Garden tips Archives - Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Your spring plant shopping cheat sheet is here

Where to go, what to avoid, and how to score the best deals this season Story and photos by Jim Charlier The nurseries are open. The plant lists are ready. And if you know where—and when—to shop, spring plant buying in Buffalo Niagara can be an art form. A new article I put together at ArtofGardening.org, “The Smart Gardener’s Guide to Spring Plant Buying in Buffalo Niagara,” pulls together decades of gardening experience and tips from gardeners across Western New…...

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It’s time to start another veggie crop, plus more seed libraries

by Connie Oswald Stofko Our spring was so wet and muddy, you might not have been able to sow vegetable seeds. Don’t worry. It’s time for succession planting! You can actually plant vegetables in spring and again in summer. In our previous article, Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market explains what to plant and when to plant. It’s all spelled out so you know what vegetables you can plant in your area now. You can buy seeds at Urban…...

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Jul 15, 2025

How to stake a drooping flower, plus 2 more great gardening tips

by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you have a tall flower, such as a delphinium, that is drooping? Find out what you should do. Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca, explains how to properly stake flowers in a previous article. She also discusses how to choose plants that are healthy (yes, there is still lots of time to buy new plants!) and provides a tip on watering that will help you avoid flattening your…...

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Jul 8, 2025

gardens in different landscapes in Western New York

At the Celebrity Level, you could show your garden to the world

by Connie Oswald Stofko Your garden may not be extravagant, but I bet it’s interesting! You can tell the rest of us all about it if you are one of the two winners in our new Celebrity Drawing. This drawing is an exclusive perk for our paid subscribers at Level 3, the Celebrity Level. If you are a winner, I will come to your home, interview you and take photos, then publish an article about you in Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com! Do you wish…...

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May 20, 2025

Know where to dig! Call 811

You’d be embarrassed if your whole neighborhood lost their cable because you were digging and cut the line. Even worse, if you hit a gas or electrical line, people–including you–could be injured or even killed! It’s easy–and free–to find out where buried lines are in your yard. See all the details in this previous article…....

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Apr 29, 2025

Tips for spring from WNY Gardening Matters

“The primrose is one of the very first signs of spring—even before they show up in our gardens,” said Lyn Chimera, Master Gardener in Erie County. “I know spring is coming when the displays of primrose are in the supermarkets. “Given the proper growing conditions, these vigorous plants will multiply each year, adding stunning colors to the spring garden.” Use primrose in garden beds, borders and containers as well as for naturalizing areas in a woodland setting. You can find…...

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Apr 22, 2025

images from short cartoon movie from 1936 called To Spring

Dealing with a taste of spring in WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko How did you feel on Friday, that sunny day that hit 75 degrees at the airport? I have lived in Western New York my entire life, so I should know better, but to me, it felt like spring was here to stay. In weather like this, I always think of a cartoon, To Spring, that I saw on TV when I was a kid. It’s a lovely short cartoon movie created in 1936. A bunch of…...

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Mar 18, 2025

What to do when the easiest crop—garlic—fizzles

by Connie Oswald Stofko I had a poor garlic crop this year. Instead of large bulbs with separate cloves, I got small bulbs without any separate cloves. I don’t know what I did wrong. For years I have planted garlic with no problems. I think it’s the easiest food plant you can grow. John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County, concurred. “It’s hard to go wrong with garlic,” he said. Though garlic is usually easy to grow,…...

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Nov 19, 2024

Morning glories didn’t flower until fall? Give them poor soil

Did your morning glories wait until autumn to bloom? The Master Gardeners in Erie County received calls from people wondering why their morning glories didn’t bloom earlier, said Carol Ann Harlos in “Lessons from the Hotline” in WNY Gardening Matters. One reason the morning glories didn’t bloom earlier might be the soil. The plant likes poor soil. If the soil is rich in nutrients, the plant tends to put energy into leaf growth instead of making flowers. This article also…...

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Nov 19, 2024

How does climate change affect WNY gardens?

Our climate is changing, and it’s changing in many different ways, said Stephen Vermette, professor of geography at SUNY Buffalo State University. Some changes are beneficial to gardens in Western New York, but other changes cause problems. Here are some takeaways: a by Stephen Vermette Warming temperatures The air temperatures have been getting warmer since 1965. The graph below shows average annual air temperatures, as reported at the National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Greater Buffalo International Airport in…...

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Nov 12, 2024