Meeting Summary April 24, 2018

Claudia Hickly, LAGC President, welcomed members and guests on another rainy, spring day.

Blooms in our gardens include hellebores, grape hyacinths, daffodils, blood root, and magnolias.

·     Group Photo–Due to the rainy weather, the group photo is postponed to the July 10^thAnnual Picnic at the home of Janine Zink.

·     Treasurer –Denny Brown reported on budget with $3000 end of January. Expenses so far are $300 program fees, $125 handbook, $100 signs leaving a balance of $2100.

·      Plant Sale– Mary Ann Kurtzasked members to divide their plants for sale and aim for 10-20 4-6” pots per member. If larger, please divide into 4-6” pots. This is the club’s only moneymaker. “If we don’t have the plants, we can’t sell them.” Mary Ann brought mini-blinds for labels. This year, inside plants are also welcome. Deliver plants 7:30-7:45 and put in the proper category such as “Sun”, “Shade,” “Ground Cover,” etc. Helen Dean has extra pots if you need. Wear apple green shirt. Tags sticking up higher than the pot should include plant name, requirements, sun icon, blossom color, and height. Please use permanent marker on tags because rain can ruin our tags if not prepared for showers.

·      Publicity– Claudia thanked Patty Bumbaugh for the PR.

·      Duties report– Claudia reminded Officers and Committee Chairs to please submit their “Duties Report” by June for our information binder to assist future officers and chairs.  

·      2019 Programs– Add owner of Flowerama; Ask the Master Gardener Roundtable Discussion. Please submit your suggestions to Jenna.

·      Donation to Northland Public Library– donation made to library for a book in memory of Clif Highman. Claudia read a note of thanks from Rose Mary.

·      Officer spotlighton Rose Mary who summarized Corresponding Secretaryposition. The secretary takes notes and pictures and sends these to vice president for accuracy and proofing.  Beginning in January, the corresponding secretary will be a board position. The Blog Managerthen downloads them onto our blog. 

o   Interested for next year?  Let an officer know.

·      Thank you to Janine Zink– for Quality Gardens discount flyer.

·      Dessert and arrangement – Thank you to Linda Keiser for dessert and Linda Brown for the arrangement. 

Program: Compostingby Kurt Malecki

Kurt manages Best Feeds Garden Center on Babcock, is a longtime gardener, both at work and at home and also helps his wife’s gardening business.  He began by noting composting has been happening since pre-Biblical times and is quite easy to do. Thereare basically two overall methods, one cold and one hot. Either method removes about 277 pounds per person each year from landfills and this means no methane is added to the atmosphere as anaerobic landfills produce methane.

·     Hot method– Layering  – best way to compost, repeat layers of soil or starter, green (kitchen waste), a layer of brown (leaves) into a pile ideally 3’ x 3’ x 3-4 high’. Terms wet and dry can also be used, greens are wet, soil and leaves are brown. Turn a couple times a week. Cover pile if too wet and water if too dry. Compost is usable in about 3 months.

·     Cold method – layer wet materials beginning with coarse sticks for bottom into large pile as above. Water as needed. Wait about two years for compost.

·     Materials NOT to use – pet waste, meat or fat scraps, thicklayer of grass, no materials in contact with weed killers.

·      Nitrogen  – Urea or compost starter products adding nitrogen speed up composting.

·      Small piecesspeed up compost process.

·      Compost is ready – when it looks like soil. 

Calendar:  

·      May 19 – LAGC Plant Sale --- Reminder: Wear your green shirt, bring your plants. See above.

·      May 22 – LAGC meeting, “The Basics of Rain Gardens”by Attila Csokai.

·      June 26 – “Neglected Annuals” by Jessica Walliser.

·      July 10 – Annual LAGC Picnic 

Announcements:

·     May 11-12 – 82^ndMay Market & National Public Gardens Day, Phipps Conservatory. Unique plants, vendors, etc.

·     May 11-12 – Glade Run Spring Fest & Taco Trot, a Plant Sale and more, Zelienople

·      May 12, 2018 - Gardenfest & Artist Market on Saturday at the Lauri Ann West Community Center, 1220 Powers Run Road, Pittsburgh PA 15238

·      Spring 2018 – McCandless began a five-year tree-planting program.  Email photo of tree planted to ms4@townof mccandless.org. This is part of their storm sewer improvement project to reduce storm water runoff.

Longvue Acres Garden Club Meeting Summary March 27, 2018

Attendance: 22 members, 5 guests, 3 new members

Claudia Hickly, LAGC President, welcomed members and guests on another rainy, spring day. Blooms in our gardens include crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, and squill with more to come.

·      Constitution change Article III - Officers (pg. 32): “The officers of the club shall be President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer.” Jane MacCredie moved and Anita Wagner seconded and members unanimously approved the change which will take effect January 2019. 

·      Group Photo – Due to the rainy weather, the group photo was not taken. It has been rescheduled to the April meeting.

·      Plant Sale –Members were reminded to check what plants can be divided in their gardens and aim for 10-20 4-6” pots per member. If larger, please divide into 4-6” pots. This is the club’s only moneymaker. “If we don’t have the plants, we can’t sell them.” It was announced that Denny will be the cashier. Members were asked to sign up for additional duties and what hours they can work at the plant sale. Sign up sheet will also be available at April’s meeting.

     Facebook – Anita asked members to “like” us on Facebook to receive updates about LAGC Publicity – Claudia thanked Patty Bumbaugh for the PR. It was noted that previous issue of announcement not being published was most likely due to new personnel at the paper.  Going forward, Patty will plan to send announcement to the editor and reporter which would cover any personnel change.

·      Duties report – Claudia reminded Officers and Committee Chairs to please submit your “Duties Report” by June for our information binder to assist future officers and chairs.

·      Signs – Colleen Geyer was pleased with the thank you note and check she received for her hard work on the signs she made for the club.

·      2019 Programs – Claudia has started a list of program ideas for 2019.  Members were encouraged to add to this list by giving your ideas to the Program Chair.  We will keep an ongoing list to be used to plan for next year’s program.

·      Officer spotlight on Vice President Colleen Fingal who said her duties are: preside at meetings in president’s absence, review meeting summaries, plan holiday tour and luncheon, work with president and other officers – share ideas, brainstorm, counsel with president. 

o   Interested for next year?  Let an officer know.

·      Dessert and arrangement – Thank you to Rose Mary Highman for dessert and Colleen for the arrangement.

Program: Three Seasons of Color in the Perennial Garden by Bill Goff

Bill is a longtime LAGC member, a Penn State Master Gardener, and an avid grower of perennials with his favorites being hostas, daylilies, and peonies. His garden has been featured in Fine Gardening magazine. He included beautiful pictures showing the seasons of color as he gave pointers about perennials.  Perennials do require some care, but the gardener is rewarded for years by planting them. There is a perennial for all seasons even in winter with seed heads.

•       Placement  – perennials like soil amendments, such as compost, to our heavy clay soil. Consider hours of sunshine and competition from other roots.
•       Drainage  – perennials require good drainage to prevent root rot.
•       Vary height and shape – perennials of all types are available.
•       Fertilizer  – 5-10-5 is generally the best.
•       Views  – picture garden views from your patio or from inside your house.
•        Sequential blooming  – many hostas, daylilies, peonies and bulbs such as daffodils have early, mid, and late blooming varieties to extend bloom times.
•    Neat edges make the garden appear neater than it may be. 
•       Enjoy your garden! In all seasons!

LAGC Calendar: 
April 24 – LAGC meeting, “Composting” by Kurt Malecki.
Club photo to be taken.
May 19 – LAGC Plant Sale --- Reminder: Wear your green shirt
May 22 – LAGC meeting, “The Basics of Rain Gardens” by Attila Csokai.

Announcements:

* April 7, 2018 – Litter Clean-Up in McCandless.  Meet at Town Hall by 9:30 a.m. for continental breakfast. Call 412-364-0616 x118 or eac@townofmccandless.or
*  April 28, 2018 – PSMG Garden Marketplace, Garden & Landscape Symposium of Western Pennsylvania. Marketplace is free and will be held from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the McKnight Arena at Shadyside Senior School, 423 Fox Chapel Road, Fox Chapel (15238). Free parking.
*   May 11 & 12  – May Market at Phipps Conservatory on the lawn. Many vendors. 
*   May 12, 2018 - Gardenfest & Artist Market on Saturday at the Lauri Ann West Community Center, 1220 Powers Run Road, PGH PA 15238
*  Spring 2018 – McCandless began a five-year tree planting program.  Email photo of tree planted to ms4@townof mccandless.org.  This is part of their storm sewer improvement project to reduce storm water runoff.