones 7-10 and is available from Lilly Ponds. Apparently it has to be cultivated by groups of gardeners because water chestnuts grow from corms [read quorums].

What should have followed was the Treasurer's Report but the Treasurer was unprepared so, clearly nervous and caught off guard, details were fudged, assurances were blurted that funds had not been misappropriated, and the general fund was said to be between 5 and 500 dollars. All the same the rascal was able to weedle the $.50 a year dues (per family) from the attending members.

The Assigned Reader was John Hartge who had an article from the May 1989 issue of National Gardening entitled "Fatal Attraction". The article described how to arrange your garden to encourage and take advantage of insect garden pests' natural enemies. A handout gave an idealized picture of a garden with 14 preditors each having a prediliction for 4 or more different insect pests.

Next came the Century-old Minutes were read. Surprisingly enough, they had also had a mild winter preceding their 1890 gardening season.

The Forethoughtist, Harold Earp, had similar to the treasurer left his notes at home. The similarity ended there as copious good suggestions were offered from memory.

Next came the meterorological report. John Hartge mentioned the late snow of 2 inches on the 7th of April. Daffodils were in 20% bloom on the 8th of April - 2 weeks early. The low for April was 21 degrees on the 8th and the 13th. The hight was 94 on the 27th. Average low was in the 40's and the average high was 67. We had 3.2" of raiin and it's reported to be 1" low so to date.

EXHIBITS

From Lea House came Martha Washington, deep pink, and light pink azaleas, luminaria, chive flowers, sweet woodruff, blue iris, kale flower, columbine, daisey, and forget-me-nots. Probably from Priscilla Allen came johnny jump ups, dogwoods, azaleas, french lavendar, bleeding hearts, ajuca,and dandelions. From Rose Hill came dogwood blossoms, horsechestnut blossoms, washington hawthorne, pawlonia, carolina spice bush, and holly blossoms.

H/5/1990-2-

May 1, 1990, The Chance's, Page 2

From Riverside came tulips, azaleas, lily of the valleys, and keria. From Pi Acres came early blue & yellow iris, single kerria, double kerria, camassia, phlox divaracata, purple tulip, amsonia, iberis, veronica, honesty, alyssum saxitile, vinca major, heucherella, leucojum, and wood hyacinth. From Clifton cam white spiderwort, spirea, artemesia annua, burnet, money plant, lily of the valley, star of Bethlehem, and forget me nots. From the Earps came azaleas, dutch iris, yellow iris, clematis, heliotrope, chives, jack in the pulpit and candytuft.

The Bird Report brought up that the first wood thrush had been sighted. Next followed the winter phenomenom of the buzzards at Springdale. Somewhere between 3-5 dozen of the big birds roost over night in Springdale's stately trees. When the sun comes up they catch rays (and dispence guano) on one of the stately new mansions near the road or cruise over to Quailhill to festoon the fences and slopes before going off to work.

A report came from the Redundancy Committee saying that 2,371 qustions and answers had been catalogged. Asperagus and roses seem to be the leading items.

There was no new business.

Due to the late hour Questions were dealt with on a need-to-know basis. Sheri Fletcher needed to know about Sweet Violets; are there such things. Yes, violeta stinkata were recently sighted at Spruce Mountain, West Virginia.

Mary Seiler needed to know about caring for one's septic system. Various recommendations were voiced and literature was offered on the subject.

Eli Rogers handed out sheets listing plants sold by a colleague. Price lists would be mailed out as soon as the secretary gave him the membership lists that are promised at each meeting.

John Hartge needed to know how long it takes compost to cook down. A number of opinions were presented but the most important agent seemed to be manure.

On that rich note we thanked the Chances for their hospitality and agreed next to meet on June 5 at the home of the Earps when Ted Fletcher would be reader.

With apologia for scata erata,

Peter Austin sec. treas.

H/6/1990-1-

June 5, 1990, The Earp's, page 1

The society's June meeting was convened at the gracious home of the Earps. Our garden tour among the perfectly kept beds and arbors of our hosts was inspiring to all, although there was little agreement on the number of years it would take some of the rest of us to reach such a sublime state. The meal was equally inspiring; a splendid repast!

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.The evening's first reader was Ted Fletcher with an April 8th article by Henry Mitchell about the probable imminent death of our beautiful wild dogwood trees from infection with anthracnose. From the article we learned the history of the spread of the disease, that spraying is not recommended at this time, garden trees are less likely to be affected due to their more open environment, and that acid rain is implicated as a cause. This last was confirmed by a second article from Outdoor America (published by the Isak Walton League). The loss of these beauties is tremendous, not only aestheically, but also to our local wildlife. The Asian dogwood is thus far resistant.

Susan Canby shared an article from Horticulture on Monet's gardens at Giverny, and recommended the trip there to any who could make it. Buzz Hussman then told us about a book we'll want to add to our shelves Flower Drying in the Microwave: techniques and projects by Titia Joosten, published by Lark Books in 1988 and available for $8.95. The number to call for order information is 800 282-8086.

Ted fletcher reported back to us on his fishberry study, and we now know that it is a vine that is both a climber and twiner and is indigenous to Southeast Asia where it is used as a snuff to relieve the symptoms of malaria. Historical uses have included treatment of epilepsy, cholera and as an antidote for morphine poisoning. Currently it is used as a respiratory stimulant to counteract overdoses of central nervous system depressants such as barbiturates. We are grateful to Barbara Oxman of Brookside Gardens and her friend at the USDA library for the information.

The minutes from one hundred years ago were read and enjoyed.

The reader on forethought had many recommendations to keep us busy in the coming month including: don't cut asparagus after late June, hand pick Azelea galls, spray B.T. on bagworms, harvest those things ripe in the garden, plant gladiolus, dahlias, and chrysanthemums, put out beer or vinegar for slugs, don't cut back more than 1/3 of the length of your lawn, transplant spring flowering bulbs immediately after bloom is finished, and do succession plantings of corn and beans.

The meteorologist reported that the low temperature in May was 41 and the high was 87. We got 5.01 inches of rain which puts us 1 inch over normal rainfall. One storm dumped 1.8 inches in 35 minutes.

EXHIBITS From Riverside came pinks, coreopsis, Dr. Van Fleet rose, love in a mist, catch fly, spiderwort, coral bells, and orange & salsom poppies.

H/6/1990-2-

June 5, 1990, The Earp's, page 2

From Rose Hill came coreopsis, astilbe, coral bells, heliotrope, yarrow, foxglove, lavendar, thyme, and pansy. From Amersley came a mess of roses; crimson glory, Dr. Van Fleet, new dawn, city of York, grass an Dachen [sp?], and campanula carpatica. From Lea House came stella d'ora, comfrey, lambs ears, lavendar, sartolina, yarrow and campion.

We had several bird reports. Leslie Rogers while camping with brownie scouts in Brighton Woods saw a pileated woodpecker. Bettes Hartge told about a yellow warbler which flew into a house being renovated and perched on the proffered finger of her son David before moving on. It has been said that Martins like long perches on their houses (3 foot long dowels have proven popular) and they also like multiple houses.

There were no committee reports.

QUESTIONS: Sally Eller would like help planning a sunny perrenial bed. Pricilla Allen was volunteered. Ted Fletcher asked how many beekeepers were in the society. Five claimed to be active. A group of 8 goldfinches was sighted, is it normal for them to travel in platoons? Yes. They don't nest until the thistle is in bloom. Have the Earps found the fake snakes seen in their strawberry bed to be effective pest control. Yes. Is this the time to trim azaleas? Yes. Can you trim azaleas in a wholesale manner with shears? Yes. Wait another week or so, and be sure to feed them, too. The large azaleas at the Earps are 30 years old. Are Japanese Anemones worth growing? Yes. The fall blooming varieties have white and pale pink flowers as well as nice clean leaves. They spread wonderfully and need to be dug every 2nd or third year. Ellen Hatge asked for any extra plants for the Hospital Supper plant sale to be held on July 31st. Also asked if this was a bad year for peonies in places other than Riverside; she had few blooms this year. Others had enjoyed good blooms sand recommended a fall application of fertilizer.

Harry Goff is now at Bel Pre Nursing Home and the society offered heartfelt wishes for a speedy betterment of his health.

The group adjourned to meet on July 3 at Riverside where the reader will be Buzz Hussmann.

Humbly submitted, Elizabeth Thornton, secretary pro tem.

4/6/1990-3.

Fishberry

Information from: Major Medicine Plants: Botany, Culture and Uses. Julia F. Morton, 1977. USDA Library QK99.A1M67

Fishberry is also known as: Crowkiller, Fishkiller and Levant Berry. It is a vine and is both a climber and twiner. It is indigenous to southeast Asia and is used locally as a snuff to relieve the symptoms of malaria.

Varieties: Anamirta cocculus Anamirta paniculata Menistermum cocculus Anamirta lacunosum Cocculus lacunosus Cocculus suberosus

It is in the US Pharmacopeia and historically had been used for treatment of epilepsy, chorea (spasmodic movements of limbs and facial muscles) and as an antidote for morphine poisoning, but none of these any longer.

It is still used medicinally as a respiratory stimulant to counteract overdoses of central nervous system depressants such as barbiturates.

Information all provided by a woman with first name Barbara Oxman at Brookside Gardens who has a friend at the USDA library who looked it up for her.

31 May 1990