The roots of the Pucketos Garden Club are old and deep, branching out and reaching into communities. Its 73-year history reflects dedication and commitment. The club's ability to adapt to changing times while attracting new members has made it a viable and vital organization. While this garden club certainly does garden, its members provide other activities year-round that go beyond horticulture and conservation. The garden-therapy committee, headed by Marlene Hensel, provides and distributes arrangements and plants to senior-citizen high-rises and centers, nursing homes, district public schools, community organizations, shut-ins and just about anyone else "who needs a flower." The group works with senior citizens to make crafts from flowers, plants and other natural and artificial materials. They do crafts in advance of holidays. Valentine's Day crafts already are completed. Hensel and her committee of five lead arts-and-crafts sessions at Bayberry Court, Lower Burrell, and at Parnassus Adult Day Care Center in New Kensington. As an added treat, they give residents decorated gift packages, which contain toiletries and health and beauty products. Sharon Kuth, activities director at Bayberry Court, says the once-a-month classes help keep her residents bright and alert. The crafts classes help them make new friends and provide quality time with people who really listen. "I think they're great. Not only do they do a fantastic job, but they add another dimension to the lives of my residents," Kuth says. Sometimes, the women on the committee preassemble crafts projects or work on them in stages to help senior residents. The sessions have produced seasonal wreaths, centerpieces, decorated pens and Easter crucifixes that the senior citizens keep or give as gifts. These items have turned up at the New Kensington Red Cross and the Tri City Life Center and Hillcrest Alliance Church, both in Lower Burrell. Hensel says, "When I retired from teaching, I wanted to do something to give back to the community. I've always liked hands-on projects, so I took on garden therapy, although I did not know what all it entailed." Hensel, who plans to expand garden therapy to include Lazarus' Tomb in Arnold says, "I started this to help others, and I find I've received body and mind therapy." Club members also help students at Fort Crawford Elementary School in New Kensington with gardening plans. Principal Patricia Johnson is happy to have them. Johnson says club members are knowledgeable and have a great rapport with her students. "Not only do they learn how to plant, care for and maintain flowers, they (the students) learn to appreciate and respect them," Johnson says. Linda Brem, the club's youth-activities chairperson, is especially proud of the butterfly garden at the school. "The kids and teachers really enjoy and look forward to it. We have butterfly bushes and (butterfly) houses." Schools are so busy, Brem says, that her club feels fortunate to be accepted at Fort Crawford. In one recent project, club members and students planted 200 flats of flowers around the school flagpole. They also planted a patriotic pine tree in honor of the military on Arbor Day, which earned the club a certificate of recognition from the National Arbor Day Foundation. Brem said they also want to get Girl Scout troops involved as a way to earn badges. "When children are taught something in the dirt, they're amazing," says Brem, whose committee is planning other youth activities. Proposed projects include helping children from the Alle-Kiski HOPE Center pot plants for Mother's Day and sponsoring a fall-winter poster contest for elementary school students featuring Woodsy the Owl and Smoky the Bear. "Kids seem to have lost interest in the outdoors. We need to instill the importance of trees, plants and flowers in our children. To teach them why these things are important to the environment," she says. The club has even taken its cause to the little screen. Club member Judy Schaffer wanted to help others learn about container gardening when she wrote "Fancy Feet." The educational project was in response to requests for public-service announcements for a proposed telethon by the Alle-Kiski Learning Center in Arnold. Schaffer wrote a script, which turned into a five-minute video, featuring a simple way to garden in a limited space. "Using old high heels for a container taught people about gardening in a small space, recycling and what kind of flowers would do well in a shoe," she says. Schaffer, who would like to do more videos, says they are a fun way to introduce people to gardening and the club. The club's 72 members also explore educational opportunities to keep abreast of new techniques and products. Monthly guest speakers play an important role in the life of a garden club member. The focus might be on conservation, artistic design or preservation. Recent meetings and workshops exposed members to the wonders of glass-enclosed gardens, the diversity of mushrooms in Pennsylvania, and the history of the wreath and how to make one. But, it's not all work, work, work. Each year, the group takes a field trip to a historic site or a public garden. In October, members ventured to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa, tucked away in the fall-colored foliage of the Laurel Highlands. In December, club members and guests kicked up their heels at the Ballroom Snow Ball Christmas luncheon at the Brackenridge Heights Country Club, Harrison, where daring and adventurous dancers learned how to merengue. Looking for a few good thumbs The Pucketos Garden Club is about more than just planting flowers. The garden club does not actively recruit new members, but always is on the lookout for people who might be interested. Previous gardening experience is neither necessary nor required. To potential members: "You don't need to know anything," Brem says. "We'll teach you." Pucketos' activities Pucketos Garden Club members help plant and maintain flowers and shrubs throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley including: • Rachel Carson Homestead in Springdale • Tarentum Bridge Road in conjunction with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy • Arnold welcome sign • New Kensington sites include the Veterans' Memorial in Parnassus, United Presbyterian Church, the clock square at Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue, and Fort Crawford Elementary School The club also supports the Family Fun Gala, an annual event sponsored by the Alle-Kiski HOPE Center, participates in Community Days in New Kensington Memorial Park, assists elementary school-age children with planting and maintenance, and sponsors an Arbor Day tree planting in April. The club has memberships in 10 local, state and national organizations that support and promote conservation, gardening and preservation. Pucketos Garden Club meets at the United Presbyterian Church, 601 Fifth Ave., New Kensington. Messages for club members may be left at the church at 724-339-6618.