LAGC Meeting Notes April 22, 2025

 Vice President Marlow Madeoy presided over the April 2025 meeting because President Nancy was under the weather.  We started the meeting with what's growing in our gardens: Epimedium, Grape Hyacinths, Bleeding Heart, Iris, Pulmonaria, Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths

 Marlow wished members a Happy Earth Day!  Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22^nd to demonstrate support for environmental protection.  It was first celebrated in 1970. Arbor Day will be held on April 25^th and celebrates the importance of trees.

Kudos to Mary Jo Clayton for organizing our tree planting project! It was a huge success where LAGC members, family and friends gathered to plant 75 trees at the Horse Arena in North Park. The North Park Rangers and Jess with the Allegheny Parks Foundation did a fantastic job to make it a fun project. 

 

Mary Anne Kurtz, Plant Sale Coordinator, spoke about our upcoming annual Perennial Plant Sale which will be held on Saturday, May 17^th.  Please check the e-mail that was sent from Mary Anne for all the details.  Please bring as many plants as you can bring.  If you need more pots to pot up your plants then, contact Mary Anne. Please wear your NEW BLUE club T-shirt to the plant sale.  There is an option to bring your plants to Northmont Church on Friday night at 7:30 PM. This is helpful if you don't think you'll have enough room in your car on Saturday morning. Contact Mary Anne with any questions by e-mail, phone or text.

 

Our May program is a tour of Larry Grundler’s Garden. Larry suggests arriving earlier in the month to ensure we can see the irises in bloom. Club members agreed to move the tour to Tuesday, May 20th at 6:30 PM. There will not be a carpool from the church.

 

Larry Grundler will celebrate his 90th birthday in November 2025. The LAGC is planning to get a card for members to sign for him.

 

Treasurer Denny gave a quick report to say that he paid the few expenses from last month and we now have a balance of $2850. 

 

Claudia gave an update about the 75th Anniversary Celebration. Arrangements have been made to hand out annual plants and seeds to customers at our May plant sale. There will be a new plaque displayed at the Chapel Garden which will be paid for by the Passavant Hospital Foundation. The base which holds the plaque will be refurbished. There’s a possibility of a rededication ceremony in the Fall.  Also, it was decided that the table arrangements for the Member dinner in October will be a live pumpkin arrangement.  LAGC will buy the pumpkins.  Seven members have volunteered to decorate one of the pumpkins and bring it for the tables. 

 

Mary Jo Benedetti gave an update about the Chapel Garden and stated that the garden looks good, but she thinks it could benefit from some annual flowers. She is seeking some suggestions so, please let her know if you have any ideas about which white flowers would suit the garden. There are still openings on the schedule to assist with maintaining the garden. Please consider volunteering to sign up for a week.

 

Bill Goff did a quick show and tell and circulated a spring blossom from the Korean Spice Viburnum which he retrieved from the Northmont Church landscape.  The light pink cluster of flowers has a beautiful floral scent. LAGC has one of these trees planted at the Chapel Garden. 

Bill also talked about the daffodils which he brought for tonight’s arrangement.  He bought the heavenly scented Sir Winston Churchhill daffodil bulbs after Doug Oster mentioned them in his talk that he gave to LAGC.  Bill agrees that the sweet-smelling daffodils are worth planting in the garden for being so heavily scented.

Diana Berendowski reminded LAGC members to attend the upcoming Earth Day Celebration sponsored by Bradford Woods Conservancy on Saturday, April 26th from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Reserve in Bradford Woods.  Admission is free along with a free picnic lunch.  The highlight at 11:00am is a Birds of Prey Presentation. Enjoy the other programs and vendors. 

Hostesses:  The April table arrangement was another nod to Spring with Bill Goff’s sweet smelling Sir Winston Churchhill daffodils and purple hyacinths.  Chris Kerin’s delicious lemonpoppy seed scones, peanut butter cookies and pepperoni and cheese nibbles completed the lovely table. Thank you for presenting such a lovely table!

 

Program – The Importance of Native Plants in the Residential Garden by Kate Allen

Kate Allen is a Penn State Master Gardener with Butler County and a member of the Wild Ones, Western PA Area Chapter whose goal is to educate people on the importance of native plants. She came to our meeting tonight to explain the key benefits of native plants and why they should be included in our gardens. Native plants or those that naturally occur in a particular region and are well adapted to the local climate soil and wildlife native plants enhance both the environment and our suburban gardens.

 

Kate began her talk by explaining the definitions of 7 kinds of plants.

 

1.    Native – those that naturally occur within a specific geographic region

2.    Pollinator – a flowering plant that provides nectar and pollen for pollinators

3.    Cultivar – a plant that has been selected by humans for specific desirable traits; reproduced through cloning methods

4.    Nativar – a cultivar derived from native parents and bred for a particular trait

5.    Exotic – an introduced species; a plant that has been moved to an environment where it would not naturally occur; when people come to visit or settle, they bring seeds or cuttings with them

6.    Invasive – a non-native plant that establishes in a new area and can negatively affect the native ecosystem

7.    Noxious – a plant defined by a governing body or Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture that's injurious to public health, crops or livestock 

 

Kate spoke about the many benefits of why we should grow native plants:

 

·      Support native animals and insects

·      Water conservation

·      Reduced maintenance

·      Enhance biodiversity

·      Improve soil 

 

She encouraged the audience not to be afraid to plant native plants in our suburban gardens because they are beautiful, as well as beneficial to insects and the environment. 96% of young birds feed on insects. She said not to wait, but get started now.  It’s best to start small and consider the problem areas in your garden that would benefit from some assistance with new plants.

 

Native plants are more readily available in nurseries than ever before.  She recommended

Arcadia Nursery in Washington, PA, which specializes in natives and the Audubon Society at Beechwood Reserve.  The 2025 Wild Ones Native Plant Sale will be held on June 22, 2025, at the Allegheny River Trail Park in Aspinwall and will feature more than 45 species of plants. Lastly, she suggested prairiemoon.com as a good resource for native seeds.

Meeting Notes by Colleen Fingal, Pictures by Dianne Machesney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting summary February 25, 2020

FYI...Just got word. March 24th meeting is cancelled because of Covid19. Stay well. Wash hands. Keep distance. 

Colleen opened up the meeting by welcoming members and guests on a rainy evening.  A special welcome to our newest member Michelle.

Colleen announced the April and May programs.  In April, the program will be “What’s Wrong With My Plant.” NOTE: moved to Tuesday, April 21^st,  because of church building conflict.  May’s program will be a tour of Soergel’s greenhouses and hydroponics.

October’s program will be Carnivorous Plants, presented by Len Lehman.

September is still open, if members have ideas, contact Colleen.

Crocus, Snowdrops, Winter Aconite, Hellebores are all blooming in member gardens, and the spring bulbs have started to pop their foliage.

Check e-mail from Lynn Betts if interested in purchasing plants through the NAEC seedling sale.

The Landscape Symposium and Marketplace are being held at the Hampton Community Center this year, on April 25, from 8 – 3.

Reminder to members that as the weather starts to warm up, to divide and pot up your perennials for our annual plant sale, on May 16.

Vote was taken what to do with our excess funds.  The option to save some and spend some was the winner.  Colleen took notes and will send to board members first to vote on the most popular items, and then it will be distributed to the general membership prior to our March meeting.

Dianne reviewed the budget and made some modifications.  Further modifications will be made dependent on where the excess will be spent, and she will keep the membership updated.  As of the meeting, there was $4,491 total cash.

Rose Mary brought the lovely arrangement and Jeanne provided the delicious desserts.

Jeanne preparing the refreshments

Roxanne Swann from the Audubon Society of Western PA  

“Native Plants for Challenging Spaces”

Roxanne started by giving a brief overview of the Audubon Society.   There are currently 3 nature reserves, Todd Nature Reserve, Succop Nature Park in Butler and Beechwood Farms, which is the headquarters for the Audubon Society.

Roxanne Swann

Their mission is to connect people of SWPA to birds and nature.  Connection with nature will make people more likely to want to protect nature, and they do this through education programs, hikes, summer camps and making the nature reserves open to the public.

There are 130 straight species which are native to PA, mostly perennials, but there are also bushes, shrubs and trees which are native.  A plant is considered a native if it was here prior to European settlement.

There are challenges, especially in our hilly region.  Slopes, Erosion Control, Wet Areas, Small Spaces and Invasive Patches are the primary challenges.

Slopes can have a slight grade, or steep, short or wide with all types of soil such as rocky, woodland, wet or clay.

Most wildlife doesn’t use our grass/lawns for sustenance, which is why it is so important to garden with natives in our challenging spaces.  Also, once established, maintenance is reduced, as opposed to having to cut the lawn weekly, and it’s better for the environment overall.

Erosion happens when plants with roots are not there to avoid soil washing out.  Landslides occur and sediment ends up in our waterways.

By landscaping our Pittsburgh slopes, you help protect water quality, allow the rain to soak into the soil for deep rooted systems, provide more habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, reduce erosion and maintenance.  Your garden bed doesn’t need to be all natives, but add natives where it makes sense.

It is preferable to plant plants close to one another.  You can use a variety of groundcovers, and grasses to fill in large spaces.  Consider what the plant will do besides add beauty, such as provide habitat for butterflies, bees, bugs and small wildlife.  

Use a mix of short and weeping evergreens, trees, aggressive perennials and groundcovers to fill your spaces.

These are plants that do very well on slopes and are great for pollinators and wildlife.  They also may provide plant material to use in teas and foods.

Pasture Rose – Rosa Carolina

NJ Tea – Ceanothus Americanus

Indian Grass – Sorghastrun nutans

Juniperus Virginiana – ‘ Grey Owl’

Lyre-leaved Sage Salvia Syrate

Eastern Redbud – Cerrci Canadensis

Penstemon digitalis – White Beardtongue

Butterfly Weed – Asclepias Tuberosa

Plantain leaved Pussytoes

St John’s Wort – Hypericum Perforata

Little Bluestem Grass – Shizachyrium Scoparium

Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia Hirta

Wild Strawberry – Fragaria Virginiana

Witch Hazel – Hamamelis Virginiana

Spicebush – Lindera Benzoin

Goat’s Beard – Aruncus Dioicus

Wood Poppy – Stylophorun Diphyllum

Marginal Fern – Dryopteris Marginalis

Wild Geranium

Wild Ginger 

Plants for erosion control:  If you are going to terrace a hillside, it is best to do it all at one time.  Erosion will be reduced, it will reduce the amount and velocity of water and it gives the garden space a different feel.

Mistflower

Baptisia Australis

Running Serviceberry

Bee Balm – Monarda

Culver’s Root – Veronicastrum Virginican

NE Aster

Big Bluestem

Plants for wetlands

Black Willow – Silex Nigra

Winterberry – Ilex Verticillata

Buttonbush – Cephalanthus Occidentalus

American Elderberry – Sambucus Canadensis

Swamp Hibiscus – Hibiscus Moscheutes

Joe Pye Weed

Boneset

Swamp Milkweed

Helen’s Flower – Helenium Autumale

Blue Flag – Iris Versicolor

Turtlehead

Fox Sedge

Plants good for containers--when planting in containers, make sure they have drainage holes and use a good quality potting soil.

Shrub Dogwoods

Brown-eyed Susan

Blazing Star – Lieatris Spicata

Penstemon Digitalis

Great Blue Lobelia

Coral Bells

Some plants that are great competitors to some of the invasives that have entered our gardens, such as Japanese Knotweed, Garlic Mustard …

Wingstem – Verbesina

Oxeye 

Purple Flowering Raspberry

Green Coneflower.

Moraine State Park, Native Plant Tour

Longvue Acres Garden Club Tour

August 28, 2018

Lovely late afternoon/early evening for a Native Plants in Bloom tour in Moraine State Park in Butler County.  We were on the Butterfly Trail near McDaniel’s Launch.  Butler County Master Gardener, Mary Alice Koeneke led the tour for about fifteen of us. She has volunteered at the native plant/prairie section for years and is very knowledgeable about the origin, the planning, and implementation of native plant and habitat sections. Joe pye weed bushes, turtle heads, asters, ragweeds, helianthus, cardinal flowers, touch me nots, and others were in bloom. She noted we should come back in the spring for a completely different set of blooming plants. 

Calendar:

September 25, 7 p.m.—Meeting, “Designing Your Landscape,” by Martha Swiss. Please pay your next year’s dues.

October 23, 7 p.m.—Meeting, “The ‘Other’ Bulbs,” by Leonard Lehmann. 

November/December—Lunch, possible tour, tbd. 

Thank you to Helen Dean and Peggy Elizeus for their many years volunteering at the Passavant Chapel Garden. First pictures are from Peggy. 

Pictures from the Butterfly Trail Moraine State Park

Rose Mary, Janine, Mary Ann, Marlow at the beginning signage, example below.

Woodland sunflower, Helianthus divaricatus

Cardinal flower

Orange Jewelweed aka Touch me not.

Denny, Mary Ann and Janine on the trail.

Great lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica, and below

Tick trefoil species

On left, Mary Alice, our guide at the lake's edge, water and shore habitat.

Flora and fauna seen.

Mary Ann, Evan, and Colleen at the teaching gazebo intersecting with various habitats. Good selection of native plants around the gazebo.

Claudia looking closer for identification.

Turtle head blooming

New York ironweed, Veronica noveboravensis

Trail wide open except for one small section.

Marlow, Diana, and Colleen

End of the trail thank you to Master Gardener Volunteer and Guide, Mary Alice Koeneke.
L to R, Linda, Claudia, Jeanne, Mary Alice, Denny, Jenna, and Linda.

Thank you to Dianne for the plant names added to Rose Mary's flower pictures.