The Shed — Yearbooks, Pamphlets and Journals

Today as I sit at my table I have come to the conclusion that I must start the process of organizing my acquired Hartle-Gilman materials. In life, I think that we are all collectors of many objects and of many attractions. I have to admit, that I do not believe that I have ever met a collection that I was not fascinated by. Maybe it’s the volume in its collective greatness of a shared space when it is viewed as its entirety.  Possibly?? Or perhaps the historical cultures and beliefs that symbolize the articles when placed together for viewing all at one singular moment. Who has the true answers?  Moreover,  I believe that sometimes it becomes an awakening and/or awareness of, “how is it even possible that it is here?”    Where did it come from, and what is the real story behind the collection? . Acquired by some unknown reason of attraction or sentimental emotions,  we are now the keeper of them. What is the them and the it???  Let’s just say,—– Junk- Stuff- Things- Belongings- Gear- Objects- Possessions- Luggage- Bits and Pieces or better yet as Grandma would say, Goods and Chattels.   Sometimes the they’s are bequeathed to us, and other times it starts as a trinket and builds on its own accord. Mine, so I initially thought, were just a few large garbage bags of trash awaiting to be hauled to the recycling facility. (That is what I was informed to do with them.)  They were in cardboard boxes and crates in a shed outdoors.,  the day I discovered them.  The Shed—- Broken hinges, worn rotted flooring, with metal gas cans and piled up rusted wheelbarrows, not to mention the ton of  broken handled shovels and rakes, I removed the debris and started to grab the bags, that I truly thought I could carry, They were so heavy, dragging was the only option.     What I discovered were  ‘some’ pamphlets and books when i peeked inside the large black bags. I also discovered that it was not just a few,  But,  soon to see that there were bags in the rafters of the shed and ‘some’ became a full trailer load of stuff. Why did I do this? I was told that there are old ‘Bits and Pieces’ of stuff, things  that was collected by Marsha and Dean… ‘The Heavenly Hybridizers’  That was enough for me to start my collection, just to connect with the founders of Hartle-Gilman Gardens. So I grabbed the eleven bags and thought that some day, I will deal with them. So I tossed them into my two walk in closets in the basement of my city home. Dark, Cool and out of my site……………. The year 2020 November 

               How is this even possible? 

Some were glued together with mold & mildew. Others perhaps were chewed upon suggesting that mere creatures recognized that the pages were valuable and needed to make a welcoming warm home for the future spring arrival of new life..  Though the treasure were hidden in black plastic leaf bags, boxes, creates, and mingled with photo albums,  I felt that I had just found bags of gold at the other end of a rainbow. .Lots of journals of old crosses and detailed maps of the farm lily gardens.   Over the next two years, I would open a bag, peek into a bag and then as quickly as it was opened, close it back up. What would my plan and method of attack be with the unknown articles that were what once in ‘the shed,’ and were headed to the recycling. Maybe it was fate? Was I at the right place at the right time?  Perhaps— What lays before me I have no idea except to take one bag at a time —                                                             The Year      June 2022 

Whatever it’s fate was, then and now, I was thrilled that after 7 decades, most of the pamphlets, books, catalogues, yearbooks and kodachrome, for the most part were intact. The books of not only Lilium, but of Galanthus, Rosa, Tulipa, Peonia.  Not knowing how long they were in a shed, I placed the books separated from the paperwork and started my compendium and trying to systematically find some sort of organization to the chaos and disaster.   I opened my first bag and found a cube crate of ‘green’ yearbooks. 

( unfortunately most were saturated and had glued pages, these had to make their way to the trash)  I was able to quickly get them replaced from the North American Lily Society and they arrive promptly so my collection was complete.  I also had found ‘yellow’ The American Lily Yearbooks by the American Horticultural Society editor G. Slate. They were in great shape and could read and enjoy them with articles dating from the late 30’s to later 40’s.  Over the next 24 months, working part time on this vast project, and with help from several correspondences with the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota Arboretum, Andersen Horticultural Library,   I was taught the safest method possible to place the somewhat broken pieces in chronical order, repair bindings as well as learning to wear protective gloves when handling some of the documents. Thousands of pages of publications — Books that are duplicated that have botanical standards and perhaps belonging in the rare book selection in the archive of the National Botanical Historic section in the Smithsonian Libraries. The pictures alone are something I still can’t explain.   Where does one begin? So, I started the journey of enriching my mind of the tidbits and snippets of small articles in newsletters and bulletins mailed to it’s members of societies over 70 summers ago. These were/are composed by the wealth of professional studies with science based evidence. Also the experienced researchers that have recorded their academic studies of life work projects with published documentation and results. And lastly,  most importantly, the amatures that may have looked at the genus differently without the scientific knowhow of rhyme or reason. Yet, discovered a marvel, and shared the excitement for all to learn. Educating one another. Not keeping silent.  

   Yes,  I am an amature and by no means will I even begin to challenge the treasures that I found in these books.  “For there is more treasure in these books than in all of the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island” Walt Disney.     hence — my closets.   My acquired collection              Years 2022-Current 2024 December 

Today I will start with my RHS and my NALS Year Books and list the articles by title and author so that I will have my very own reference on this post. I will not be sharing the literature nor coping any of it as this is Hartle-Gilmans Private collection for educational purposes. There are CD’s for purchase from both of the society’s store page on the websites. I have that as well, but I am one that likes an old fashioned copy to hold in my hands. Using as many references and knowing where to find them will aid me into a further understanding of the Lilium and all of their relatives.. 

 I will then do the same with all of the newsletters I have and then I will proceed with some of the books —  I pray that this platform will not crash before my reference is complete. Why here?  These are all Hartle-Gilman Property and I am only the Caretaker. We sort of go together.