Wildflower benefits touted at Green Gardeners’ luncheon
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Guests enjoy the Green Gardeners Spring Bazaar and Luncheon, held recently at the Historic Summit Inn in Farmington. The event benefits the Green Gardeners鈥� beautification efforts to plant and maintain flowers in downtown Uniontown.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Audrey White, Penn State Extension master gardener, gave the presentation, 鈥淲ildflower Wonders; Growing Nature鈥檚 Garden鈥欌�� at the Green Gardeners鈥� recent Spring Bazaar and Luncheon, held recently at the Historic Summit Inn in Farmington.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
The Historic Summit Inn in Farmington recentlyserved as the site for the Green Gardeners Spring Bazaar and Luncheon. The event benefits the Green Gardeners鈥� beautification efforts to plant and maintain flowers in downtown Uniontown.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Audrey White, Penn State Extension master gardener, gave the presentation, 鈥淲ildflower Wonders; Growing Nature鈥檚 Garden鈥欌�� at the Green Gardeners鈥� recent Spring Bazaar and Luncheon, held recently at the Historic Summit Inn in Farmington.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Toni Lozar, president, welcomed guests to the Green Gardeners Spring Bazaar and Luncheon, held recently at the Historic Summit Inn in Farmington. The event benefits the Green Gardeners鈥� beautification efforts to plant and maintain flowers in downtown Uniontown.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Toni Lozar, president, welcomed guests to the Green Gardeners Spring Bazaar and Luncheon, held recently at the Historic Summit Inn in Farmington. The event benefits the Green Gardeners鈥� beautification efforts to plant and maintain flowers in downtown Uniontown.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
Guests enjoy the Green Gardeners Spring Bazaar and Luncheon, held recently at the Historic Summit Inn in Farmington. The event benefits the Green Gardeners鈥� beautification efforts to plant and maintain flowers in downtown Uniontown.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|缅北禁地
The Green Gardeners Spring Bazaar and Luncheon, held recently at the Historic Summit Inn in Farmington, benefits the Green Gardeners鈥� beautification efforts to plant and maintain flowers in downtown Uniontown.
Hoping to convince people to reconsider the difference between a weed and a wildflower, Audrey White used the dandelion as an example.
鈥淵ou may see this as a weed. Other people see it as a wish,鈥� said White, of the bright, yellow flower that runs rampant in yards but is sometimes blown on to make a wish after the flower head dries up to distribute its seeds.
A Penn State Extension master gardener from Franklin Township, White gave the presentation, 鈥淲ildflower Wonders; Growing Nature鈥檚 Garden鈥� at the Green Gardeners鈥� recent Spring Bazaar and Luncheon at the Historic Summit Inn in Farmington.
鈥淣obody wants them,鈥� White said, 鈥渂ut I鈥檓 going to tell you some good traits about dandelions.鈥�
White explained dandelions are wildflowers, which are flowers that grow naturally.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e low maintenance 鈥� actually no maintenance when you come down to it. They require less water and no fertilizer,鈥� said White of wildflowers, noting, 鈥淭hey are less prone to diseases and tolerant to any pests because they鈥檙e native to the environment they鈥檙e in.鈥�
White emphasized the importance of wildflowers to pollinators, such as butterflies, birds and bees, which aid in fertilization, allowing people to enjoy fruits and vegetables.
She explained dandelions are loaded with nutrition: one cup of dandelion greens equals 535 % of the daily requirement for vitamin K and 112 % of vitamin A.
White said wildflowers can improve soil health, help prevent erosion and filter water: 鈥淒andelion roots can bring up nitrogen and other minerals, and can find water when no other plant can. They break up the soil, make it more viable.鈥�
Wildflowers are used for food, medical products and produce oxygen for cleaner air.
鈥淓ven our weather is influenced by plants,鈥� White said. 鈥淗aving lots of trees and plants, including wildflowers, in an area can moderate climates.鈥�
White explained planting wildflowers is easy: 鈥淚f you can grow weeds, you can grow wildflowers.鈥�
Get rid of grass by putting down cardboard. Sprinkle seeds and water until the plants are 2 inches tall. White advised searching the USDA鈥檚 Natural Resources Conservation Services plant database to find native plants.
White showed photographs of beautiful area wildflowers, including Star of Bethlehem, coltsfoot, purple deadnettle, Johnny jump ups, wild poppy, wild geranium, wild sunflowers, spring beauties and creeping charlie.
鈥淢any people don鈥檛 realize these weeds are often wildflowers because you rip them out before you give them a chance to bloom,鈥� said White, also recommending the book, 鈥淲ildflowers in the Field and Forest of Southwestern Pennsylvania鈥� to identify flowers.
鈥淕ive your weeds a chance,鈥� White said. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l be surprised by what you see.鈥�
The Green Gardeners鈥� bazaar and luncheon allowed people an opportunity to learn more about the Uniontown-based club.
Barbara Wright, past president, commented, 鈥淲e enjoy connecting with people in the community and letting them know what we do.鈥�
Toni Lozar, current president, welcomed guests.
鈥淲e want to say thank you so much for coming today and supporting our efforts. The mission of the Green Gardeners is to beautify the downtown area,鈥� said Lozar, naming city streets such as Main, Pittsburgh, Church and Five Corners where the club plants and maintains flowers. 鈥淲e hope when you drive through the downtown area, you appreciate the beauty of it as much as we appreciate bringing it to you.鈥�