July 10, 2018 Picnic

Lovely afternoon and evening for a picnic under clear skies looking one direction and another part of the sky dark gray, becoming more so. Members and guests began with appetizers and socializing, took a club photo, and then the skies opened with light rain turning to a deluge.  The picnic moved into Janine and Bob Zink’s home until the rain stopped and we moved outside for a short meeting and Janine’s telling us about her garden. She explained they worked over the years they have been in their home to build a patio, a wall, and leveling a portion of their yard. They planted trees, bushes, bulbs, and perennials. Recently they completed another part of their yard by the north side gate. Only part of their yard is fenced in so they do have deer. She mentioned that many of their daylilies came from Larry Grundler and Jim Roberts. 

·     Claudia Hickly thanked Janine and her husband Bob for hosting our Annual Picnic at their lovely home and garden. She also thanked members who brought the tasty food. Special guests were Larry Grundler and his guest.

·     Community Service – Peggy Elizeus reported that we now have a hospital garden contact on the UPMC staff, Lisa Santimauro, Passavant Administrator of Grounds. 

·     Donation Discussion – we will postpone giving any new donations until next year. We have made all of our donations for 2018.

·     November Luncheon Update – Colleen presented two choices: a tour of Phipps Conservatory’s Christmas display or lunch at the Pines Tavern.  Members voted for lunch at the Pines Tavern and to have an ornament exchange. Janine volunteered to organize the game for the ornament exchange.  More details about the lunch will be coming in September.

·     2019 Program Survey – Jenna Noker gave members a handout to mark their program preferences and to add suggestions so that she can plan for the upcoming year. Please notify her of any new ideas that you find.

Calendar:

August 28, 6:30 p.m. Tour– guided walk on the Native Plant Butterfly Trail by Mary Alice Koeneke in Moraine State Park. Meet at McDaniel’s launch and at the purple martin houses along the entrance road. Email will come regarding car- pooling and details.  

September 25, 7 p.m.—Meeting, “Designing Your Landscape,” by Martha Swiss.

Wide assortment of daylilies & other perennials

Excellent food and conversation

New section

New section, the fence only borders the front and
a portion of the sides

Moved under patio roof to avoid rain

Janine and Bob, our picnic hosts. 

He noted his car club picnics have hotdogs and various chips, and ours had delicious food.

Post rain, Janine telling us about their garden and the changes they have made over the years

Kahula Cake (Chocolate)

Hawaiian Wedding Cake June 2018

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

Jane MacCredie’s recipe, enjoyed at June 2018 meeting

2 cups flour	1 cup coconut
2 cups sugar	1 20oz can crushed pineapple
2 eggs	2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix flour and eggs, then add remainder of ingredients one at a time.

Bake in greased and floured 13x9x2 pan at 350 for 40-45 minutes.  Cake 

will be medium brown.

Frosting:

1 8oz cream cheese	1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter/margarine	1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla; add powdered sugar slowly.  

Frost cooled cake; decorate with additional chopped nuts.

Meeting Summary June 26, 2018

Claudia Hickly, LAGC President, welcomed 23 members on a lovely summer evening. Members mentioned garden tours they’ve taken or will occur, see calendar below. 

Claudia was pleased to announce the new officers and chairs.

·      Officers 2019-2020

President – Colleen Fingal

Vice President – Denny Brown

Treasurer – Dianne Machesney

Recording Secretary – Andrea Maire

·      Committee chairs 2019-2020 

Blog – Rose Mary Highman

Community Service (Passavant Garden) – Evan Fingal

Handbook – Marlow Madeoy

Historian – Colleen Fingal

Hostess – Heidi Sestrich & Anita Wagner

Membership – Linda Brown & Ellen Dvorshy

Online Communicator – Lynn Betts

Plant Sale – Mary Anne Kurtz

Programs – Jenna Noker

Publicity – Jane MacCredie

Cards & Flowers – Jeanne Schomaker

Facebook – Anita Wagner

Tech Support – Evan Fingal

·      Treasurer–Denny Brown said no changes from agreed upon budget. 

·      Passavant Chapel Garden– Helen Dean and Peggy Elizeusasked those who dead head to follow stem down lower and cut there rather than just top flower. After 26 years of tending this garden, both are stepping down. 

·      Publicity– Patty Bumbaugh’s submittals for this meeting were not published.

·      2019 Programs– Dianne Machesney has a 20-minute program on spotted lantern fly, Pennsylvania’s new damaging, invasive insect.  Suggestion made for a program on Lyme disease and its vectors.

·      Directory phone changes – email any changes to Linda Brown and Ellen Dvorsky. 

·      Annual Picnic 6:30 p.m. July 10^th – bring chair and appetizer, salad or dessert to share, club photo will be taken. See Handbook pg 18 for details. Janine Zink’s home has a grassy area or garage stairs with railing since outside steps have no railing. 

·      Plants to share  – Lynn Betts brought Japanese iris and common, tall, orange day lilies. Contact Andrea Maire if you would like non-blooming lamb’s ear or double flowered day lilies. 

·      Dessert and arrangement – Thank you to Jane MacCredie for dessert (recipes to be added to blog) and Marilyn Gurtner for the arrangement of lantana plus Ugandan clothing, bead work, and handcrafted doll with baby carried on back sling. Marilyn also wore a colorful Ugandan robe, best suited for a man, she said.

Jessica Walliser

Program: Neglected Annuals by Jessica Walliser

Jessica is a well-known gardener, radio personality, and author latest book Container Gardening. She gave a lively program and showed beautiful pictures of the featured annuals. These neglected annuals are the ones our grandparents knew when there were many small plant nurseries. Now the plant breeding by the few suppliers is directed toward dwarf, stout, and bushy and patented plants available to the gardener in 3-4” pots. Just a few small nurseries grow their own stock. 

·     Why use these old fashioned annuals  – easy care, no staking, stunning flowers, good height, fragrance, attract pollinators and provide food for many butterflies and moths.

·     Many self-sow  – leave one stalk, but cut off the other stalks before seeds are dropped!

·     Her favorites  – Kiss me over the garden gate, Bells of Ireland, poppies, Cosmos sulphureum, gomphrena, larkspur, love lies bleeding (not the best name she said), Cyprus vine, amaranth, balsam (related to impatiens, resistant to downing mildew), and sweet Annie. Plus others.

·     Seed Sources –  Select Seeds, High Mowing Seeds, Territorial Seeds, Hudson Valley Seeds, American Meadows Wildflowers.

Calendar:  

·      July 10 – Annual LAGC Picnic at Janine Zink’s home, 6:30 p.m. Directions in LAGC Handbook.

·      July10, BirdBanding – at Marilyn Gurtner’s home. Come by anytime between 6 to 11 a.m. Grandchildren welcome.

·      August28, 6:30 Field Trip Tour  – “Native Plants in Bloom” at McDaniel’s Launch Area by Mary Alive Koeneke. See Handbook for more information. No meeting at church.

·      September 25 – “Designing Your Landscape” by Martha Swiss.

Announcements

·      Mt. Lebanon Garden Tour, Sunday, July 8^th, 11am-4pm.  Tickets $15 in advance, $20 on tour day.  For more information call 412-531-1912.

·      Wexford Garden & Pond Tour, July 14^th.  Self-guided tour 10 am-3pm showcasing 8-10 gardens within 15 minutes of Wexford. Tickets available at www.WexfordPondTour.comor contact Debra at 724-935-6100. Proceeds benefit water projects in drought-ridden NE Kenya.