http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news daily 1 2011-01-06T18:30:43Z http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2013/ohio-winery-and-botanic-garden-tour-offered-july-19-20 Get ready for a short jaunt west this summer for tours of the famous Bluestone Perennials and the Cleveland Botanical Garden! We will have a winery tour & tasting on Friday, and dinner under the stars accompanied by music! Additional nursery shopping opportunities and a docent led tour of Lantern Court will round out our trip. No publisher Susanne Warden 2013-05-16T18:20:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2013/2013-short-course-features-david-culp-author-of-the-layered-garden Creator of the gardens at Brandywine Cottage, David Culp is an expert on garden layering and perennials. No where is his expertise more apparent than the majestic display of plants at his Brandywine Cottage, a garden listed in the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Gardens and regularly highlighted by Martha Stewart Living and HGTV. No publisher Susanne Warden 2013-05-14T18:30:41Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2013/master-gardeners-offer-polinator-program-in-the-allegheny-county-courthouse The evolution of the existing planters in Allegheny County Courthouse Courtyard began in 2009 when these four raised beds were retrofitted and converted into rain gardens. Downspouts were diverted, the beds filled with healthy soil and drainage material and populated with drought tolerant native plants. All are conscientiously maintained by a team of Penn State Master Gardeners who would like to invite the downtown crowd to learn more about them... No publisher Susanne Warden 2013-05-14T15:40:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2013/allegheny-county-master-food-preserver-to-offer-workshop-series Learn to preserve food safely using up-to-date research-based information. Offered individually or as a set, each three hour class will be composed of formal instruction, an actual preserving demonstration, samples, and recipes. Your instructor will be Penn State Master Food Preserver Susan Marquesen. No publisher Susanne Warden 2013-03-28T20:45:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2013/philadelphia-flower-show-and-garden-tour Thank you for all your support! If you were unable to join us for this "Brilliant" experience, please check our Facebook page and future newsletters for upcoming excursions. Want to know what our 2013 Flower Show travelers will be doing, read on...Calling all winter-weary gardeners who have an itch for color and travel. Mark your calendar now for Wednesday and Thursday, March 6 and 7, 2013 when we will travel east to Philadelphia for the International Flower Show held right in the heart of the city, and the following day, a docent led tour of Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square. No publisher Susanne Warden 2013-01-14T16:30:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/fooled-by-food-holiday-everyday-strategies-for-healthy-restaurant-eating In a culture where a cheeseburger is cheaper than an apple, sometimes it is not easy deciphering what to eat, how much to eat, or even where to eat. Our nation is confused and overwhelmed with food. Unfortunately, the food industry’s misleading marketing has led to misinformed consumers, resulting in an astronomical prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. These diseases have crept into our children, escalated health-care costs, and done a number on our aging bodies. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-11-27T17:55:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/tucking-your-vegetable-garden-in-for-the-winter Now that the growing season is over, it is time to prepare the vegetable garden for winter. A little work now can help reduce next year’s insect and disease problems while improving the soil. Removing spent plants is a good first step. Getting rid of those plants helps eliminate overwintering sites for insects and disease-causing organisms. If you do not have a compost pile, fall is a good time to start one so that you can compost those spent plants – at least the healthy ones. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-11-02T17:55:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/agritainment-agriculture-entertainment-in-western-pa Growing numbers of consumers spend valuable time and financial resources shopping for fresh, seasonal and nutritious food for themselves and their families. This segment of consumers take the extra time to go to farm stands, farmers markets and even ask mainstream grocers to carry local goods.( USDA, Economic Research Report No. (ERR-97) 87 pp, May 2010) No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-11-02T17:23:46Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/pittsburgh-home-to-burgh-bees-and-americas-first-urban-community-apiary Interest in urban agriculture is growing and part of that interest includes keeping honey bees in cities throughout the United States. Building on this popularity, in 2007, a handful of Pittsburghers started with a simple but ambitious dream: to create a community apiary where city dwellers could keep honey bees, much like urban gardeners tend plots in community gardens. By the Spring of 2011, a once trash-strewn vacant lot in the Homewood section of Pittsburgh had been transformed into a beautiful haven where 25 honey bee colonies are tended by trained, committed beekeepers in the midst of a vibrant pollinator garden. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-10-03T17:57:22Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/pumpkins-pie-soup-or-jack-o-lantern...we-love-this-fall-vegetable October is here, bringing with it cooler weather, an extra hour on the clock and a wonderfully abundant harvest of fall vegetables such as pumpkins and squash. Pumpkins are an especially hardy crop, dark orange in color and loaded with both alpha and beta carotene. These micro-nutrients are the phytochemicals, or “plant chemicals”, needed to form vitamin A. An essential component in our daily diet, vitamin A promotes the formation of a strong immune system, healthy skin and clear vision. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-10-02T20:30:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/consider-lawn-renovation-for-drought-damaged-grass Although rain and more seasonable temperatures have returned to western Pennsylvania, lawns damaged by the very hot, dry weather in early summer may still need a little help to recover. Hot, dry weather is the bane of cool season grasses typically grown in northern lawns, including Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescues and turf-type tall fescue. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-08-25T14:40:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/preserving-your-harvest I had a very hard time deciding the topic for this article. There are so many things to preserve in July and August. Most herbs are at their peak; drying racks will be full. Peaches, melons, nectarines, and plums are in season. Your garden will be overflowing with summer squash, beans, cukes, and root crops. (Don’t forget that zucchini can be made into wonderful pickles, as can green beans.) I settled on tomatoes. What do you do with all of those tomatoes?! No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-05-23T15:25:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/trailer-and-vehicle-safety-addressed-in-joint-program-for-green-industry High profile fatal accidents involving improperly hitched trailers and equipment have increased police inspections and enforcement. A unique partnership among Penn State Extension of Allegheny County, the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Team of the Pennsylvania State Police and Cranberry Township has come together to help make sure your company, vehicles and drivers are in compliance with new DOT regulations and that trailers and equipment are being towed properly. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-05-07T16:03:21Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/loss-of-knowledge-exchange-impacts-farming-community At the turn of the last century, when over 40% of America’s workforce was farming, the farming community sustained itself through the passing of knowledge and experience from one generation to the next. Up-and-coming farmers looked to their relatives and neighbors for guidance and mentorship, and in turn, experienced farmers were well equipped with skilled and cost-effect labor to help run the farm. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-03-30T14:35:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/food-preservation-classes-offered Do you have more vegetables or fruit than you can eat? Are you interested in the learning how to preserve food safely? Extension is now offering a series of food preservation classes, using up-to-date research-based information. Each class will be composed of formal instruction, an actual preserving demonstration, samples, and recipes. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-03-20T18:45:46Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/2012-garden-marketplace-and-plant-sale The Garden Marketplace scheduled for Saturday, April 14th from 8am to 3pm will be free and open to the public as well as those registered for the Western PA Garden and Landscape Symposium. Plan to browse and shop at the Garden Marketplace for specialty plants and unique garden items. Access will is easy, as this year’s marketplace is located entirely indoors in the ice skating rink at Shady Side Academy Senior School, 423 Fox Chapel Road-Pittsburgh, PA 15238. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-03-09T16:16:23Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/rebecca-street-residents-will-see-yellow-this-spring On Saturday, December 17th, Allegheny County Extension staff and Master Gardeners joined a enthusiastic crew of 15 community members in planting 2,200 daffodil bulbs along the 800 block of Rebecca Street in Wilkinsburg. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-01-06T18:50:30Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/allegheny-county-home-to-first-community-apiary What do two Carnegie Mellon MBA graduates, a lawyer, a corporate pilot, a Penn State University communications professor, a Duquesne University professor of occupational therapy, a state wildlife biologist, an architect and the Penn State extension director have in common? Answer….. A shared vision to promote beekeeping as a vital part of sustainable agriculture in Pittsburgh and to establish this country’s first community apiary. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-01-06T18:30:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2012/inaugural-symposium-addresses-food-system-topics On Thursday, December 8th, 90 plus attendees gathered in the lecture hall of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium for the first ever Regional Food Policy Council Symposium. This unique event was hosted by the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC) which is comprised of diverse stakeholders, all employed in various sectors of the local food “arena”. The goal of the symposium was “Working Together to Strengthen Our Food Systems” with presenters sharing their past experiences and exploring aspects of forming, refining and implementing outreach activities that have been effective in addressing issues in their local food system. No publisher Susanne Warden 2012-01-06T17:00:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2011/south-park-demonstration-garden-receives-prestigious-award The Demonstration Gardens at the intersection of Corrigan Drive and McConkey Road in South Park recently received the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s prestigious 2011 Community Greening Award. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society recognizes greening and beautification efforts in communities throughout Pennsylvania. Nominated sites are evaluated on plant variety, design, use of space, and horticultural practices. The judges remarked, “This garden gets top honors for its educational component. Penn State Extension has done an extraordinary job educating the public by labeling each and every plant. A mailbox planted in the garden holds more detailed information on each variety.” No publisher Susanne Warden 2011-11-29T19:26:04Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2011/dining-with-diabetes-classes-forming-now Learning that you have diabetes can be overwhelming. There are many new dietary and cooking components to incorporate into your life. It can be difficult to know where to start. Dining with Diabetes, a program offered by Penn State Cooperative Extension, will help you master the life style changes you need to manage your diabetes. No publisher Susanne Warden 2011-11-29T16:45:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2011/2011-outstanding-performers-penn-state-extension-demonstration-gardens-in-allegheny-county Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County plant and maintain demonstration gardens in both North and South Parks. The primary purpose of the display beds is to showcase plants that perform well in local soils and climate with minimal maintenance. The plants are evaluated during the growing season and rated on a scale from 1 to 5. A rating of 1 indicates that the plant did not perform well and may have succumbed to death due to environmental, insect or disease problems. Plants that earned a score of 5 are considered outstanding performers. They bloomed throughout the summer until frost. They were not damaged by either insects or diseases, and tolerated fluctuations in temperature, as well as excessive spring and late summer rain. All plants are deer resistant, unless otherwise noted. No publisher Susanne Warden 2011-10-26T14:48:06Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2011/food-safety-for-holiday-meats It’s that time of year when plans are in progress for the upcoming holiday feasts. If you are the cook, here are a few tips to ensure a safe, delicious meal. No publisher Susanne Warden 2011-10-25T15:55:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2011/green-projects-associate-assisits-with-lawrenceville-urban-garden Last March the University of Pittsburgh's Office of Child Development (OCD) sponsored an Environmental Resources Fair bringing together local family support centers with staff from a variety of environmentally friendly organizations. For Suzanne Rubiano, a registered nurse from Family Care Connection Center (FCC) in Lawrenceville, this was the beginning of a rewarding collaborative effort that culminated with the installation of an urban "Tranquility Garden" behind the FCC at 5235 Butler Street. No publisher Susanne Warden 2011-09-29T20:30:00Z News Item http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/2011/green-innovation-festival-2011-draws-record-crowd Want to sway to the music of a solar powered DJ or zero in on the latest sustainable practices, Hartwood Acres was the place to be this past Saturday, for Allegheny County's Green and Innovation Festival. No publisher Susanne Warden 2011-09-27T15:45:00Z News Item