by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you think Halloween monsters are horrible? Here’s something more horrible: throwing a jack-‘o-lantern into the trash! When you’re done with your pumpkin, compost it. You can smash it, too. It’s quite entertaining! Before you place your rotting pumpkin in your compost bin, you need to get it into smaller parts so it will decompose more quickly. You could use a knife, but smashing it on a hard surface is faster, easier and more fun. Remember…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko What happens when you rake leaves in fall? That’s what Max Ferlauto, a Maryland State entomologist, wanted to find out. In particular, he wanted to explore what happens to insects in the soil, according to this article from the College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland. Ferlauto was one of the researchers who wanted to answer this question: If you remove the leaves from a lawn in autumn, would that reduce…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Although this garden isn’t particularly large, it appears spacious because of the many plants and decorative items throughout the area. I had the pleasure to visit the landscape of Terry and Mike Brummett in July. Terry was one of the two winners in our Celebrity Level drawing earlier this year, and I enjoyed what they have created. Tip: If you want a chance of being featured in Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com next year, sign up for the Celebrity Level…....
The October edition of Diggin In newsletter includes an essay on resilience in gardening, an introduction into galls and a garden checklist. Diggin In is published by the Master Gardeners in Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. by Lydia Fernandez, Master Gardener Volunteer As gardeners, one of the most important things we grow is resilience. Season after season, we learn, we adapt and we try again. Whether we see ourselves as optimists or pessimists in life, we are hopeful in…...
Cornell Cooperative Extension offers home and water testing services through Lozier Environmental Consulting. Water testing services have been moved from weekly to monthly pickup. This will continue through autumn and winter. Water samples will now be processed on the first Tuesday of each month. Water samples need to be at the Cooperative Extension office, 28 Parkside Dr., Ellicottville, by 9 a.m. that day. Water testing kits are available for pickup in the Cooperative Extension Cattaraugus office during business hours of 9…...
Two native species of trees, sassafras and spicebush, are at risk of an invasive fungal disease called laurel wilt. The disease has been detected on Long Island. It’s the first detection of the disease in New York State. Note: Mountain laurel, despite its name, is not in the same family and isn’t impacted by the disease. Also, spicebush is relatively small; it can be grouped as a shrub or as a small tree. The groups working on this are: Why we don’t want…...
Was your house roasting during the 80- and 90-degree days? Did your energy bill go sky high? Take this tip from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Plant a tree. Once it grows tall enough, a tree placed on the west or northwest side of a house can provide critical shade during the hottest times of day. This lowers the temperature inside the house and can reduce your cooling bill by up to 35 percent! To bring energy savings…...
Are you interested in helping your community adapt to our changing environment? Become a Cornell Climate Steward! Cornell Cooperative Extension in Cattaraugus County will participate in the statewide Cornell Climate Stewards program. Volunteers will be trained, then they will work on local climate change projects. Previous projects have included organizing a public education event, hosting repair cafes and supporting local task force initiatives – there are many options to choose from. Cornell Cooperative Extension in Cattaraugus County is taking applications…...
The good news is that we haven’t seen an Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in Western New York. The bad news is that this invasive insect kills maples and other broad-leafed trees. That’s not good for our street trees–or for our forests. And it could wipe out the maple industry. The good news is that you can help by watching for the ALB; it’s active now. This quick video gives you the high points. Get a fact sheet with photos here…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko It comes down to this: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn’t want to stop climate change. In fact, EPA now wants to make a change that would block EPA from fighting climate change. It’s complicated. Let’s take it step by step. What’s this all about? There’s this thing called the “endangerment finding.” It’s a 2009 EPA rule that officially says greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide from cars and power plants) are dangerous to people’s health…...
© 2025 Buffalo-Niagara Gardening. All rights reserved.