by Connie Oswald Stofko Imaginative and lovely displays were exhibited at the standard flower show held by the Orchard Park Garden Club Saturday and Sunday. The theme was “Celebrating Our Town.” The show was held at Fox Run, a lifecare community (also known as a continuing care retirement community) in Orchard Park. At left is the first place winner in the “Dining in the Village” class, designed by Lois Fleck. The challenge was to design an informal, functional table for…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Some spectacular blooms are on display at the 105th annual Chrysanthemum Show at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Pictured at left is lava, a spider mum in fiery tones. “All of these are indoor mums,” explained Doug O’Reilly, horticulturist at the Botanical Gardens. “They wouldn’t last outside.” You could grow specimens like these only if you have enough light. You probably need a greenhouse, he said. Many of the…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you want a yard that is colorful but easy to maintain, take some tips from this makeover. As we promised, throughout the fall and winter we’re bringing you articles on the Front Yard Competition that was held as part of the National Garden Festival in Buffalo this summer. Today we’ll take a look at 80 North Parade St., designed by Elbers Landscape Service, Inc. Before the makeover, three yew bushes were planted to the right…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s easy to tell ourselves that we puny humans couldn’t possibly be affecting the earth’s environment. But puny humans polluted the Cuyahoga River in Ohio so badly it caught fire, and our own Lake Erie was once declared dead. We do affect our environment. That’s the bad news. The good news is that while we have the power to harm our environment, we also have the power to improve our environment! On 10/10/10, Western New Yorkers…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Here’s a peek at some of the approximately 400 varieties of ivy that you can see during the Victorian Week and Ivy Show that is running until this Sunday, Oct. 3 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show is brought to you in part by the Western New York Ivy Society. The Botanical Gardens houses the largest public ivy collection in…...
We received a question about our article last week on the Victorian Week and Ivy Show at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens: What is a tussy mussy? A tussy mussy is a nosegay or an herbal bouquet or a small bunch of flowers, explained Lee Schreiner, a member of the Western New York Ivy Society. Tussy mussies date back to the 13th or 14th century. A small bunch of flowers would be attached to the wrist or shoulder…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you think ivy is boring, you don’t know ivy. Consider: Ivy can be grown indoors and outdoors. It can be sculpted into topiaries small enough to fit on a tabletop, or grown into huge swags that drape across an entire room. Ivy is lovely by itself in a pot, but it can also be used in window boxes and flower arrangements. An ivy plant can live 100 years or longer. An adult ivy becomes a…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Plant exchanges can be a good way for beginners to get started in gardening. For experienced gardeners, plant exchanges provide a way to find good homes for their excess plants, and perhaps even find something new and unusual for their own gardens. “You tend to see a lot of the same plants, such as daylillies and black-eyed Susans,” said Peter Arnold, branch manager at the Eggertsville-Snyder Branch Library, who has organized the spring and fall plant…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko There’s plenty of room for the Thomson children to play in this huge backyard in the City of Buffalo. From left are Hunter, 11; Mackenzie, 5, and Evelyn, 8. The Thomsons shared their yard during Garden Walk Buffalo on July 24 and 25, and visitors were amazed that such a large expanse was located at 55 Hodge, not far from Children’s Hospital. The L-shaped yard extends approximately 180 feet away from the back deck, then actually…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Tulips, orchids and roses are flowers that people have enjoyed through history, and at times, interest in these flowers has bordered on obsession, said Amy Pickard, rare books librarian at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. She put together the exhibit “In the Garden: The Art of Botanical Illustration” in the Rare Book Room of the Central Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo. It is open during regular library hours and can be seen through Sept…....
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