by Connie Oswald Stofko Just when your outdoor gardens are waning, indoor succulents and cactuses are adding color through flowers. Autumn is the time for these plants to bloom, said Elle Kreuzer, who manages that department at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Many varieties are blooming or budding now. Here are just a few. Lifesaver plant It’s easy to see why Huernia zebrina got the name of the Lifesaver plant. In the center of the flower…
3 tips to protect tomatoes from cold weather
by Connie Oswald Stofko Tomatoes like warm weather. They don’t do well with the cool days and cold nights that most of Western New York has been experiencing recently. But don’t worry; there are steps you can take to keep on harvesting! Tip 1: Make a mini-greenhouse This will work whether your tomato plant is a container or in the ground. Get a clear or translucent plastic bag that is slightly bigger than your plant. Slip the bag over your…
Help trees; scrape off spongy moth eggs
Now through spring, you can help protect your trees by looking for and destroying spongy moth egg masses, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Egg masses appear as fuzzy, brown patches and can be found on trees, firewood, lawn furniture and other hard surfaces. Each egg mass contains 600-700 eggs. To get rid of the eggs, scrape them off into hot, soapy water. The spongy moth (formerly called gypsy moth) isn’t native; it came from France. Spongy…
Keep your garden looking colorful into autumn
by Connie Oswald Stofko “We don’t do the usual; we do the unusual. We pride ourselves on that,” said Brian Olinski. That’s why so many people visit him and and his husband, Gordon Ballard, during Open Gardens. You will find plants in their landscape that no one else in Western New York has. And their “Bird Avenue Gardens” are big, situated on a double lot in Buffalo, with plants everywhere you look. But you don’t need a gigantic garden or…