Garden tips for the Buffalo area.
by Connie Oswald Stofko I’ve been noticing the pretty yellow blooms of lesser celandine all over my neighborhood. It’s pretty, but it can take over your lawn. Here’s an email I recently got from a reader: I have this weed and it is now covering my entire back yard and is headed into the front. I literally have one-eighth of my back lawn left. I have been digging it out for years and years and it just keeps multiplying. There…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko What are you looking for in a perennial? Something that works in shade? Is deer resistant? Attracts butterflies or humming birds? Find perennials in those categories and more at the 49-cent perennial sale to be held from Friday, April 22 to Saturday, April 30 at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko Arbor Day is coming up on April 29, so let’s take some time to talk about trees. Find out about the progress toward saving the American chestnut, take tree tours, choose trees for your own landscape and more. Blight-resitant American chestnut Before the turn of the last century, the eastern half of the United States was dominated by the American chestnut. Because it could grow rapidly and attain huge sizes, the tree was often the outstanding…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Pansies in blues, purples, yellows and oranges are displayed on long tables outside Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. The exciting word in that sentence is “outside.” “When we put them out (on display), we’re confident that they’re ready to be out, and to stay out,” said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s. “We usually put them out the first week of April, but this year we’re doing them a little earlier.” The…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You can get lots of well researched information in a new online-publication called WNY Gardening Matters produced by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners in Erie County. They plan to publish several articles online every month. They’ll let me know when new articles are available, and I’ll share them with you. Here are the first two: 1. “Invasives: Yellow Flag Iris” The yellow flag iris (Iris psuedacorus) is pretty, but it can get out of control…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Here’s a question I received from a reader early last week when the weather became warm and sunny: Hello. Can I plant liatris bulbs now? Or should I wait until the soil warms? Thank you. Linda in Tonawanda In case you’re not familiar with this plant, here’s a little bit of information about liatris. It blooms in summer with large flower spikes that attract butterflies. The plant is drought-resistant, so it doesn’t need much care. It…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Physical barriers such as tall fencing may be too expensive for you, and repellents that have to be reapplied may get pricey, too, said Nancy Jager, Master Gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Chautauqua County. But a relatively inexpensive method of discouraging pests is by modifying their habitat. Jager will present “Deer in my Dahlias, Voles in my Turnips: Preventing Wildlife Damage in the Garden” during the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair and Home Show to be…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko For the first time, shrubs will be offered for pre-order in the Great Plant Sale of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. In the past, some shrubs were available on the day of the sale, but this is the first time you can pre-order them. As always, wonderful perennials, annuals and grasses will be available, too. The deadline for pre-ordering is April 8. You’ll pick up the items at the Great Plant Sale. The days…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You can plant seeds indoors now for cool-weather vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage, said Julie Emerling, a grower at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Cool-weather crops are ones that you’re going to plant outside around mid-April, depending on the weather. (Tender crops such as tomatoes and peppers are planted outside after the danger of frost has passed, which is usually Memorial Day or the end of May. It’s too soon to…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Last winter was bitterly cold, but there was a lot of snow cover to protect perennials. This winter has seen some swings in temperature, which can be bad for perennials. I thought our gardens might have liked last winter better than this winter. Not so, say my gardening experts. “Definitely this year is better, hands down,” said Teresa Buchanan, Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Note that she’s in the South…...
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