Oct. 18--Taste of the Gardens

Gardeners always know the best dirt!

We rolled up our sleeves and dug in deep with the Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania for a Taste of the Gardens party on Friday, where more than 200 green thumbs were eager to aerate their support of this reclamation project that will transform 452 acres of Settlers Cabin Park in Robinson into a plantiful paradise.

"I've been with the Botanic Garden since the very beginning; when we met at Max's Tavern for meetings ... we met there quite a bit actually! But that's where it all started," laughed Frank Pizzi.

Embracing the green-is-the-new-black buzz, the usual three-car-deep valet line outside of the Jay Verno Studios was replaced by covered pedi-cabs that were uprooting us from our cars parked a ways down the street.

Now that's what we call pedal pushers.

Once inside, the first stop on our culinary adventure naturally began at the Aquatic Gardens for a cocktail to toast the end of yet another week of desk jockeying. Refreshed and on our way, the Veggie, Asian and Eastern European Gardens did a good job of tempting our taste buds, although we sweeties were eager to plant seed at the Willy Wonka-esque Children's Adventure Garden, where schools of Swedish Fish swam amongst a sea of cream puffs and cupcakes, lollypop trees, mountains of Hershey's Kisses and candy bracelet branches. Hellooo heaven!

Given the sudden plunge in temperatures that had us frantically digging for our cold-weather wardrobe collection over the past few days (who canceled autumn this year anyways?) it came as no surprise that garden goddesses were unearthing their shared lament for the poor plant life that has had the green shocked out of them by the recently cooling climes.

"It's as if we had two weeks of warm weather this year!" sighed Joan Bird with husband David Townley.

Weed it and weep sunshine!

Amongst those taking time to stop and smell the roses during this $75K bloom were board prez Matthew Sanfilippo with Melissa; Steven and Beverlynn Elliott; Bill and Lisa Worms; Patrick and Melissa Worms; Dan and Barbara Eichenlaub; Granger and Betty Morgan; Walter and Shelley Stoecklein; Lou and Kathy Testoni; Denise Lindberg; Dr. Matthew and Carmela DiAndreth; Chuck and Cindy Kelly; Howard and Marilyn Bruschi; Craig McDonald and Dan Catanzaro; Drs. Paul and Cynthia Liefeld; Doug and Kelly Goldstrohm; Pat Mangus; Joel and Mia Bernard; Paul and Kate Pigman; Keith Goldstrohm; and Richard and Eugenia Werner with daughters Stephanie and Carrie.