Volunteers beautify with blooms along the boulevard in Oakmont
A group of volunteers has major flower power in Oakmont.
The Oakmont in Bloom committee from The Garden Club of Oakmont plants and maintains 27 flower beds, 12 hanging baskets, nine urns, three hay baskets and three planters along Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont.
The boulevard project bloomed a decade ago when member Judie Beynon was inspired to make Allegheny River Boulevard even more picturesque.
Club president Lilly Fussaro helped to pull petunias in a flower bed Monday.
Decked out in pink shirts and jackets with their names embroidered, the ladies worked to make the boulevard pretty.
“We love making Oakmont special. People who walk by they tell us how beautiful it is. It’s happy,” Fussaro said.
This season, pink petunias were selected as the dominant summer flower for planting.
Volunteers plant flowers in the spring, maintain them all summer and remove them in the fall.
The committee has permission from the borough to maintain the flowerbeds and urns.
“The goal is to keep Oakmont beautiful and spruced up,” Beynon said.
Retiree Karen Schempp of Plum has volunteered regularly for almost two years.
“I joined when covid started. I love gardening, and they’re really nice girls. I like their diverse backgrounds,” Schempp said.
The club has about 100 members.
Watering the blooms is the biggest expense, Beynon said.
The club pays about $500 each time the boulevard flowers require watering.
“We water five times a week. Now we hire a water service,” Beynon said.
The club hosts two annual fundraisers, a luncheon held every November and a plant sale in the spring to raise funds to finance its efforts.
“Depending upon Mother Nature, I can call off the watering. But the cost for watering runs between $6,000 to $8,000 a season,” Beynon said.
During the holidays, the members decorate large urns in festive red velvet ribbons, complete with faux presents.
The Garden Club of Oakmont was founded in 1927.
The club is responsible for weekly floral arrangements and Christmas decorations at the Oakmont Carnegie Library and operates a biweekly Gardening with Seniors program for the residents of Presbyterian Senior Care in Oakmont.
The club designed the original landscaping at the library, said director Beth Mellor.
“It just makes the appearance of the community just beautiful. It gives you a tranquil and peaceful feeling. It’s amazing in this day and age they make time to keep the community beautiful,” Mellor said.
Other gardening projects include a fall cleanup of Allegheny River Boulevard and a cleanup at the Kerr Museum.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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