First you notice the color, then you notice the fragrance when you visit the gardens surrounding the home of Barbara and Howard Sperry on Ashland Ave. in Niagara Falls. Sometimes Barbara likes to shake the lavender and other plants to better enjoy the aroma. The Sperrys shared their garden, along with many gardening tips, during the Historic Niagara Falls Garden Walk on Saturday, July 16. The event was presented by the Main Street Business and Professionals Association. Arts in the…...
The flowers in the garden beds are beautiful, but it’s the flowers painted on the lawn that get noticed first at the home of Karen and Bernie Farrell of 78 Brunswick, Lancaster. The flowers were painted by Karen, who has started her own business called Lawntastic, where she does custom painting on lawns. Their front yard was on display during the eighth annual Lancaster Garden Walk on Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17. Karen got the idea for her…...
When Jim Tarantino moved 22 years ago into his home at 1069 Eggert Rd., Amherst, there wasn’t much of a garden. His major concern was erosion in the part of the backyard that slopes down to what is now Kadimah School of Buffalo. He built the retaining wall and planted whatever he could to hold down the soil, happily accepting cuttings from other gardeners. In the photo at left, these lovely plantings are actually outside his fence; his yard is to…...
When it comes to gardening, “We’re only limited by our imagination.” That’s what Tom Carlucci tells the inmates he teaches at Wyoming Correctional Facility. Carlucci shared his own garden with visitors during the ninth annual Snyder-CleveHill Garden View. The event was held Sunday, July 9 in the the Snyder and Cleveland Hill neighborhoods. The garden walk was sponsored by Univera Healthcare and the Harlem Kensington Cleveland Community Association. Carlucci is a vocational instructor in horticulture at the Wyoming Correctional Facility…....
A new tomato this year is the Tomaccio, which has an intense, sugary flavor when eaten fresh or dried. Not only is the fruit supposed to be delicious, but the plant is a stunning specimen for your garden– it can grow to be nine feet tall! The plants at Lockwood’s Greenhouses are already four feet tall, said Teresa Buchanan, general manager. They’re getting clusters of tomatoes, too. But don’t worry, it’s not too late to plant, Buchanan said. In fact,…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Container gardens are great for decks, porches, patios, or anywhere that you need a touch of color. Mark Van Buren, owner of Zehr’s on the Lake. offers four tips for keeping your containers looking beautiful all season long. Tip #1: The “Hollywood pop and drop” For quick color, try the technique Van Buren calls the “Hollywood pop and drop.” Buy a large hanging basket and a large container. Instead of filling the container with soil, just…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Coleus is “probably one of the easiest plants to grow in your garden,” said Doug O’Reilly, horticulturist and head gardener at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. “That’s why I grow them.” A Coleus Show will be held from this Saturday, May 7 to Sunday, May 29 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Hours for the show are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults,…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A new frost-tolerant annual called Inticancha will be available at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville. “You can put it out in mid-April in containers or even in ground beds,” said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses. “It’s nice to get that kind of color a month ahead of time. “It’s nice to extend the gardening season, too. Here in Buffalo, that’s kind of important.” The Inticancha series is a dwarf alstromeria that…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko We’ve had a frost, but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon flower gardening for the year. You can stretch the season well into November with frost-tolerant annuals. While many people are familiar with mums and pansies, there are many more choices, such as the straw flower, seen here. “Many people have them as annuals during the summertime, but they don’t realize the straw flower is frost tolerant,” said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “As you can tell, I like the ripple of water,” said Jaime Pabilonia. He and his wife Linda have many water features in the gardens of “Waterscape,” their Youngstown home. “I was born in a place with a waterfall,” said Jaime , who is originally from the Philippines. When he moved from the Philippines, he chose to settle in Niagara Falls because the falls is one of the natural wonders of the world. Jaime and Linda,…...
© 2011 Buffalo-Niagara Gardening. All rights reserved.