Phipps Conservatory Tour & Holiday Luncheon, Nov. 15, 2025

Meeting Notes by Colleen Fingal, pictures by Dianne Machesney

President Nancy Madeoy welcomed members to our holiday luncheon at Monte Cello’s.  Vice President Marlow was thanked for organizing the tour of Phipps Conservatory and the holiday luncheon.

Marlow Madeoy at Phipps.

Linda, Amy, Cindy, Chris, Nancy, Marlow, Jane, new member Maureen

Vickie, Denny, Colleen, Laurie (Jeanne's daughter), Claudia, Jeanne, Linda

Bill, Rose Mary, Linda, Diana, Martin, Mary Jo

Marlow summarized the activities of LAGC over the last year and recognized members for their special contributions.  Mary Jo Clayton organized the planting of trees in North Park; Claudia Hickly for leading her group of volunteers in planning the 75^thAnniversary Celebration and potluck dinner, Amy Foreman for getting a new plaque at the Chapel Garden.

Treasurer, Denny, spoke about the donations we routinely give to the 4 organizations that are listed in the handbook: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Botanic Gardens of Western PA, North Area Environmental Council and Tree Pittsburgh.  Members voted and approved to give $250 to each of those organizations. In addition to those organizations, members voted and approved to donate $250 to the Latodami Nature Center and $100 to Northmont United Presbyterian Church.

The hostess sign up list was circulated to fill in 2 empty slots for hostess duty for 2026.  Thank you to all the members who volunteered to bring a dessert or an arrangement to our meetings. 

Rose Mary Highman is stepping down as the Blog Coordinator.  Chris Kerin volunteered to assume the position starting in January 2026. We thank Rose Mary for the excellent work she has done for the blog since 2015.  We appreciate your hard work and time! 

Claudia gave a quick update about 10 LAGC members attending the Shining Star Gala on November 1, 2025.  Besides for some audiovisual issues, it was a beautiful evening.  Members enjoyed a delicious meal.  It’s a great honor that LAGC was recognized by the McCandless/Northern Allegheny Heritage and Cultural Center as a Shining Star.

 

 

Program – Holiday Tour at Phipps Conservatory

The LAGC holiday tour this year was held at Phipps Conservatory for the Phipps Holiday Magic Tour. The theme for 2025 is “Wild Winter” and the display was a tribute to wildlife in the winter season. In addition to the usual plants, we think of during the holiday season such as amaryllis and poinsettias, Phipps had topiaries of winter animals such as reindeer, polar bears and overwintering birds.

Members began the tour in the Palm Court which featured beautifully decorated bird houses and naturally decorated trees with pinecones and winter greens. The Serpentine room theme is Under the Sea and features an octopus, turtles, and jellyfish swimming above visitors and a motorized clamshell which opens and closes. The colors of the plants and decorations are blue and green to give a feeling of being underwater.  The Gallery room has scenes of a cozy home decorated for the holidays. There’s a dining room table scene and a living room scene and features topiary dogs and cats throughout the displays. It’s amazing what the staff of Phipps can do with plants to make items look realistic!

The Garden Railroad features the “Age of Dinosaurs”.  The display has miniature dinosaurs; a waterfall and steam rising from lava rocks.  The succulent and rock garden plants complete the display which is enjoyed by children and children at heart. It was a very enjoyable time as we strolled through the Phipps Garden rooms and played along with the game of finding the hidden bird in each room dressed in holiday decorations. The special holiday displays were fantastic!  The glassrooms that did not receive the holiday touch such as the cactus room, Japanese garden and tropical forest did not disappoint.  These plant collections are still a wonderful part of the tour of Phipps Conservatory, and we enjoyed seeing them. We concluded the tour back where we started and took a group photo.

After the tour of Phipps Conservatory about 22 members met at Monte Cello’s Restaurant on Babcock Boulevard for our holiday luncheon.  We were seated in a separate dining room especially for our party. Members were able to select their meal choice from the menu. We all enjoyed our time spent with fellow members and talked about gardening or our upcoming holiday plans with family and friends.

It was a very enjoyable day.  Happy Holidays to all LAGC members.  We’ll see you next year for more educational programs and our annual plant sale.

The Dogs' Table.

Each room had a decorated chicken.

A tropical paradise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting & Tour of Native Gardens at Beechwood Farms, August 26, 2025

 After our evening tour of Beechwood Farms, President Nancy Madeoy began our short meeting asking us what native plants we saw as we walked the grounds.  Members answered with many choices such as Ironweed, Beebalm, Goldenrod, Common Milkweed, Joe Pye Weed, Black Eyed Susan, and Evening Primrose.

 Claudia reminded members to arrive at 6:45pm for the September 23^rd Honoring our Past celebration at the McCandless/Northern Allegheny Heritage and Cultural Center. 

 

The LAGC 75^th Anniversary Celebration will be held on October 28^th. Members need to sign up to attend the event which is being held at Northmont Church. The cost for members to attend is $22, which will cover some of the food costs and paper supplies.  A signup sheet was circulated to sign up to help clean up or bring an appetizer or dessert. Please contact Claudia if you want to sign up or have questions. The dress theme is the 1950’s.  You are encouraged to wear your pearls and gloves. 

 

Dues for 2026 remain at $15. Linda Brown will collect dues as cash or check in September and October. You can also mail your check to her.

 

We had a discussion about the opportunity to collaborate with Ingomar Garden Club and the McCandless Northern Allegheny Heritage and Cultural Center to have a garden tour in McCandless.  Members received an e-mail and were asked to vote on whether they would commit to volunteering to work on this project.  Claudia said that votes are trending towards “No” that members do not want to participate in this project. Claudia will send an e-mail with a final vote.

 

All 9 members that entered the raffle to win a ticket to attend the Shining Star Gala 2025 at the Camelot Event Center on Saturday November 1^st where LAGC will receive the Shining Star received a ticket. There is one free ticket remaining.  Claudia will send an e-mail to ask if any of the members want to attend.

 

Marlow spoke about the November 15^th LAGC Holiday Tour and Luncheon. The tour at Phipps Conservatory will start at 10:30 a.m. The luncheon will be held at Monte Cello’s restaurant on Babcock Blvd and will begin about 1:00pm. Each member will choose their meal off the menu and will pay by separate checks. Marlow is collecting RSVP’s. Please make sure to let him know if you have a membership to Phipps Conservatory.

 

 

Program – Tour of Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve with Roxanne Swann

 

LAGC members and several guests enjoyed a cool August evening touring the grounds of Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel. Our guide this evening was Roxanne Swann, the Coordinator of the Audubon Center for Native Plants. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve is a 134 acre protected area for wildlife in Fox Chapel and has served as the headquarters of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania since 1977. The nature reserve comprises woodlands, fields, streams and a pond. Our speaker encouraged us to take advantage of the more than 5 miles of walking trails which are open daily from dawn to dusk year round. The facilities at Beechwood Farms include classrooms, a natural history library, the Audubon Nature Store and the Evans Nature Center Auditorium.

 

We began our tour in the front of Beechwood Farms where the store and meeting building are located near a large shrub called Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin). Roxanne explained that this deciduous shrub is known for its spicy fragrant leaves, yellow flowers in the spring and bright red berries in the fall. It grows 6 to 15 feet tall and wide; requires filtered light, thrives in moist soil and is deer-resistant. It’s the host plant for butterfly and moth larvae, such as Spicebush Swallowtail and the berries are a good food source for the birds. 

Roxanne Swann collects tiny seeds.

Part of Rain Garden near entrance. 

The next area of interest is the rain garden which was built to take advantage of the water which runs off the roof of the building.  Instead of saving the water in a rain barrel, a drainpipe was installed to move the water directly into a depression in the ground.  Monarda, Coreopsis, Ironweed and Joe Pye weed thrive in the moist soil. 

 

We moved on to take a look at the small nursery where the Audubon Society sells the native plants that they grow from seed which is collected on site at Beechwood Farms and one of the other Audubon sites, Succop Nature Reserve. The facility was closed this evening, so we weren’t able to purchase any plants.  Around the side of the building is a garden filled with about 20 lavender plants and small fountains. 

 

We walked behind the building to see a large meadow which features many types of goldenrod, iron weed, jewel weed, Service Berry and many native trees. Roxanne said that the goldenrod draws in many goldfinches and cedar waxwings. The goldenrod flowers are some of the last to bloom and they have seeds very late into the season which are a good food source for birds.

The meadow area also has many common milkweed plants. One member posed the question about how the plants multiply.  Roxanne explained that common milkweed is reproduced by underground runners. She also cautioned us not to plant tropical milkweed because this plant blooms longer in the season which encourages monarchs to stay in Pennsylvania at the time that they should be moving on for their winter home.

 

We strolled the working area of the nature reserve where Roxanne and her staff plant seeds to propagate

A few of LAGC members shown touring the outside seedling area.

native plants to sell, plant in the nature reserves or give to other garden programs.  Volunteers are a big help with this project along with other maintenance of the gardens.

 

Our last stop on the tour was the education building. Roxanne explained that the building was built in the 1980’s using green building techniques that weren’t yet popularized.  There’s lots of natural light and the walls are insulated with straw which regulates the temperature so that it is neither too hot nor too cold to work in the space. The refrigerator in this building contains their seed bank and holds the seeds of 150 different species of plants.  The seeds are dried carefully after being collected.  They are put in plastic containers and kept in the refrigerator at 35 to 40 degrees.

 

 

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.