Visits to Phipps Conservatory for Winter Shows December 2024 & January 2025

 Martin Karl visited Phipps for their winter show as did RoseMary. Below are Martin's with a couple  of RM's showing Phipps at night time. 

LAGC Holiday Tour and Lunch, November 16, 2024

 November 16, 2024 Kerr House tour and luncheon

A good number of our LAGC members toured the Kerr Museum in Oakmont and from comments heard, we liked our three docents and the tours. Most of us had never heard of this museum and enjoyed the house which represents a middle-class family home between 1890-1910. The Kerrs, Dr. Thomas R., his wife Jessie, and their daughter Virginia, lived here beginning in 1897 when the house with his office was built. His office is now displayed close to how it was used when he practiced medicine. After their daughter was born, the Kerrs added a second entrance which separated patients from the family, especially from their young daughter.  Remember no vaccinations for measles, chicken pox, pertussis, tetanus nor polio existed then.

The Kerr’s daughter Virginia, who never married, lived her whole life here until her death in 1994. She was an English teacher in Oakmont and often hosted parties for some of her friends. Upon her death the house was willed to the Borough of Oakmont and is now used as a museum, and is currently decorated for the holidays with candlelight tours available during this time. 

Holly, one of the docents, at the entrance.

Our lunch was at Hartwood Restaurant in Glenshaw following the tour. We also savored the Pittsburgh tradition of a cookie table. Thank you, Marlow, for arranging the tour and lunch. Happy Holidays to all.

 

Evan, Colleen, Chris, Sue, & Rose.

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Terry, Victoria, Rose Mary, & Bill.

Helen, Claudia, Dianne, Kathy, Mary Ann, Mary Jo, Mary Jo, Marlow, & Nancy.

Nancy, Helen Claudia, Dianne, & Kathy.

Marlow, Evan, & Colleen.

Mary Ann, Mary Jo B. & Mary Jo C.

 

 

LAGC October 24, 2024 Meeting Notes

President Nancy Madeoy welcomed members to the last meeting of 2024.

Members were asked What’s blooming in our gardens?  Monkshead, dahlias and mums.

LAGC members agreed to once again donate $250 to the following organizations:

·      Western PA Conservancy

·      Botanic Gardens of Western PA

·      North Area Environmental Council

·      Tree Pittsburgh

The Hostess signup sheet for 2025 was circulated to fill a few openings.

Marlow Madeoy spoke about a few details regarding the holiday luncheon and tour on November 16^th.  The restaurant will accommodate dietary needs and will offer a vegetarian food option.  The club will not be organizing a carpool for the events.  As in the past, members may arrange their own carpool and use the church parking lot as a meetup location.  Directions to the Kerr Museum and Hartwood Whisper’s Pub restaurant will be sent by our Email Coordinator, Claudia.  You may also use your GPS or cell phone for directions.  Dessert for the lunch will be a variety of cookies.  A few members have volunteered to bring cookies.

Claudia gave an update about the plans for the 75^th Anniversary celebration next year.  Plans are progressing smoothly thanks to Claudia and the committee members.  Claudia showed us a sample of the table centerpiece which is a real pumpkin containing live flowers.  The base of the signpost at the Chapel Garden will be sanded and stained.  There’s some positive discussion about having a rededication of the garden.

Our hostesses created a lovely and most delicious table.  Mary Jo Clayton brought an amazing and abundant vase of dahlias from her garden.  Andrea Maire shared her delicious homemade jam along with cream cheese, crackers and grapes.  It was delicious!  Thank you.

 

Program – A New Deal for North Park by Deaglan McManus

Our speaker, Deaglan McManus, Park Ranger for Allegheny County Parks returned to give another interesting talk about the history of North Park.  He began his talk with a reminder about how fortunate we are to have North Park so close to home with its 3094 acres of land and many miles of hiking trails. 

This evening Deaglan came to talk to us about how the New Deal transformed North Park.

He explained that the New Deal is a series of programs enacted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt between 1933 and 1938 to rescue the United States from the Great Depression.

 

The first program that he talked about was the Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC.  The program which ran from June 1933 to October 1935 involved housing about 200 men in a tent camp set up above a hillside on Wildwood Road.  The workers were young, unemployed men and were given jobs to help build some of the various buildings in North Park. This program allowed the workers to earn money, skills and become literate before they left the program.

Our speaker also talked about the Public Works Program and Civil Works Admin Program which are responsible for building some of the many structures in North Park such as the swimming pool, Golf Club House, North Park Lodge, standpipe, boathouse, and gatehouse.  The workers of these programs built the latrines, shelters and even the picnic tables that are still used today.  The most amazing feat is that the workers dug out Marshall Lake. When you are in North Park look for the metal commemorative plaques that were hung to signify jobs that were made possible with federal funding from the New Deal Programs.

 

Deaglan gave a very informative talk.  His love of history and the Allegheny County Parks is apparent in his enthusiastic delivery.  We look forward to him returning to bring another interesting presentation.

For more details about how North Park was developed by programs of the New Deal, please visit the Allegheny County Parks website.

https://www.alleghenycounty.us/parks-and-events/parks/northpark/history-of-north-park

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 24, 2024, Meeting Notes

Dues of $15 were collected by Linda Brown at the membership desk. Members reviewed their phone number and e-mail address in the directory and made corrections when necessary..

President Nancy Madeoy welcomed members. 

What's blooming in the garden – asters, sunflowers, Jerusalem artichokes, dahlias, zinnias 

Claudia gave an update on the plans for the 75th anniversary celebration

• Seed packets will be given to customers at the LAGC plant sale instead of annual plants 
• The theme will be the 1950’s.  Members can dress in 1950’s attire and the menu choices are being discussed to reflect the theme
• A sample of a logo was displayed for members to vote on
• Claudia thanked all the Anniversary Celebration committee members for all the work they’ve done on this event.  A huge THANK YOU to Claudia for leading the committee! 

  Claudia gave an update on the plans for the 75th anniversary celebration

  • Seed packets will be given to customers at the LAGC plant sale instead of annual plants 
  • The theme will be the 1950’s.  Members can dress in 1950’s attire and the menu choices are being discussed to reflect the theme
  • A sample of a logo was displayed for members to vote on
  • Claudia thanked all the Anniversary Celebration committee members for all the work they’ve done on this event.  A huge THANK YOU to Claudia for leading the committee! 
  
  
  

Jane, the Hostess Coordinator circulated the sign-up sheet for 2025 for members to bring the dessert or flower arrangement to our meetings.  She explained that there are special duties for the months of September and October which coincide with the anniversary celebrations.  Members who didn’t have the opportunity to sign up can sign up in October or contact Jane with any questions.

Dianne Machesney announced that Sandy Csikari is redesigning her garden and is giving away her unwanted plants to other gardeners.  LAGC has visited Sandy’s amazing garden a couple of times so members are thrilled to be offered some of her plants.  Please check your e-mail for a list of what plants she has to offer and how to arrange a pickup with Sandy.

Last month members voted on the color of a new t-shirt.  Blue is the winning color.  Next month members will sign up with their t-shirt size.  

Northland Library is being remodeled and is having a fundraiser.  Club members voted YES to spend $250.00 for the purchase of a paver to be installed in the library with the club’s name on it.

Vice President Marlow Madeoy talked about all the details of the November Holiday Luncheon and tour on Saturday, November 16 and distributed a flyer to sign up and give the meal choice. Please return the flyer and your check made out to Marlow Madeoy at the October meeting.

Our hostesses, Claudia Hickly and Cindy Stewart created a lovely table with an arrangement filled with hydrangeas.  Members thoroughly enjoyed the delicious pumpkin roll and carrot cake roll. Thank you!

Ouhostesses, Claudia Hickly and Cindy Stewart created a lovely table with an arrangement filled with hydrangeas.  Members thoroughly enjoyed the delicious pumpkin roll and carrot cake roll. Thank you!

Program Chris Kubiak, Audubon Director of Education

 “Climate Change and Impact on Specific Plants in Western PA”

Chris Kubiak is a returning speaker who spoke to us earlier this year about the Bald Eagle. His talk this evening about climate change is a topic which is frequently in the news and is talked about by everyone from meteorologists to historians to politicians. He explained that many do not understand that climate is different from weather.  Climate is how atmosphere behaves long term whereas, weather reflects short term conditions in a specific area.

Chris likened our ecosystem to a spiderweb.  It’s all connected and can be damaged in one area and still exist but, if one important part disintegrates then, the whole thing will unravel.

There is no question that global warming is occurring because there is actual data to prove that it is happening. Our speaker Chris showed before and after photos of where he’s traveled which showed that a glacier had melted away where there was once snow and ice.  He also said that higher sea level, humidity, ocean temperature and decreased sea ice and snow ice are indicators of the warming atmosphere.

Chris explained that spring in Western PA has been warming up earlier and that since 1970 the temperature has been 7 degrees higher than in the past. This warming temperature has shifted the amount of precipitation we receive and all of this effects our plants. Some of these effects are:

• Roses, grapevines and apple trees can get more fungal diseases such as apple scab, late blight and black spot downy mildew
• Insects may not die off in the winter
• Ticks are around 12 months of the year now
• There is an increased cost to fight the diseases and insect damage
• Our native plants such as white trout lily, great spurred violet, horned bladderwort and white fringed orchid are endangered

Naturally, agricultural crops are also being impacted by climate change.  Chris talked about the effect on strawberries and cherries.  The rate of pollination is affected because of the decrease in the number of insects and pollinators. Concord grapes, sweet corn and apple varieties will have lower yields as temperature rises and the pressure of pests rises.  Some plants need a longer time in cold temps to be productive.

Our forests are changing also.  Climate changes are projected to decrease the number of trees such as Black Cherry, Sugar Maple and American Beech.  This will cause birds to lose their habitat.  We have birds from the south moving into Pennsylvania who could not have survived our climate before.  Now they can.  A decrease in the number of Sugar Maple trees would also cause a decline in the products that are created in the maple sugar industry.

Chris said that it is predicted that Hemlock trees could be gone by 2100.  The pest, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is running rampant and it’s not being killed off because our winters are not getting cold enough. 

We are encouraged to participate in Project BudBurst where we can monitor our plants and note when the first bud of the plant appears.  For more information go to http://budburst.org

Chris finished his presentation with a quote from Rachel Carson.  “Man’s attitude toward nature today is critically important.”  

 

August 27, 2024 Meeting notes

 LAGC President Nancy welcomed members to the August 27th meeting. She thanked the committee chairs and board members for all the work they are doing for the garden club.

 Dues will remain at $15 and will be collected at the September meeting. Cash or check.

 

The sign-up sheet for hostess duty for next year will be available in September. Please consider signing up to bring the flower arrangement or dessert to one of our meetings in 2025.

 

Claudia spoke about the plans for next year's anniversary celebration.

·      Mary Jo Clayton finalized the plans for the tree planting; 75 trees will be purchased and planted in partnership with the Allegheny County Parks Foundation Tree Fund. In the Spring of 2025, LAGC members will assist park rangers with planting in North Park in an area in McCandless

·      At our 2025 Plant Sale, annuals will be given away to the first 75 to 100 customers

·      The Honoring Our Past Celebration will be held on September 23, 2025 at the Heritage Center 

·      The Celebrating Our Future event will be held on October 28, 2025 at Northmont Church

·      The keepsake edition of the 2025 handbook will be created by Claudia and Andrea

 

The garden that LAGC maintains at UPMC Passavant has had many names.  Members voted to let it be known as “The Chapel Garden”.

 

Marlow announced that the holiday tour and luncheon will be held on Saturday, November 16th. The tour of the Kerr Memorial Museum, 402 Delaware Avenue, Oakmont, 15139 will begin at approximately 10:30 am. The luncheon will take place at Whisper's Pub located at 3400 Harts Run Road, Glenshaw, 15116. Members will be responsible for paying for their own meal. We will have to choose our meal from 3 choices. We'll have to sign up and pay for the meal prior to the luncheon. More details will be given next month. Please contact Marlow with any questions or concerns.

 

LAGC is making plans to get a new club T-shirt. Members voted for a crew neck style. Members were asked to vote for one of four T-shirt colors. Stay tuned for the results.

 

Chris brought a beautiful pink and purple flower arrangement created with flowers from her own garden. Colleen brought delicious homemade blueberry blondies and buckeye bars for members to enjoy.

    

 

 

Program --- Beth Kocis “Home Food Preservation”

 

This evening’s program was presented by PSMG, Beth Kocis who like many of us enjoys growing vegetables, fruits and herbs but also preserving the food items to enjoy when the garden has gone to bed for the winter.  She discussed the many ways to preserve food such as 

freezing, drying and canning, but the most important thing to remember is to use safe practices to ensure that nobody gets ill. Beth said that it’s important to use a scientifically researched and tested recipe from a reputable source such as “So easy to Preserve” book rather than rely on a recipe handed down from our grandmothers. 

 

It's best to consult a good resource to help identify which preservation method is suitable for which food that is to be preserved but always choose a fruit or vegetable which is blemish free and at the height of ripeness.  This will ensure that the item is preserved at its peak flavor.  Make sure that your hands, work surfaces and jars and containers are clean.

 

Here are some of the key points from the presentation: 

 

·      Vegetables should be blanched quickly when using the freezing method so that the enzymes are deactivated to keep item at their peak flavor  

·      Tray pack freezing is the name for freezing individual berries on a flat pan and then when each berry is frozen, they can be packed in one container. A few berries at a time can be scooped out to make smoothies or muffins rather than using the whole bag of berries at one time 

·      Herbs are traditionally air dried by hanging in bunches in a cool dark place. It's helpful to cover the herbs with a paper bag to contain them and keep them clean.

·      Drying concentrates the flavor of herbs so you will need to use less of the herb than when using fresh herbs

·      When using a dehydrator, the optimal temperature is 140°. Be careful of case hardening which happens if the temperature is turned up too high and causes the outside of the food to dehydrate and harden before the inside of the food gets a chance to dehydrate. 

·      When making jerky in a dehydrator, it's best to simmer the meat in a marinade before drying to kill bacteria

·      The major concern with canning food is botulism. Use a scientifically tested recipe and follow the instructions precisely!

·      Do not eat food items that contain mold or Mycotoxins. Besides for some hard cheeses, it’s not safe to remove the mold and then eat the food because there may still be mold spores that can’t be seen. The mold may make you sick and can build up in your body

·      Contrary to what many people believe, tomatoes are actually classified as a low-acid food; be sure to use a recipe that processes tomatoes safely

 

Our speaker encouraged us to try the many different ways of preserving the food items that we grow or pick up at our local farm markets, but we must do it safely.  She recommended that we sign up for the Let’s Preserve newsletter for additional information.

 

Home Food Preservation and Safety | Penn State Extension (psu.edu)

References.