For starters I would take Peter Loewer up on his invitation to see his garden. I would probably visit with this interesting person for a couple of days. I would also like to spend some time with Tony Avent, talk about an amazing but down to earth guy. There are a couple of people who post on this forum who would definitely be interesting to meet face to face.

Is this a new venture for you Eddie, online dating?

I DID spend time with a writer and his wife--about 12 hours and it was so interesting. He was so absorbed in taking photos and recording each thing about the photos on a tape recorder that we didn't really talk as much as I would have liked. He showed me how a really professional writer does his research. It was Guy Sternberg and he was touring some of our magnificent, ancient live oaks in the New Orleans area. Sorry I didn't have more time that weekend.

INK, whatever works. Maybe we should form a gardeners lonely hearts club? I would have named some women garden writers but I don't know that many and those I do know I have already hit on and been rebuked (they'll be sorry when someday I am famous)

There are so many, but I'm thinking a day with Beth Chatto. I read 'Dear
Gardener and Friend' co-written with Christopher Lloyd. It was a series of letters written back and forth between the two friends about gardening and life. I was smitten with both of them.
Can you imagine running a nursery and gardens open to the public like that. What great fun, and in England no less. She knows so many of the great gardeners and the famous drought tolerant gravel garden is a must see. What a great question!

How about L. H. Bailey? I love the classics.

I just did. The Garden Writers meeting is New York was great. If you haven't joined you should. We are going to Vancouver next year.

Paul

Yes, I was there and met Paul for the first time and I must tell everyone... He is just a kid. It's good to know that there will be a new generation of garden writers coming along. I am ready for Vancouver. Talk about garden writers I'd like to spend time with, at Long Island I met hundreds I would like to spend time with.

>... at Long Island I met hundreds I would like to spend time with.As I'm sure they would with you, Eddie! There's so much to learn from each other. It really was a great meeting.

Who you calling a kid? :)

All in good fun Paul.
Hilda, it was so good to see you again. You are such a charming person.
CL hasn't weighed in yet, probably still getting caught up but she usually waits untill she has something profound to contribute.
Did I miss anyone?

I would like to meet Tony Avent. I absolutely love his catalogs for the humor in them and the wonderful plants I drool about. I have spent time with Scott Ogden. He isn't the easiest person to visit with. I was excited about being his host, but he sort of acted like he wasn't in company up to his caliber - and I admit I sure can't rattle off plant names like he does. Letting the female side of myself come forward - Scott is a very nice looking fellow. I have also spent time with Dan Hinkley, but the guy was so tired from having been escorted around to death that he was dead tired and trying to be cordial. I would have loved to been around him when he was not tuckered out.
I think he is very intelligent and would love to have asked him millions of questions about his plant explorations in Turkey and other places he has been. He gave a program for our Oklahoma Horticultural Society and I was surprised to find out that he has a fear of heights but forces himself to go on his trips that require climbing steep mountains. I don't know how he does it even without that fear as his adventures look like they are quite difficult even without phobias. I have a fear of being where there are no indoor toilets and regular American food, so I couldn't even do what he has done in the name of finding an exciting plant.
Digging up a wildflower alongside the highway is the bravest act I commit in the name of a plant.

I am always afraid the wildflower anti-digging police will catch me. I feel no guilt because the highway departments cut the plants down before they can reseed, developers don't get ticketed for ruining the wild plants when they develop. I could kick myself for not collecting a pale yellow version of the Maxamillian type sunflower when I had the chance. I kept putting off doing so and then a housing area went in and I think it is the end of that unusual color being seen in that spot again. There wasn't a one there this year. I had never seen any color but the strong yellow and the pale yellow was so nice. Darn.

Sharon in OK

Sharon, At first I thought you were referring to Tom Ogren who spoke at the Long Island conference on something like Safe Sex In The Garden? He was an interesting guy who surprised me when he mentioned getting in fights in bars (hopefully in his past). He offered me a drink from his flask and I accepted (don't want to offend a big guy like that).
It might just be a rumor but I heard that Jim Wilson got in trouble once with a little old ladies garden club when he mentioned he always carried a shovel and a gallon jug of water and a plastic bag for rescuing plants he spotted. I do that same thing for the exact same reason you do - that plant is a lot safer in my yard and I do my best to propagate and share it. I realize others don't feel the same way and I feel if one doesn't know what they're doing to assure the plant lives thay should let the plant be.

Scott Odgen is in Texas and writes for Horticulture magazine for one. I bought one of his books this year - Moonlight Gardening if I recall correctly. He also has a book on Bulbs for the South. Sharon

A silly but relevant question regarding the hypothetical garden writer: past, or present?

If "past", then my vote goes to Beverley Nichols, hands-down!

snakeoil, I have been reaading some about L.H. Bailey.
I am confused about what he is trying to say. I have 4 of his books given to me by my 83 yo father-in-law. The date of one of the books is 1917, the pages are in good shape but yellowed/brown some. this is the nineteenth edition, which I find amazing for that time period.

The only problem I have is the innocence of chemical applications, tillage and its long term usage unknown.

He does seem to have a great influence on the early farmers of this country, which I feel sad that it was not more organic minded instead of the ease of using so many chemicals.

His information is very detailed and lenghty in every phase of farming. I can see show he was such a strong influence for chemical usage and would show favor with chemical companies who saw a market with his philosophies.

However, he does talk about the use of organic methods, but not separate from using chemicals.

Like I said his methods were innocent at the time of understanding his methods which I believe were just plain ignorant.

For example:

in a section on weeds

"For perennials which reproduce both from seed and from surface runners or perennialunderground roots or stems, seed production must be prevented and the underground part must be killed.Seed production may be prevented by mowing when the first flower bud appear. The best methods for killing the roots or rootstocks vary considerably according to the soil, climate, character of the differetn weeds, and the size of the patch or the quanitity to be killed. In general, however, the following principles apply:-
1. The roots, rootstocks,bulbs, and the like may be dug up and removed, a remedy that can be practically applied in small areas.
2. Salt, coal oil, or strong acid applied so as to come in contact with the freshly cut roots or rootstocks destroys them for some distance from the point of contact. Crude sulfuric acid is probably the most effective of comparatively inexpensive materials that can be used for this purpose, but its strong corrosive properties render itdangerous to handle. Carbolic acid is less corrosive, and nearly as effective. Arsenite of soda and arsenate of soda, dangerous poisons, are effective, particularly the former. applied as a spray on the growing weeds. Fuel-distillate, a petroleum product, is very promising.
3. Roots may be starved to death by preventing any development of green leaves or other parts above ground. This may be effected by building straw stacks ocer small patches, by persistent, through cultivation in fields, by the use of the hoe or spud in waste places, and by salting the plants and turning on sheep in permanet pastures.
4. The plants may usaully be smothered by dense sod-forming grasses or by a crop like HEMP, buckwheat, clover, cowpeas, or millet that will exclude light.
5. Most roots are readily destroyed by exposing them in the direct action of the sun during the summer drought, or to the direct action of the frost in winter. In this way plowing, for example, becomes effective.
6. Proper crop rotation is one of the best means of eradication.

The usefulness of chemicals as weed-killers is largely limited to the following cases (Jones):-
1. When an especially obnoxious weed, as poison ivy, occurs on a limited locality and is to be destroyed regarless of consequences to soil or neighboring plants.
2. When the aim is to render the soil permanently sterile, as in roadways, tennis courts, and the like.
3. When the weed plant, as orange hawkweed and mustard, in more sensitive than the associated useful plants to the actions of some herbicide.

then there is a list of chemicals to use:
Salt (sodium chloride)
Blue nitriol ( copper sulfate)
Copper sulfate solution
Iron sulfide (copperas)
Kerosene- weak in efficiency, more costly
carbolic acid- cheap, quickest and most valuable herbicide. it is not equal to the arsenical poisons for penetrating the soil, or lasting effects.
sulfuric acid (oil of vitriol) This is destructive to everything it touches
caustic soda- will create a sterile soil that will take time to leach away.
Arseical compounds- most effective known. These form the basis of all , or nearly all, of the variuos propriety "herbicides" or "weed-killers"...An important charateristic of those arseniacal poisons is that they ENDURE FOR A LONG TIME AND DO NOT READILY WASH OR LEACH AWAY. "

The section on insecticides and others are very toxic as well.

I can see how L.H. Bailey was probably the most respected and appreciated writer by the chemical corporations.
And how he has caused the greatest nightmare for folks trying to sustain organic methods and for the health of many growers and farmers.