LAGC Meeting Notes - April 28, 2026

President Nancy Madeoy welcomed LACG members to the April meeting with a quote from the Farmer’s Almanac about the wonders of weather.

 Last year LAGC donated to Northland Library to have our club’s name etched into a brick. Nancy announced that the paver was installed at Northland Library.

 LAGC now has our own projector. Last month members voted to purchase a projector. Evan Fingal purchased the projector on Amazon for $350. He will take it home and bring it back to the church each month.

                                                  

Our newest members introduced themselves at the meeting: Greg Wilson, Mark Nelson and Cathy Rose. Welcome to all of you.  We’re glad you joined LAGC!

The club has approved the purchase of a supply of 12 new LAGC T-shirts to keep in stock for any new members. We will recoup the money when new members purchase their T-shirts.

 Treasurer Denny was notified that The North Area Environmental Council (NAEC) is dissolving and that their funds will be moved to the Pine Creek Land Conservation Trust. Denny was contacted by the NAEC to ask if we would like to have our $250 donation returned to us or if it can be donated to the Pine Creek Land Conservation Trust.  Members voted to have our donation moved to the new group. The Pine Creek land Conservation Trust is a nonprofit conservation organization established in 1991 dedicated to the acquisition and protection of natural areas in the pine Creek watershed of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and surrounding communities.

New Officers Needed!!

 Nancy reminded members that LAGC will need all new officers for next year. Please consider becoming the president, vice-president, treasurer or recording secretary. We need to fill these positions to keep LAGC going for many years. If you have any questions talk with Nancy or reach out to the current officers.

 Claudia addressed the club about the fact that McCandless Township is celebrating its 175^th Anniversary. Members approved a vote to purchase $100 worth of annuals which will be given away to our customers to celebrate this anniversary. We are hoping to be able to distribute red, white and blue flowers, if possible. Claudia has graciously donated small USA flags to be given away.

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 The 2026 LAGC Perennial Plant Sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 16^th. Here are some important notes which Mary Anne Kurtz, Plant Sale Coordinator discussed with members. You will receive an e-mail from Mary Anne about the plant sale. PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE ENTIRE E-MAIL with the most up to date details. Thank you!

• Please note all irises at this year’s sale will be in a special section. This area will include the specialty irises from Larry Grundler’s Summerhill Garden, as well as the irises which members bring from their own gardens.
• Please be sure to mark the top of the plant tag with the symbol of the light requirements for your plants and follow the handout which was compiled by Mary Anne and Andrea. Please use the revised handout that was emailed to you in April.
• Asian Jumping Worms are still a concern, so it’s suggested that plants be potted in potting soil instead of garden soil.
• Publicity is important for a successful sale.  Paper reminders were distributed to all members to hand to family and friends.  When you see the post on Facebook, please share it with your friends.
• Please bring as many plants as you can. The more plants we have then the more we have available to sell.
• Wear your blue T-shirt.
• Bring your gently used plant and garden items for the FREE table. 
• You may bring your plants to Northmont on Friday night before the sale at 7:30pm.
• New for 2026 is that at 11:30am we’re going to have a Buy One, Get One free sale instead of everything is half off.
• We’ve identified a few organizations that are willing to take any plants that don’t sell: Northmont Church, Bradford Woods Conservancy and Memorial Park Church.
• A group photo will be taken at approximately 8:30am when everything is set up.
• Mary Anne will send an e-mail with all the details about the plant sale. She has requested that you please read the entire e-mail so that you know what to expect on the day of the plant sale.

Hostesses

Thank you to this month’s hostesses! Linda brown brought the arrangement which was a beautiful blooming orange begonia in a lovely ceramic pot. Dianne Machesney dazzled us with her baking skills and brought delicious cherry pie bars, raspberry almond shortbread cookies and gluten-free Italian coconut cookies.

Beautiful blooming orange begonia brought by Linda

Dianne's delicious cherry pie bars

Italian coconut & raspberry almond shortbread cookies made by Dianne... YUM!

 

Program - Frugal Gardening: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle presented by Pat Morgan, PSMG 

This month’s speaker was Pat Morgan who is a Penn State Master Gardener and graduate of the Horticulture Program at the Bidwell Training Center. She has expertise in growing vegetables and fruits, especially figs in her own urban garden. This evening she came to talk to LAGC about tips on how to save money, time and work by implementing the concepts of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in our gardens.

Here are some of the takeaway points:

• Start with a good plan so that you know what you currently have to work with and what you want to achieve.  What kind of plants do you want to grow, what tools do you already have and how much time do you have to dedicate to building the garden and maintaining it after it’s established are questions to consider.
• Buy good garden tools – they’ll save time by making the work easier and save money because they’ll last and you won’t have to buy new ones.
• Choose your plants wisely.  Purchase the healthiest plants, choose the right plant for the right place; select drought tolerant plants to save time and money on watering.
• Save money by starting your own seeds or propagating plants; share plants with friends and neighbors or purchase plants at a community plant sale.
• Plant in good soil.  Start with a soil test so you don’t waste money and time applying amendments that aren’t necessary. Make your own compost and be sure to add a layer of mulch to save money and time on watering and weeding.
• Plant in any container that has drainage holes.  Find unique vessels at flea markets, garage sales or your own recycling bin.
• Learn to preserve the harvest by educating yourself on proper canning, freezing and drying methods.

We all know that gardening can be an expensive hobby because the garden centers have so many tempting, wonderful items for us to purchase from gadgets to plants! The trick is to employ some of these tips to reduce, reuse and recycle in your garden so that your garden can look expensive without draining your bank account. Many of Pat’s ideas also save time and work so you have more opportunities to enjoy spending time in your garden.