Business Meeting
March 24, 2015
Mary
Ann welcomed a good-sized crowd on a hopeful spring night. The following items
were discussed:
·
Meeting
room rental—Bill will contact Northmont U.P. Church to finalize the 2015 room
rental contract. The budgeted amount is
the same as last year’s and can be adjusted as needed.
·
Last
month $45 was approved for North Park grove rental for our annual picnic; a $50
donation was made to the Town of McCandless History Museum. Denny has already
received a thank you from the Town of McCandless.
·
LAGC’s
65th Anniversary Party—Group photo to be taken at April meeting!
Claudia reported that UPMC Passavant Hospital Foundation President & CEO,
Fay Morgan, will attend and bring a proclamation thanking LAGC for the creation
and maintenance of the Chapel Garden for the past 20 years. The McCandless Town Council will also bring
a congratulatory proclamation. Denny
presented the list of invitees for the September 22 party which includes
Passavant representatives, McCandless Council representatives, a Pennsylvania
House Representative, former members, and speakers who have a long history with
LAGC. The invitations will include an RSVP so we have enough punch, cake, and
cookies. Mary Ann thanked Claudia and Denny.
·
Colleen
reported on the upcoming tour of Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens in Oakdale on April
11. The 90 minute tour starts at 10 a.m. and costs $10 per person. 18,000 bulbs have been planted for a
spectacular show. After the tour, you can stay until closure at 6 p.m. An email
with details will be sent one week prior to the tour. You must RSVP to Colleen so she can arrange the
number of tour guides needed. If you want to car pool, meet at the church
parking lot at 9:15 a.m.
·
Plant
sale May 16—so pot up your perennials (at
least 10/member) in the preferred 4-6 inch pots and label with plant name,
size, color, etc. Larger pots can be
used for larger plants such as grasses. Claudia suggested that we draw a sun
indicating light requirements. Mary Ann
went through logistics and passed a sign-up sheet and provided window blind
slats for labels. Anniversary plant specials are as yet undecided.
·
Various
sized pots from the late Joan Menes’ collection were offered for use.
·
The
raffle for a hanging plant ornament was won by Kitty Price with $30 proceeds
earmarked for the party.
Other: Mary Ann thanked Heidi
Sestrich and Anita Wagner for the desserts and arrangement respectively.
Program
Square Foot Gardening: a movie by Mel Bartholomew
was shown because our scheduled speaker had to cancel for family illness.
Square Foot Gardening requires gardening without rows by using 4’x4’ raised
beds marked in a one-foot grid. By limiting overall bed size, every square foot
can be reached without stepping onto the soil. Site the bed(s) in a sunny
location near the kitchen for optimal use. Beds should be spaced 3’ apart for
garden cart use. Place your wood frame garden box directly on the grass and
cover it with layers of wet newspaper or cardboard. Next add the soil mixture.
Make it fun with this method; enjoyment and beauty are paramount.
Take home points:
·
Benefits
of Square Foot Gardening: Easier to maintain with no room for weeds; Can hand
water as needed using sun-warmed water from a bucket; Can have more variety in
a smaller area with “added beauty to your life.”
·
For
child’s garden, use a 3’x 3’ grid; 4’x 4’ for adults; use untreated wood of any
size to create your bed -1x6, 2x6 or 2x4.
·
Use
a garden soil mixture of 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite.
·
Plant
the squares using one type of plant per grid box, but mixing flowers,
herbs, root vegetables, tomatoes, etc. in the same bed. Conserve seed and eliminate thinning and
weeding by planting at the suggested thin distance. One large plant (cabbage or tomato) in one box; medium plants
(turnips or peas) plant 12 per square - seeds 4” apart; small plants (carrots,
onions) would be planted 16 per square foot.
·
Grow
sprawling plants upward. Harvest
lettuce using outside leaves rather than removal of whole plant to extend the
harvest.
·
After
harvesting a box, replant it with something else. Remember crop rotation.
·
You
can order the book, Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew at www.squarefootgardening.com,
877-828-1188, or order@sfgardening.com.
Next meetings:
April 11 - Saturday, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
Tour, 10 a.m. Car poolers should meet at 9:15 a.m. at the church parking lot.
April 28 - “Pruning 101” by Sandy
Csikari.
Group photo
will be taken promptly at 7:00 P.M. outside church rear entrance on the
ramp.
Before April 25 – You must pot at least 10
plants for the May 16 plant sale.
