by Connie Oswald Stofko The description of this yard on the Garden Walk Buffalo map summed it up perfectly: A lot of garden crammed into a tiny space. Bruce and Renée Adams of 533 Auburn, Buffalo, have a backyard that is about 36 feet wide but only 20 feet deep, yet they manage to squeeze in two ponds, a stream, a patio table and chairs, a hot tub and lots and lots of plants. I visited their home during the…...
Category: Annuals
Enjoy outdoor gardens every day of the week at Botanical Gardens; if it rains, see exhibits inside
by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you realize you can visit gardens every day of the week in Western New York? There are garden walks as part of the National Garden Festival every weekend through Aug. 2. Open Gardens continue on Thursdays and Friday through the end of July. And each day you can visit the outdoor gardens of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. I think a lot of visitors to the Botanical Gardens…...
There’s still time to plant annuals; new varieties available for Western New York
by Connie Oswald Stofko There’s still plenty of time to plant annual flowers in your garden or in containers. As I’ve said many times before, gardening doesn’t start and stop on Memorial Day weekend. If you like, you can choose the same annuals you use every year (with the possible exception of impatiens— not many garden centers will be carrying them this year.) But some people want something different. They like odd flowers that you won’t see in other gardens,…...
5 tips for shopping for plants this weekend in Western New York
by Connie Oswald Stofko This weekend is probably the biggest shopping weekend for gardeners. Our gardens should be dry enough to dig in by now, and by the end of May, the danger of frost should have passed, so we’re all excited to buy tender plants and put them in our gardens now. To help you get the most out of your shopping excursion, take a look at these tips. Decide what you want to get out of your garden…...
Update: Impatiens might do okay in WNY this year, or they might not
by Connie Oswald Stofko If this summer is like last summer in Western New York, you might be able to plant impatiens and have them perform well, perhaps into August, anyway. But there are still a lot of ifs involved, and there are certainly no guarantees. Margery Daughtrey, senior extension associate with Cornell University who co-wrote a fact sheet on how downy mildew affects impatiens, gives us an update on what Western New York gardeners might expect from impatiens this…...
Welcome Mike Weber Greenhouses, our new premium partner
Please welcome our new new premium partner, Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. Mike Weber Greenhouses is known for their Gardener’s Own™ brand plants that they grow themselves. You can buy these high-quality plants at their garden center as well as at Wegmans and at other independent garden centers. As you plan your herb garden, plan a stop at Mike Weber Greenhouses. They grow 95 different varieties of herbs. It’s a popular place for flowers, too– They specialize…...
Flowers for outside right now? Pansies. More cool-weather flowers available next week
by Connie Oswald Stofko In other years you might have been able to work the soil and plant some cool-weather annuals in your flower beds at the beginning of April, but not this year, said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. “It’s crazy,” he said.”It’s been too cold. “My advice for this year is to do your early plantings in containers.” Even if this past weekend’s snow has melted from your yard,…...
It’s time to start seeds for cool weather veggies in Western New York
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s time to start seeds inside for cool weather vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, said Julie Emerling, a grower at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Wait until the end of March to start lettuce and spinach, she said. They’re cold tolerant, but they can’t take frost the way that vegetables like cabbage can. Find out more about when to plant cool weather vegetable plants outside in this article from last year. It’s still…...
April 1 is deadline to pre-order in Botanical Gardens Great Plant Sale
Tuesday, April 1 is the pre-order deadline for the Great Plant Sale taking place at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. All pre-orders placed for the Great Plant Sale can be picked up at the sale Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18. Order online by clicking here, or call for an order form at (716) 827-1584, ext. 204. Plants will not be shipped and are only available for pick-up at the Great Plant…...
Grow tunnel lets you grow veggies during winter in Western New York
by Connie Oswald Stofko The temperature was in the teens this past weekend, but the vegetables in the grow tunnel at City Honors School in Buffalo are still going strong. In this video, Caesandra Seawell, garden manager, shows us how the grow tunnel can extend the gardening season, allowing us to grow vegetables in autumn and winter in Western New York. She describes how the grow tunnel was constructed, and it seems pretty easy. There have been some developments since…...