| The Hidden Almanac for Wednesday September 23rd, 2015 |
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| Episode 312 |
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| Previous episode: 2015-09-21 |
| Next episode: 2015-09-25 |
Summary[]
Today we remember Ellen Horrowitz of the famed Horrowitz Trust, and her contributions to horticulture. It is the Feast Say of St. Louis, and in the garden, there are asters.
Be Safe, and Stay Out of Trouble.
Transcription[]
Welcome to the Hidden Almanac, I’m Reverend Mord.
Today is September 23rd, 2015.
It is the birthday of Ellen Horrowitz, daughter of the famous founder of the Horrowitz Trust. Rather than work with endangered animals, Ellen’s passion was vanishing breeds of domestic plants. She spent nearly forty years traveling between the city and remote rural areas, documenting the plants grown by indigenous peoples all over the world. It is because of her tireless efforts that many plants that would otherwise have been dismissed by corporate agriculture persist, many of which proved remarkably resistant to pest and drought. “It is one of the odd miracles of plants,” she wrote, “that no matter where you go in the world, if you ask someone about a vegetable that they grow, they will immediately offer you seeds. I have been in palaces and tree houses and mud huts and the gardeners everywhere are the same.” Horrowitz was a strong critic of contemporary corporate agriculture, saying that the stinginess of plant patenting went against everything she had learned in her travels. Selections from her travels are available through the Horrowitz Trust.
It is the Feast Day of Saint Louis, patron of surveyors. He slogged through many miles of inhospitable terrain, drawing up maps and noting locations. This would not ordinarily qualify one for sainthood, but Louis famously settled a land feud that had lasted generations by tracking changes in the bed of a tributary of the Autumn River. Hundreds died in the course of this feud. It is said that at the height of hostilities, Louis called up the spirit of the river and bade it speak, but researchers suggest that he probably spent most of his time searching through maps in a nearby library.
My research into the Shrike Cult is temporarily paused, and the fate of Pastor Drom is now dependent on the speed of interlibrary loan. I can only speculate, but I suspect this would not please her.
In the garden, many of the late asters are finally blooming. The Boltonia is a field of white daisies, and the rain lilies are setting seed. Rain lily seeds are easily harvested, but do not keep well, and should be sown as soon as possible upon collection. They produce a three-lobed seed pod full of medium sized black seeds, shaped vaguely like wings or teardrops or whatever fanciful shape you wish to ascribe to them. These should be sown on the surface of the soil, in bright, indirect light, and moistened. They germinate within two to four weeks and are easily transplanted.
The Hidden Almanac is brought to you by Red Wombat Tea Company, purveyors of fine and inaccessible teas. Red Wombat --- “We Dig Tea.”
Also brought to you by Scarlet Wombat Publishing’s latest self-help novel from Pastor Drom, “How To Go Into Hiding For Fun And Profit.”
That’s the Hidden Almanac for September 23rd, 2015. Be safe, and stay out of trouble.
Outro[]
Out of Character
The Hidden Almanac is a production of Dark Canvas Media, written by Ursula Vernon and performed and produced by Kevin Sonney. Our theme music is Moon Valley and our exit music is Red in Black, both by Kosta T. You can hear more from Kosta T at the Free Music Archive. All other content is copyright 2013 through 2015, Ursula Vernon.