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.”  

 

July 25, 2023, Garden Tour of Sandy Csikari's Garden

LAGC had great weather and a great turnout for the tour of Sandy Csikari’s garden. Sandy has had a busy month of garden tours because this year her garden was one of the gardens featured in the Shaler Great Gardens tour and the Wexford Garden and Pond tour for 2023. Sharing her beautiful garden is nothing new for Sandy as she has been showing her garden for many years.  She proudly displays a plaque of her participation as a garden site of the Passavant Hospital Foundation Enchanted Garden Tour in 2000.

 Sandy and her family have lived in their home for 50 years and she created her garden 15 years ago at the site of her former swimming pool. She has applied the knowledge that she gained as a Penn State Master Gardener to create a lovely garden that gives her a lot of joy to share with other people.  She is now a retired master gardener and is referred to as a PSMG Emeritus.

 

It was a very pleasant evening as we strolled through the grass amongst the mix of perennial and annual borders under a canopy of mature 50 foot Oak trees. We were happy to see many perennial favorites In bloom such as daylilies, hosta, echinacea, blackberry lilies, arum, daisies, Russian sage, coral bells, and phlox to name a few. Popular annuals such as cannas, zinnias, impatiens, and gladiolus acentuated the pretty garden beds.  Some of these plants, in addition to her shrubs have created a Certified Pollinator Friendly Garden.

 

In addition to the colorful perennials and annuals, Sandy states that she has 20 to 30 clematis vines. Most were past their bloom time but we admired their lush green foliage winding up trellis supports around the garden.

 

Sandy’s garden features hostas in abundance — she has approximately 400 hosta plants!  She has some fun with them by displaying the hostas in about a dozen different groups around the garden and she gives the hosta groupings whimsical names. One name that made me smile is carnival with plants named grape soda, curly fries, cotton candy, ice cream, roller coaster and merry go round.  SciFi, Beach Party, Tea Time and Hollywood are just a few of the other categories where she has given the hosa groupings a fun name.

 

The garden also features a small water garden with water lettuce, papyrus and a few fish.  The circular ball fountain and bird bath are enjoyed by the birds and butterflies.

 

Just like many of our members, Sandy has issues with deer in her garden.  She uses Liquid Fence and is very happy with it.  She tried the motion detector system and says that it doesn't work for her. (She has a perimeter fence for the back garden.)

 

After members finished walking thru the garden, we took a break to relax and enjoy the beautiful setting which gave us the perfect opportunity to indulge in the delicious treats of fresh fruit, cookies and blueberry bread.  Thank you to Diana, Cindy and Linda for bringing the treats, water and arrangement.  The beautiful vase arrangement was thoughtfully given to Sandy.

 

As if allowing us to tour her lovely garden wasn’t enough, Sandy let us each choose a potted perennial which are divisions from her own garden.  A huge thank you to Sandy for her generosity.  It was a very enjoyable evening where we were able to talk and learn about plants from fellow gardeners. Thank you to Mary Ann who made the arrangements for LAGC to tour this special garden.

(Pictures by RoseMary except for mourning dove by Evan.)

Sandy greets the fellow gardeners.

(This picture of the water feature does not show how truly lovely it is. )

One of the hosta groupings, in this case the miniature ones with mouse in their name.

Passavant Chapel Garden mourning dove nest in Viburnum.
(Picture by Evan Fingal who spotted the next and its occupant.)

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September tour of Sandy Csikari's garden

Sandy gives a brief overview

On a pleasant September evening, members gathered at the home of Sandy Csikari to tour her beautiful gardens. Sandy Csikari is a Penn State Master Gardner who has spoken to our club in the past about hydrangeas. In 2016 her garden was a part of the Pittsburgh Botanic Town and Country Garden Tour. 

 

Sandy’s garden was established in 1988.  She has approximately 100 varieties of daylilies and 400 varieties of hostas. The hostas have been planted in pots, and buried in the ground, also lined with gravel due to the issue she has with voles.  If she did not do this, the roots of her hostas would be eaten, destroying the plant.

 

Sandy is using a variety of fencing materials to keep out the deer.  The one time she left the gate open, you could see where the deer got in and did damage.  In the front of her house, her plantings are focused on plants left alone by the deer.  There was Alyssum, Vining Vinca, Mums, various grasses, Zinnias, Irises, Wandering Jew, Lantana, Begonia, Perilla (a plant in the Coleus family which reseeds readily), Flowering Vinca which had reseeded itself from last year and liriope.

 

All of the hostas and daylilies she has were labeled for identification.  Sandy has a mixture of sun and shade gardens.  The gardens gave one a sense of peace.  In her many shade gardens she had Hostas, Ferns, Caladium, Toad Lilies, Coral Bell, Ligularia, Arum Itallica, Jack Frost Bruneria, Persicaria (this is kept controlled in the shade, easily pull out plants where not wanted), Elephant Ear, Astilbe, and Ginger among other plants too numerous to name.

 

In the sunnier gardens there were many Zinnias in Boom, as well as Dahlias and a variety of other flowers. 

 

For September, a very colorful garden.

 

If anyone has any ideas for October’s meeting, please get in touch with Colleen.  Unless we can come up with a tour somewhere, it is looking like there will be no meeting in October.

 

We are not collecting dues at this time due to the uncertainty of how next year will look.  This will be revisited early in 2021.

 

It has been decided that we will not be doing our usual Christmas luncheon this year.  It just wouldn’t be fun having to deal with all of the restrictions that are currently in place surrounding dining.

 

Due to the uncertainty of the availability of the church, we will not be planning a January meeting.  

 

Reminder that we are looking for a member to assume responsibility for programming.  You can partner up with one or more members to make it a little easier. Please contact Colleen to get more information if you are interested. Holding office or chairing a committee is a great way to get involved.

Rose Mary's photos below

 

Claudia & Jane

Debbie & Jeanne

Arum italic (orange spikes)

Sandy gave us a choice of plants from her garden

April 2015 Meeting Notes

Business Meeting

April 28, 2015

Mary Anne welcomed 31 members to our April meeting. She followed up on unfinished business from the March meeting before moving on to new business:

·        Northmont U.P. Church room rental fee and contract—no answer yet. Bill and Sharon continue to investigate.

·        LAGC’s 65^th Anniversary Party—club photo with new LAGC anniversary banner was taken by Claudia’s daughter outside on the church steps and ramp right before the meeting. The anniversary committee will meet May 28th 7 p.m. at the church. This includes all sub-committees.

·        Colleen asked for a date preference for the rescheduled tour of Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens in Oakdale; members chose Saturday, May 30.  The 90-minute tour starts at 10 a.m. and costs $10 each. An email with details will be sent one week prior to the tour. Your RSVP to Colleen is required so she can arrange the number of tour guides needed.  If you want to car pool, meet at the church at 9:00 a.m.

·        Plant Sale May 16th —bring your perennials and herbs to the church parking lot between 7:30-7:45 a.m. Remember to label plant with name, height, and light requirements. When potting plants, aim for a value of at least $2 per pot. Don’t forget to wear your green tee shirt. 

·        Garden-themed raffle will be held during the plant sale in honor of our 65^th anniversary. More than a dozen members volunteered to donate a garden related item worth $10-15.  Please package gift, place in clear plastic bag to protect from the elements, and deliver to plant sale with your plants.

·        Mary Ann thanked Ellen Dvorsky and Rose Mary Highman for the desserts and arrangement respectively.

Program

Colleen introduced “Pruning 101” by Sandy Csikari who is a Penn State Master Gardener. Sandy listed some of the reasons for pruning such as to ensure “good frame and structure,” rejuvenate, encourage more fruit and blossoms, increase airflow, discourage diseases, remove dead wood, and promote new growth.

Take home points:

·        November through March dormancy is the best time to prune. Exception—plants that bleed or have heavy sap flow such as maple trees and bushes that have flower buds such as lilacs.

·        Know what to want to accomplish before you begin.

·        Pinching out tips and spent flowers encourages bushier plants.

·        If rejuvenating, it’s better to cut out 1/3 of the older wood at the base over a few years than cutting off all wood at once.

·        If constantly cutting back, consider making a topiary.

·        Use the three cut method for removing larger branches that might tear down the tree bark. Avoid cutting into the branch collar. Leave no stubs behind.

·        Trees should have one leader (remove a second leader or shape a new leader from a side branch).

·        Remove waterspout growth.

·        Best pruning techniques leave healthy wood (no broken, rubbing or crossing branches) and U-shaped crotches. Cut just above the nodes (preferably outward facing).

·        Use sharp tools. Disinfect tools with 10% bleach solution or alcohol swabs. If cutting out diseased wood, disinfect after every cut.

Next Meetings:

May 16 - LAGC Plant Sale 9:00 am-Noon. Deliver plants between 7:30-7:45a.m.

May 26 - “Herbs in Containers” by Nancy Heraud

May 28 – 65^th Anniversary Committee Meeting 7 p.m. at church.

May 30 - Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens Tour at 10 a.m.

Car poolers meet at 9:00 a.m. at the church parking lot.

June 23 – Annual LAGC Picnic - Grant Grove in North park at 6:30 p.m.