LAGC Meeting Notes July 22, 2025

Club members assembled outside prior to the meeting for a group photo taken by Bill Goff.

Vice President, Marlow Madeoy presided over this evening’s meeting instead of Nancy due to the passing of her mother. 

 

Mary Jo Benedetti addressed the group about the need for additional volunteers to help maintain the Chapel Garden. Please consider volunteering for a week in August. The sign-up sheet was circulated amongst members. Please contact Mary Jo with any questions.

 

Rosemary Highman is stepping down as the LAGC Blog Coordinator. We thank Rosemary for her many years of taking photos and managing the club’s blog.  We appreciate the excellent work she has done. Please let Nancy know if you are interested in assuming the role of blog coordinator.

 

We thank Mary Jo Clayton for hosting the LAGC annual picnic last month at her beautiful home. We had a lovely time touring her garden after a delicious potluck dinner.

 

Mary Anne Kurtz brought irises that she received from Larry Grundler to share with LAGC members.  We could choose from “Vibrations” and “Queen Dorothy” varieties.  Larry Grundler also approached Denny with an offer to sell some of his irises to LAGC for $1 per rhizome which members can pot up and sell at our annual plant sale. Members took a vote and agreed to purchase the rhizomes from Larry. A couple of members agreed to take on the project of potting up the rhizomes to bring to the plant sale.

 

Claudia talked about the September 23^rd "Honoring our Past" celebration at the McCandless/Northern Allegheny Heritage and Cultural Center. Members have to register for the event. Please look at your e-mail for more information and be sure to adhere to the deadline.

 

Claudia explained that all LAGC members are invited to enter 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 award.  The club received 2 free seats for the event.  An anonymous donor gave 8 seats to the club to be raffled off.  Please complete a raffle ticket if you are interested.

 

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 set up or bring an appetizer or dessert. Please contact Claudia if you want to sign up or have questions.

 

The refurbishment of the sign at the Chapel Garden is underway. There is no plan yet for the rededication of the garden. 

 

Marlow spoke about the November 15^th LAGC Holiday tour and luncheon. Please hold the date on your calendar. Plans are being made for the tour at Phipps Conservatory to start at 10:30 a.m. The luncheon will be held at Monte Cello’s restaurant on Babcock Blvd.  More information about the cost will be relayed in the next few months.

 

The Penn State Master Gardeners Garden in the Park takes place on July 26th, 9am–1pm, at North Park's Trial Gardens (Babcock & Ingomar Rd).

 

We were reminded that we will not meet at Northmont church in August.  We will have a tour of  Beechwood Farms.  Please watch your e-mail for details and let Mary Anne Kurtz know if you plan to attend.

 

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.

 

Hostesses:  Thank you to Rose and Sue for being the hostesses for the evening. They brought delicious lemon bars, crackers and fresh fruit. The beautiful summery arrangement contained white hydrangeas, shasta daisies, rudbeckia, and coneflower. Thank you!

 Program – Lightning Bugs presented by Allegheny County Park Rangers

 

This evening the Allegheny County Park Rangers, Deaglan McManus and Ranger Zach returned to give another interesting talk to our club. Tonight, we learned about fireflies, also commonly referred to as lightning bugs. Despite their name, fireflies are neither true bugs nor flies; they are beetles. Globally, there are approximately 2,000 species of fireflies, with 170 found in the United States and 33 in Pennsylvania.

 

There are two common types of fireflies: Photinus: which is smaller, lighter in color, and glows at dusk and Photuris which is larger, darker, and typically appears after dark. The official state insect of Pennsylvania is the firefly, specifically Photuris Pennsylvanica. This designation occurred in 1974 because a 3^rd grade class campaigned to have a state insect. 

 

Fireflies have three main body parts: abdomen, head, and thorax. They possess compound eyes, six legs, and a structure known as a lantern. The lantern is the area where the chemical reaction of bioluminescence takes place. Approximately 25,000 fireflies would be needed to power a light bulb. Flash patterns vary among different species. Deaglan orchestrated a game with a few members and program guests to illustrate how fireflies find their partner by looking for another firefly with the same flash pattern.

 

Collecting and observing lightning bugs has always been a favorite activity for children.  The Rangers emphasized the importance of proper etiquette to keep the fireflies alive.  Handle them gently, avoid insecticides/bug spray on your hands when collecting, and use a large jar to contain the lightning bugs to allow an ample amount of oxygen. 

 

Although fireflies are considered to be in a vulnerable state there is an indication that their population is on the rise.  The key threats to the firefly population include artificial night lighting, habitat destruction, and the use of insecticides and herbicides. Deaglan said that to combat these threats we should use motion detection lighting in our gardens instead of leaving lights on all night, limit the use of insecticides, leave a small area of our gardens with taller grass, and don’t be too quick to clean up the leaves in the spring because it probably contains firefly grubs.

 

Our speaker mentioned that individuals interested in supporting firefly conservation can join efforts to track and monitor populations through initiatives like the Firefly Atlas. For more information, please visit www.fireflyatlas.org.  

North Park Rangers (left) Zach and Deaglan McManus

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.”  

 

July 23, 2024 Meeting Notes

 President Nancy Madeoy opened the July meeting asking members “What’s Blooming in your garden?” The resounding answer was EVERYTHING.  Specifically, members have the following plants blooming in their gardens: gladiolas, hibiscus, daylilies, shasta daisies, coneflowers, oriental lilies, hydrangeas.

There will be a meeting for the members of the 75^th Anniversary Committee on September 9^th. Claudia will give an update at our next meeting.

 

Dues will remain at $15.  Dues will be collected at the September meeting.

 

All the officers have agreed to maintain their positions on the LAGC board for another 2 years as follows: President – Nancy Madeoy,  Vice President – Marlow Madeoy, Treasurer – Denny Brown, Recording Secretary – Colleen Fingal.

Community Service Coordinator, Lynn Betts said that additional volunteers are needed to help maintain the Chapel White Garden at Passavant Hospital.  The signup sheet was circulated.  If you would like to sign up to help then, please contact Lynn Betts.

 

LAGC would like to have a new T-shirt or button to commemorate our 75^th Anniversary.  Nancy asked for a volunteer to coordinate the purchase of the T-shirt. Helen and Rosemary offered to get information from their contacts who have recently purchased T-shirts for their group.

 

Vice President Marlow spoke about the plans for the holiday luncheon. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, November 16th for a tour of The Kerr Memorial Museum in Oakmont.  Marlow is going to research the Oakmont area to find a restaurant for our lunch.  Please contact Marlow if you have any ideas.

 

Our hostesses Rose Kiselica and Sue Brozick brought a lovely flower arrangement and delicious cookies and strawberries.  Thank you, ladies!

 

 

Program ---"The Bald Eagle:  Return from Near Extinction” presented by Chris Kubiak

 

Our speaker Chris Kubiak, Director of Education at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania 

gave a very informative and eye-opening talk about what caused the decline of the Bald Eagle in the USA and more importantly what conservation policies and actions restored the bald eagle population from just thousands in the mid- 20^th century to its current healthy population today.

 

Chris enthusiastically began his talk by reminding us of how important the Bald Eagle is to the United States. It has a long history of being used as a symbol of strength and pride in our country and is featured on currency and bottles of alcohol. The Bald Eagle is a spiritual symbol to the American Indians. Also, the Bald Eagle is the only eagle species that is native to North America.

 

Chris spoke about the physical strength of the Bald Eagle.  It’s strong enough to crush the forearm of a human being by placing 250 pounds of pressure with its claws. Bald Eagles are at the top of the food chain. They are lazy feeders and scavengers.  They pluck fish out of shallow water and not deep-sea water. He suggested that we follow the Eagle Nest Cam’s around Western PA to get a live view of how eagles take care of their eggs and eventually their eaglets.

 

There was a steep decline in the number of Bald eagles in the 1940’s almost to the point of extinction. One reason is that many eagles were killed by hunters for sport or to collect the eagle feathers.  A second reason is due to the use of one of the first insecticides, DDT. The DDT residue washed off of farms and fields and into water ecosystems where the eagles began eating contaminated fish.  The ingested chemicals caused eagle eggshells to become so thin that the eggs didn’t produce eaglets.

 

This steep decline in the number of eagles caused the implementation of many conservation policies to try to prevent total extinction.  Chris credits Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” published in 1962 as being instrumental in saving the Bald eagle because it enlightened citizens to act.  DDT was banned and the Clean Water Act was critical in cleaning up rivers to bring back fish as food for the eagles to feed their young.

 

The Bald eagle population has continued to grow over the last 50 to 60 years due to the continuous hard work of environmentalists to improve the habit of fish and other wildlife.  In 2007, the US Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Bald Eagle from the endangered species list. Our speaker said that there is no longer a need to keep count of the number of Bald Eagles in the USA anymore because they are no longer a fear that they will be extinct.

Eagle parents are gentle & feed their chicks small pieces of fish.

Some young eagles without DDT were brought in to establish territories and next.