Featured Event: Gardening with Seniors
Yesterday, March 2nd, our theme was Waiting for Spring. The flower of the month for March is daffodils. We painted wooden picture frames and decorated them with foam stickers then inserted photos of daffodils. I had tons of daffodil photos for them to chose from so it took some time for everyone to make their decisions. The residents also made new name tags to fill in the time while the paint dried. It was a lot of fun. The project was the same at both facilities. When we use glass containers at Presbyterian Senior Care we have to adjust the project for Oakmont Center for Nursing and Rehab as we can’t use glass there. That’s why we have 2 different projects some times.
The Gardening with Seniors February 3rd project was a bouquet of multi colored carnations celebrating Valentines Day. Plastic jars decorated with heart stickers red ribbon were created at Oakmont Center for Nursing and Rehab. Quart canning jars were decorated with white lace and red ribbon at Presbyterian Senior Care.
The February 17 project was a celebration of Mardi Gras. Bouquets of silk flowers and other decorations were held in place by Mardi Gras Beads.
GCO Annual Plant Sale 2017
View Our Gallery of Oakmont In Bloom 2016:
Adult Swings
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The Garden Club of Oakmont was delighted at the turn out of our 2014 Garden Tour of Oakmont which was organized to help celebrate Oakmont's 125th Anniversary. We had a lovely sunny day and about 500 people
took the tour. Although it was not meant to be a fund raiser, we did make a profit. With the money that we raised we wanted to give something back to the community with the money that we earned. It was decided by the committee that we would purchase a set of adult swings for Riverside Park. The swings have been installed and are being used by many members of the community as well as out of town guests. They offer a great place to relax and enjoy the cool breezes and the view of the Allegheny River and the Hulton Bridge. Our committee did an amazing job of organizing the tour and all the publicity that helped make it such am wonderful success. A great big thank you to all who attended the tour and all the community members who supported us and especially those who let us tour their amazing gardens. |
GCO at Oakmont Center for Nursing & Rehab
In the spring our Gardening with Seniors committee was approached by Matt Tack, the new director at the Oakmont Center for Nursing and Rehab. He was looking for ways to improve the life of the residents through gardening and community interaction. After several meetings we decided to concentrate on making the courtyard and patio a better place for residents and their families to relax and enjoy being outside away from the nursing home atmosphere.
Many Garden Club members as well as community members made donations including plants, birdfeeders, wind chimes, shepherds' hooks, a bakers rack and a table and chairs set as well as pot "Klips", compost and many pots. We went to work on a plan designed by Master Gardener Kaye Forbes to make the patio and adjoining gardens the centerpiece of the courtyard. Matt and his staff did the heavy digging and planted many cannas along the chain link fence. They also repainted the tables and chairs and made a flag decoration for the wall.
Many Garden Club members as well as community members made donations including plants, birdfeeders, wind chimes, shepherds' hooks, a bakers rack and a table and chairs set as well as pot "Klips", compost and many pots. We went to work on a plan designed by Master Gardener Kaye Forbes to make the patio and adjoining gardens the centerpiece of the courtyard. Matt and his staff did the heavy digging and planted many cannas along the chain link fence. They also repainted the tables and chairs and made a flag decoration for the wall.
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Our members and some very helpful family members planted the two expanded gardens adjacent to the patio as well as many pots. We hung plants on the fence and positioned more by the benches and on the Bakers Rack.
It has been very rewarding to see residents, family members and staff enjoying the outdoor space. This fall we will extend our garden therapy program to include 20 residents at the Oakmont Center for Nursing and Rehab. It will be similar to the program we have been doing for 30 residents at Presbyterian Senior Care. |
First Meeting 2014 - 2015:
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September Meeting and Luncheon:
We officially kicked off our 2014-15 year with our September meeting and luncheon. Randy Soergel from Soergel's Greenhouses was our speaker. He brought many plants and bulbs to share as well as apples. He had many garden tips for fall to share with us. Fall is the time for planting bulbs that will brighten your yard in the Spring. If you have trouble with deer munching on your tulips plant allium bulbs among your tulips. The allium blooms will add interesting variety to your garden and help to keep the deer away from your tulips. Randy brought Paula Red apples and plants to share with us including a beautiful re-blooming azalea. The apples Randy gave us were beautiful red apples with a few green spots. Randy explained that the green spots are places where the leaves kept the sun from hitting the apple's skin. A fun project to do with kids would be to put their names on the apples with stick on letters and let the sun create the outline. We are currently very busy getting ready for our annual November Luncheon which will be on Wednesday, November 19th. Reservations are currently being taken for the November luncheon. The cost is $35.00. You can make a reservation by calling Ann Galm at 412-517-8996. More information will be posted soon. |
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Gardening with Seniors Program:
Gardening with Seniors has been one of the greatest strengths of the
Garden Club of Oakmont. It is a bi-weekly program in the spring and fall
that brings therapeutic and fun gardening and flower arranging projects
to the residents of Presbyterian Senior Care, many of whom were Garden
Club members themselves.
Our Gardening with Seniors Committee had a great Fall session with the residents at Presbyterian Senior Care. Because of expanded interest in our programs and we now prepare for 25 residents at each session. Besides our gardening projects, we also enjoyed entertainment, snacks, and playing garden Bingo. |
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Slideshows from past events:
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2014 Dark Hollow Woods
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2014 Garden Tour
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2014 Plant Sale
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We are currently busy preparing for our annual PLANT SALE to be held on Saturday, May 10th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm in Hoffstot's parking lot. Just in time for Mother's Day gift giving, a wonderful selection of hanging baskets and bedding plants will be available. The always popular From Our Own Gardens offerings of perennials will also be available . Our lettuce and herb bowls, planted by our members as well as one -of-a kind flowering containers will spruce up any porch or patio. Once again we will have the Garden Stones bearing words such as OAKMONT, VERONA, a pet's name or any wording of your choice. The proceeds from the sale benefit Oakmont in Bloom, our Club's beautification program consisting of hanging baskets, hay racks, and annual beds through out the business corridor.
In honor of Oakmont's 125th Anniversary the borough will be giving away Oak seedlings. These will be distributed at our plant sale. Tickets for our Garden Tour scheduled for Sunday June 29th will be available for purchase as well. |
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