Looking at objects in a different way– in this case upside down– can help you create unusual container gardens. Bonnie Bagwell flipped a glass light shade and used it as the base for this eye-catching container garden. Bagwell won first place for her design in the traditional category of the container garden competition at the Lewiston GardenFest, which was held Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23. The event also included a vendor fair, garden walk and speakers. The event…...
Category: Annuals
Questions on another voodoo plant and lettuce woes
Can you help readers with these two gardening questions? Gardening question #1: What’s the name of this stinky plant? I saw your post about the stinky plant. I think I have one, but it does not look like a lily. I was told mine is a voodoo plant. Last year, it gave me a beautiful umbrella effect. This year, it is odd and has a red flower in the middle. Today I found a ton of flies on it, and…...
Two questions from readers: million bells get brown, bleach on roses
Question #1: What should you do about million bells that get brown? Here’s a question from reader Jim Barbati: “Every year in mid-August my million bells begin to brown out on the underside of the plant. I think the cause may be white flies. Any ideas about how to control this? Thank you.”Question #2: Can you save a rose that was damaged by bleach? Here’s a question from Charlotte Luksic: “I sprayed my roses with water and bleach. Is there…...
Warm weather! What you can– & can’t– do in your garden now
Clean up your yard, but leave the mulch in place When the forsythia is in bloom, that’s a good time to cut back your rose bushes and take the mulch off your garden beds, said Dawn Trippie-Thompson, owner, with her husband Ken Thompson, of Thompson Brothers Greenhouses, 8850 Clarence Center Rd., Clarence Center. That’s a rule of thumb she learned in horticulture coursework at Niagara County Community College. Forsythias usually bloom in late April or early May, so even the…...
Impatiens are dying; choose alternative shade plants instead
by Connie Oswald Stofko For decades, impatiens has been the go-to flower for the shade. But now that a blight is wiping out these wonderful flowers, you’ll have to rethink your plant choices for shady gardens. Some garden centers won’t sell impatiens at all this year, while others will grow a limited supply but will sell them without guarantees. Don’t expect to find impatiens at all next year. What should you plant instead? A couple of local events can help…...
It’s almost time to plant cool-weather veggies in Buffalo area
You’ll be able to plant cool-weather vegetables soon, said Julie Emerling, who is in charge of herbs and vegetables at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. People know the rule of thumb is that you wait until Memorial Day to do most of your planting. That’s because for many of our plants, we need to wait until the danger of frost has passed and we have warm weather. The vegetables that we’re talking about today should be planted earlier because…...
7 great plants to create a tropical feeling in your backyard oasis
Want to add a tropical feeling to your yard? Here are seven plant suggestions from the folks at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Road, Williamsville. You can see some of these plants when you visit Mischler’s next week at Plantasia, which has a theme of “Backyard Oasis.” (See the related article for details on Plantasia.) Check out these plants to add a tropical feeling to your backyard. #1, 2 and 3: Anthurium, peace lilies and other indoor plants…...
Grow celery from the stump!
I saw this idea in several places on Pinterest and I just had to try it. When you’re done with a bunch of celery, you’re left with a stump. I used to toss that stump into the compost pile. Then on Pinterest I saw that you can use it to start a new celery plant. It’s really simple. Just set the stump into a small jar or bowl. Add just a little bit of water– about a quarter inch is…...
Carnation is the birthday flower for January, but it gets no respect
The birthday flower for January is the carnation, which is one of my favorite flowers. It has everything you could want in a flower– a beautiful shape, a wide variety of colors and a delightful fragrance. But some people look down on the magnificent carnation. “The carnation got a bad reputation,” said Maggie Wittmer, floral designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville. “There’s no reason to hate the carnation. That’s a bum rap.” In addition to being beautiful, the…...
Poinsettias are white and pink and speckled– explore new varieties
The traditional poinsettia is beautiful with its red and green coloring, but there are many varieties that you might like even more. You can see many new and nontraditional varieties of poinsettias at Mischler’sFlorist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Mischler’s grows their poinsettias right in their greenhouses in Williamsville. A new one is Picasso, which Yadon describes as “naturally airbrushed,” with shades of cream on red. One of my favorites is White Glitter, which is red with white…...

