title for video Two Remarkably Different Looks Using Succulents

Two remarkably different looks using only succulents; how to keep them small

by Connie Oswald Stofko You can create remarkably different looks using nothing but succulents. In this video, you’ll see how to create two container gardens. One is an elegant, low-growing garden in cool blues. The other is a larger, wilder look in hot Southwestern colors. Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville, tells us about containers, describes why the succulents he has chosen work well together, shows us exactly how to plant the containers…...

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blue hydrangea in Western New York

Choose the right plant to keep gardening fun; hear author at PLANT WNY event

by Connie Oswald Stofko There are hydrangea plants that have blue flowers only when planted in acidic soil. In neutral soil, the flowers are pink. That means that if you want blue flowers and your soil is neutral, you have to add a lot of acid to your soil to get the flower color you want. You may be making more work for yourself than you want. “Ornamental plants should only bring you joy,” said Andrew Keys, writer, plantsman and lifelong…...

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oak leaf on pine needles

Take steps now to have great soil next year

by Connie Oswald Stofko A couple of simple tests can tell you what steps you have to take to improve your soil– or let you know that you are already on the right track. There are three kinds of tests you might do, said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. The first is a pH test to find out how acidic or alkaline your soil is. Farfaglia recommends that every gardener do this test at…...

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plant and seed exchange

Plant perennials now: Buy them, divide them or get them at plant & seed exchange

by Connie Oswald Stofko Fall is a good time of year to plant perennials. The weather isn’t as hot as it was just last week, so the plants won’t be as stressed. Since we’re getting more rain, it’s easier to make sure those new plantings are kept well watered. You need to make sure you water deeply so that they put down deep roots before the ground freezes. You can buy perennials in garden centers now, and those plants are…...

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oakleaf hydrangea Gatsby

Hydrangeas for every space, plus more talks set at Lockwood’s Fall Festival

by Connie Oswald Stofko When it comes to hydrangeas, there’s something for everyone: large plants and small plants, early bloomers and late bloomers, tree shapes and shrub shapes. For those of you who got tired of watering this summer, there are drought-tolerant varieties. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the many hydrangea cultivars that are available, and you can find out more at the Fall Festival to be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 at…...

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garden on steep hill in South Buffalo

Hill becomes focal point in South Buffalo garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko A steep hill that some people might see as an obstacle has become the focal point of Paul Sabato’s backyard. He shared his garden on South Buffalo Alive, a garden walk that took place Sunday, July 17. When he moved in 23 years ago, the staircase to the right was already there, but Sabato put in the rest, including an above-ground swimming pool. The soil was full of rocks. “You put a shovel in the ground…...

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gardens along fence in City of Tonawanda

Gardener brings plants from her family to husband’s fourth-generation home

by Connie Oswald Stofko Peter Kurtzworth is the fourth generation of his family to live in the home at 491 Morgan St., City of Tonawanda. When he married Judy four years ago, she brought pieces of her heritage to his homestead: plants from her former home, from her aunt’s cottage and from her mother’s garden. The Kurtzworths shared their gardens on the City of Tonawanda Garden Walk, which featured a nighttime tour on Friday, July 15 and a daytime tour…

garden on Amherst Garden Walk

Phlox and oriental lilies add fragrance, color, height & drama to garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko “My favorite flowers are phlox and oriental lilies because they’re fragrant,” said Ed Dinki, “and I love the color. Asiatic lilies are nice, but they’re not too fragrant.” You can get tips like that and see some amazing gardens when you dare to stray from the clusters of gardens at the center of a garden walk map and take a few minutes to visit some of the outliers. The Amherst Garden Walk, which took place July…...

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Garden mum 'Antica Bronze'

Trick to get mums to come back every year: Plant them now

by Connie Oswald Stofko Can you get garden mums to come back year after year? Yes, you can, said Ethan Waterman, manager of Waterman’s Greenhouse, 12316 Vaughn St. (Route 240), East Concord (Springville.) “Planting them now is the trick,” Waterman said. “You can’t take a mum out of the pot in October and shove it in the ground and think it will come next year. You have to plant them now to get them established so they make it through…...

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hose slowly watering plant

If you want to keep your plants healthy, water them properly now

by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s been a dry spring in Western New York, and now that summer is officially here, well, it’s still dry. Gardeners I’ve talked to all say the same thing. Thunderstorms that were predicted passed right by. Even when we got rain, there wasn’t enough to help our gardens. While the beach-goers are loving this weather, what we as gardeners should be hoping for is a good, all-day soaking rain, said Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s…...

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