Category: Garden tips

Garden tips for the Buffalo area.

cutting from a coleus

Take cuttings of annuals now while the plant is in its prime

by Connie Oswald Stofko If you want to take cuttings of annuals to take inside for the winter, now is is the time to do it. Cuttings need to be taken while the plants are in their prime, not after they start to fade, said Lyn Chimera of Lessons from Nature. The coleus in the photo can be rooted easily placing the cutting in a glass or small vase of water. Tip: Cut off the leaves on the part of…...

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Sep 8, 2020
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daylilies after blossoms

Should you cut leaves off daylilies in autumn?

by Connie Oswald Stofko Local gardeners have been asking whether they can cut down the leaves on daylily plants. The flowers are gone, leaving brown stems. Some of the leaves are browning, too. It’s not a pretty sight. If you need something to do and you would like a tidier garden, pull out the brown bloomstalks and pull off the brown foliage, said Kathy Guest Shadrack, who does communications for the Buffalo Area Daylily Society. But don’t cut back the green daylily…...

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Sep 8, 2020
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blue bottles, painted allium and other garden ornaments

Labor Day is approaching, but don’t give up on your garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s September, a time when some gardeners give up on their gardens. But not Patti Zander and Bob Van Hise, who shared their gardens during the City of Tonawanda Garden Walk on Aug. 22. “Oh, I would never give up on my gardens!” Zander said. “We just live for summer. As long as things are alive, we’re out here watering and deadheading.” They have three rain barrels to help keep them supplied with water. No garden…...

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Sep 1, 2020
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series of photos of garden

1-minute task now will help you identify perennials in spring

by Connie Oswald Stofko In April, my backyard is nearly flat. Most of my perennials don’t reach their full height by then– if they’ve poked out of the ground at all. So if I want to know where I can plant something new, or if I’m trying to decide if that sprout I see is a flower or a weed, it helps to know where things are already planted, what those plants are, and approximately how big those plants get…....

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Aug 18, 2020
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seats under tree in driveway in South Buffalo

Don’t miss the last garden walk of 2020 this weekend in City of Tonawanda

You can visit gardens– in person!– during the City of Tonawanda Garden Walk from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. Friday Night Lights will be held from 9 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21. Pick up maps at City of Tonawanda Hall, 200 Niagara St., or at the City of Tonawanda Library, 333 Main St., City of Tonawanda. See more information here or call (716) 957-4177. A garden walk has never been held so late in the season before…...

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Aug 18, 2020
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Desmodium canadense or showy tick trefoil

What are the most popular categories of perennials?

by Connie Oswald Stofko What kinds of perennials are most popular with gardeners? Perennials that: That’s from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. These categories are so popular that the staff at Mischler’s has grouped perennials from these categories together to make them easier for gardeners to find. There is still time to plant perennials, and many are blooming now! Let’s take a look at an example of one perennial from each group. Attract hummingbirds If you…...

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Aug 11, 2020
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make rain barrel

See DIY video on how to make a rain barrel; enter to win one

Rain barrels are pretty easy to make, and this video with step-by-step directions makes it even easier. The video was created by the Western NY Stormwater Coalition in partnership with the Central Library of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Libraries. The rain barrel made in the video will be raffled off. To be entered into the raffle, click on the survey link in the Facebook post or go to the survey by clicking here. You can also watch a…...

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Aug 11, 2020
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garden directly under a large tree

You can garden in shade–even under a tree!

by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you struggle with shade? Find out how these gardeners created lush shade gardens–directly under large trees! The trick, the gardeners said, is using good soil with lots of compost. Note: Don’t pile soil up against the tree trunk and don’t create mulch volcanoes. See more here. “Make sure the soil is real good,” said Linda Monaco. She and her husband Chris live in Lackawanna and shared their landscape on Open Gardens last month. “In the…...

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Aug 4, 2020
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rocks and flowers installed by Busy Beaver Lawn and Garden

Before & after: How my front yard went from ho-hum to awesome

by Connie Oswald Stofko by Connie Oswald Stofko The part of my landscape that everyone sees– the front yard– was so plain it bordered on unattractive. (See the before images below.) I knew what I wanted to achieve, but I didn’t know what it should look like or how to make it happen. So I called in the experts at Busy Beaver Lawn & Garden and gave them a list of things I wanted to accomplish. That list included: Create…...

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Jul 28, 2020
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Asian longhorned beetle in pool

Look for signs of two invasive dangers to trees in WNY

Western New Yorkers should watch for signs of oak wilt and Asian longhorned beetles (ALB), two invasive dangers to trees. Neither has been found yet in Western New York, but if either is here, early detection could help stop the spread. You might also begin to notice tar spot, which is common on maples here. It’s ugly, but doesn’t damage the tree. Oak wilt Oak wilt disease is a fungal disease that affects both red and white oaks, but red…...

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Jul 28, 2020
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