October Meeting Notes

Mary Anne Kurtz welcomed all and visitors.  We were asked us to keep Claudia Hickly in our prayers due to her younger brother’s passing and other sad events in her family.  Dues of $15 per member are due. Send payment to Anita Wagner. Please check your contact information in the membership book and let Linda Brown know if there are any changes for next year’s directory.

Our Passavant White Garden is winding down, but still looks quite good and will probably not be cut down completely as was suggested by last month’s speaker Jessica Walliser to support good bugs.  As you are winterizing your gardens, take note of the perennials that are large and need dividing so you will know in the spring what can be potted up for the Plant Sale.   More garden related items for thank you baskets for the speakers are needed.  Our  50/50 raffle will be every other month or possibly once a quarter.

 

Barb Sappie and Anita were thanked for their desserts and arrangement respectively. 

Plants available at meeting:  tall Dutch iris from Mary Anne’s garden

Bill Goff introduced Gilda Arroyo of the Animal Rescue League who presented an informative and interesting talk, “The Bat – A Gardener’s Friend” which included many detailed pictures.  She stressed the importance of planting Pennsylvania natives and and making the effort to attract bats.  There are nine species of bats in PA and all are protected. They are having difficulty surviving and populating mainly due to White Nose Syndrome which is a fungus that irritates and wakes up the bats in mid-hibernation and since they cannot find food/insects in the cold weather, they die. The fungus also eats away the bat’s flesh and webbing. The fungus was most likely introduced to the US by European spelunkers’ carrying the fungus on their boots and gear. The European bats have built an immune against the fungus and therefore it does not have the impact on their bat population.  It will take a very long time, possibly hundreds of years, for the local bats to build the immune to the fungus.   

Take home points:

• Bats eat enough insects (stink bugs, mosquitoes, leaf hoppers, corn rootworm etc.)  saving $74/acre
• Have only 1 pup each year, so slow reproduction. Mate in fall, birth in spring. Don’t close off bat nests during the spring to early fall since they are feeding their young and cannot be separated from them during this time.  Use one-way doors. Timing is everything.
• Provide higher landscaping for bats which can’t take off from the ground
• Provide a water feature so bats can fly low and lap up water
• Honor cave closures, clean boots and gear
• Bat friendly garden has large trees, large shrubs, water feature, native plants, roosting spots, avoids pesticides, has night blooming pale flowers such as stemless evening primrose, cut leaf evening primrose
• Provide a bat box--2 ft tall, 3” deep, rough interior,  12-18 ft above ground, south side of pole or tree,  give lots of time for bats to inhabit the box, possibly a few years.
• Rabies—few bats have rabies, however, don’t pick up a bat with bare hands, consider  getting shots if in room contact with bats (may not know that you or child has been bitten)

Because of a prior demonstration, Gilda brought a 2½ year old porcupine (Irwin) and showed him after the meeting. What a treat to see one so close!

Upcoming Events:

            November 26, “Easy Care Roses in the Modern Urban Garden” by Claire Schuchman

September 24, 2013 Meeting Notes

 

Mary Ann welcomed new member Jenna and asked what is blooming in our gardens—favorites were mums, asters, dahlias and anemones. She reminded us that dues are $15 each for next year and should be paid before November so the directory is current. Mail dues to Anita or pay at the October meeting. Still need Publicity Chair. Contact Mary Ann or Claudia for details.

Mary Ann requested that we think Plant Sale now even though it’s not until May 17th, the Saturday after Mother’s Day.  You could divide plants now and keep them in sunken 4-6” pots until spring. Work done now during fall may be easier than during the busy spring.

Needed: Host for LAGC picnic in either June or July. Anita won $13 from the 50-50 raffle.  Winners of birdfeeder tea cups are Helen and Rose Mary. Marilyn has 2 pink potentillas; call her if interested.  Call Liz Bowser for house plants she would like to give away. Sara brought oat grass for drying.

Heidi and Peggy were thanked for desserts and arrangements respectively. After last month’s talk on using moss, Peggy used it in her lovely dahlia arrangements (see photos).

Bill said next month’s topic “The Bat—The Gardener’s Friend” will be presented by Gilda Arroyo. 

He next introduced speaker Jessica Walliser who is a horticulturist, garden columnist, and master  gardener to mention a few of her accomplishments.  Jessica presented “Good Bug, Bad Bug” with slides. She is an enthusiastic speaker who injects humor into her informative talk.  Website is www.jessicawalliser.com for her gardening column archives. 

Take home points:

• Look for the insects illustrated in her presentation as they were from her yard; hand lens needed.
• Learn the life cycles of predator and prey insects, and their identities.
• Plant food to attract beneficial insects such as dill, aster, mustard, mint families, clover, and blooming ‘weeds’.
• Wait two weeks for the beneficials to arrive when you note infestations. Killing the pests too soon removes the beneficials’ food. Don’t change the predator prey balance.
• Provide diversity of plants, eliminate chemical pesticides, and organic ones as well. Plant for height diversity as well.
• Think beneficial insect, what pests they consume, and what plants will lure them in. 
• Don’t kill the larva that have egg cases on their skin—the egg cases contain more parasitic wasps.

 Submitted by:  Rose Mary Highman

August Meeting Notes

Claudia and Marilyn

In Mary Anne’s absence VP Claudia Hickly welcomed members and guests. She pointed out the importance of keeping our phone chain moving when a quick notification is required, e.g. weather delay of July’s picnic.  See Phone Chain, page 6, in our handbook for who calls whom. Remove Victoria’s name from the phone chain and replace it with Alan’s.  Janine will email his phone number to membership. 

Still needed:  Publicity Chair.

Membership dues of $15 should be paid in September. Make check out to Longvue Acres Garden Club.

Our LAGC garden at Passavant Hospital was awarded “Garden of the Month” by the Greybrook Garden Club!  Kudos to Peggy Elizeus and Helen Dean, Community Chairs, for their dedicated oversight of this garden and for coordinating our volunteers. Thanks also to our volunteers who fill in as needed.

Bill Goff read a list of suggestions for next year’s programs and welcomes additional ideas for meetings and tours.  Tour ideas included were Botanic Gardens, North Park Demonstration Gardens, and the Phipps Conservatory outside gardens. 

Marilyn Gurtner spoke briefly of her travels to Uganda and had pictures of her “son” and his family, of a garden, and nearby towns. Marilyn has much to tell us but could only share a tiny portion of her travels. For instance one cultural difference—not bad, just different - our story of the tooth fairy and theirs of the tooth rat. Talk with her as probably none of us knows much about Uganda and she’s excited to share. 

Plants available at meeting:  German iris from Bill and Larry Grundler specialty lilies from Claudia.

Claudia thanked Esther Nagy and Rose Mary Highman, blog; 

Chris Kerin, arrangement; Rose Mary, dessert

  


Flo and Ellen suggested that dessert recipes be included in the blog each month or as a hard copy.
 

Rose Mary’s Apple Kuchen recipe

Upcoming Events:

Sept 24 LAGC program “Good Bug, Bad Bug” 

by Jessica Walliser  Renew membership, $15

Sept 28 Green Thumb Workshop, 

includes Doug Oster, vendors at Meadville

Sept 26 “Seed Saving,” Master Garden,

 400 N Lexingon St, Point Breeze

Sept 28 “Edible Teaching Garden,” Master Garden, 

400 N Lexingon St, Point Breeze

Oct 17 “Putting the Garden to Bed,” Master Garden, 
400 N Lexingon St, Point Breeze

Hot line gardening questions 412 473 2600 or alleghenymg@psu.edu  Oct - Mar
 

Speaker Chris Holt “Come Moss with Me”

Bill introduced our speaker, Chris Holt, who is a dynamic speaker, ornamental steel welder [see www.steelwelding.net and her work at The Porch Restaurant], and avid gardener. She is a speaker at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Her garden will be on the Botanical Garden tour next year.  Chris brought many varied arrangements and a plant hanger she forged and donated to LAGC for a drawing.  The lucky winner was Beverly Steiger. Chris adores moss, uses that from her patio stones, and finds it adds serenity while being easy and quick to use. Think bonsai, but expand arrangements using moss, black painted birch twigs and containers of various sizes. BE CREATIVE, HAVE FUN as she does.  

•   For more moss, take a few inches of moss, add milk or yogurt to blender for mixing    then paint it on a surface such as a clay pot. Moss is easy to grow, requires some light, moisture, and accepts poor soil.
•  Use Oasis and cover with moss; stick flowers or other greenery through moss.
•  Check for creepy crawlies on moss, especially if on a dining table.
•  Paint some containers black. Use low ones for minimal but powerful impact; long and low is good and easy; finds in thrift stores.
• “Moss covers all your sins.”
•   Try arrangement with height on one side and moss on the other side.
•   Quick change an arrangement by changing bow.
•   Children like to make scenes on top of moss; fun and easy project.
•   Use a high heel shoe--line it with a plastic bag, add oasis, top with moss and a few flowers. Be creative; surprises are good. 
•  Tie moss outside a container for another look.
•  To transport your dirty shovel, place in a cellophane flower bag before tossing in trunk.

  

    

Corpse Flower At Phipps

Rose Mary Highman is sharing her photo of a Corpse Flower at Phipps and her grand children's reaction to the smell!

Longvue Acres Garden Club Picnic July 30, 2013

Alan Peacock’s beautiful garden on Fox Road

Our garden host, Alan Peacock, had the perfect night with warm temperatures and clear skies this time rather than last week’s heavy rain.  We all enjoyed his garden and his tour with his comments about many of the plants and design elements.  His garden is multilevel so views change depending on where you are in the garden and even a new garden will pop into view. Alan moved each stone himself which is so impressive considering the low retaining walls, the outlined path, the water stream, and of course the lovely, large rock garden. Within the sloped rock garden are rocks of various sizes from 8 inch square slabs to the long, thick rocks (small boulders).  Since this is a new garden this year, he expects more of the plants to fill in but many of them are also dward varieties requiring a closer look.  (My pictures do not do his garden justice.)  

Some miscellaneous features are two rain barrels for supplemental watering, a “wild section” left as is, plants blooming in succession, a few annuals tucked in for more color, good use of  statuary and specimen plants. The 20 of us present enjoyed delicious and plentiful food, good company, lively discussions and Alan’s beautiful garden. The hawks, other birds, and fire flies were extras.

Business meeting portion

• Mary Ann asked for program ideas and field trips suggestions, please email Mary Ann Kurtz and Bill Goff

• Needed: a publicity person—contact Mary Ann to volunteer

• Needed: weeders and dead-headers for the Passavant Garden. Volunteer for a week or two in August and 1^st part of September.  Requires a couple of hours during the week—you pick your hours.  Contact Margaret Elizeus to volunteer.

Next month, August 27th

“Come Moss with Me” by Chris Holt

WEBSITE:  Master gardener speakers & topics http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/programs/master-gardener/educational-programs/speakers-bureau

Hospital Garden

Here are some pictures of the hospital garden. 

 Notice we got Garden of the month 

from Graybrook Garden Club.  

Submitted by:  Helen Dean

What's Blooming in Bill's Garden

Here is a pic of my daylilies that I took today.  They have done so well this year with all the warmth and rain we have had.  The maroon eyed yellow on the left was hybridized by our friend, Jim Roberts, as were several other here in this picture.  The large orange in the top, center, is 'Rocket City' a daylily which blooms its head off and makes a huge electric splash in the garden.

Submitted by:  Bill Goff

June Meeting Notes

The meeting was opened by Mary Ann Kurtz, President

·         Anita distributed and reviewed the budget

·         Peggy and Helen talked about our White garden at Passavant Hospital; they circulated a calendar for members to sign up to volunteer to maintain the garden; Please contact either of them with questions

·         It’s time to start planning for next year’s programs; Bill Goff asked members to bring at least 1  program idea to the Annual Picnic so that he can compile a list

·         Lynn Betts brought dahlia tubers to share with club members

·         The Annual Picnic will be held in July at Alan Peacock’s house; an e-mail will be sent with more details

June Program:

Our June speaker, Alan Peacock, Master Gardener and member of the North American Rock Garden Society spoke to us about “Redoing a Garden”.  His slideshow presentation took us thru years of hard work as he manipulated his landscape into the rock garden that he always wanted.  He spoke of his struggle with finding suitable rocks at a reasonable price.  He used his engineering background to successfully install a babbling brook water feature where he took advantage of the natural terrain. When he completed these tasks he thought the job was done.  But then upon reflection, he realized that that his plants weren’t thriving because the soil conditions were not correct.  Pittsburgh clay is not an ingredient for a rock garden.  He got some help in adding sand and gravel to the garden bed.  Was he done now? Nope, not yet.  He noticed that things were still not quite right so he installed an irrigation system to correct watering issues and compensate for his lack of enthusiasm for the chore of watering the garden. The plants look happy and well taken care of in his pictures so his rock garden must be complete, right?  Time will tell.

Redoing a garden is a daunting task for anyone but, if you break the project down into tasks or mini projects it will be easier to manage.  But, I doubt the project will ever be complete.  The garden is continually growing and changing with each season.  Don’t forget to take time to look at the garden with fresh eyes to see what changes can be made to make it better for both you and the plants.

Dessert by Dorothy Schuette
Arrangement by Mary Anne Kurtz

What's Blooming In Your Garden

Helen Dean took this photo of our

 Hospital Garden taken on June 15.

These are photos of Bill Goff's

 beautiful blooms in his garden!

Keep sending in your photos 

we do love seeing your gardens!!

What's Blooming In Your Garden

Mary Ann sent these two beautiful photos of her 

prickly pear cactus in bloom. 

Does anyone else want to share

What's Blooming in Your Garden?

May 28 Meeting Notes

Mary Ann Kurtz opened the meeting.
 
Plant sale--$1465 (7% sales tax & a couple of other expenses not yet paid). Will do tweaking for the next sale. 76% of our members participated. Take pictures this summer of plants you may donate. Could separate this fall.

Colleen Fingal asked members to bring small thank you items for our speakers.

Passavant Garden--Helen Dean told story of a patient who was so appreciative 

50 50 raffle—Mary Ann won $12, 2nd place was a guest won the tea cup sculpture/bird feeder.

Thank you to Esther Nagy for dessert and Anita Wagner for arrangement

Bill Goff introduced our speaker, Penn State Master Gardener Sandy Csikari who presented “Best Plants for a Carefree Garden”

She showed numerous slides of the plants she mentioned and most of these were from her own garden.  (the projector was not picking up all of the colors, but even then, we could see how the plants looked). Her handout listing the plants followed concurrently with her talk. The handout is a great resource as it has common name, botanical name, height, bloom time and miscellaneous information for the categories such as shrubs, perennials for shade, etc.

Take home points:  For a carefree garden, plants need the right soil and the right location.  If this not followed, carefree it won’t be.  Pick plants which are long-blooming, have good foliage, provide seasonal color or interest, and are resistant to deer and pests. Sandy does use drip irrigation for some areas of her garden and likes the tubes which can be coiled around a plant or snaked through the garden and more tubes can be connected by attaching another tube.  Sandy is very involved in the Hosta Society and is also a judge. “Hostas are the love of my life, after my family,” she said.

Dates to Remember

Saturday, June 1, Hosta Sale and Show at Soergels 9 -4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 25, LAGC “Redoing a Garden,” Alan Peacock speaker

Submitted by:  Rose Mary

What's Blooming In Your Garden

Bill Goff sent us some photos of a couple

 amazing plants growing in his garden!

The first is a hosta "Komodo Dragon"  It can grown to about 5 feet across or more.  Bill's is only 3 years old and is not that big yet!

This is a peony "Pageant" it is an early bloomer and is usually flowering around Mother's Day.

What's Blooming in Your Garden? 

 Please sent photos we love to see them!

LAGC Plant Sale

Many thanks to everyone for participating in the Plant Sale. It was a gorgeous day and we did rather well with our best profit so far of $1,465.50. That is $285 more than last year!!

Bill Goff and Andrea Marie helping customers.

Seating:  Cliff & Rosemary Highman; Marilyn Gurtner

Standing:  Denny & Linda Brown; Heidi Sestrich; Anita Wagner

Marie Barron and Colleen Fingal

An email was sent to everyone with all the details.

Submitted by:  Mary Ann, Plant Coordinator

Passavant Garden May 2013

Margaret thought everyone might like to see what our garden is looking like this time of the year. The hospital very kindly has mulched for us already.