Garden tips Archives - Page 55 of 98 - Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Coneflowers with aster yellows disease: Keep healthy plants, but pull diseased ones

by Connie Oswald Stofko Here’s a question from a reader: Hi Connie, Last summer we were warned about aster yellows destroying coneflowers. My coneflowers were all infected but I didn’t remove the plants from my garden. Now I’m watching them sprout and I’m wondering if I should be worried. Should I take them out now? Thanks, Eileen Welborn Buffalo Yes, if you saw symptoms of aster yellows disease last year on your coneflowers and you didn’t pull out and carefully…...

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May 10, 2016

Let’s clear up confusion on using bark as mulch

by Connie Oswald Stofko You may have heard that using bark as mulch is good because it provides nutrition for your plants, or that it’s bad because it eats up nitrogen making the nitrogen unavailable to your plants. The article Woof! No, Bark! clears up the confusion on using bark as mulch. This article is in WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners in Erie County….

Apr 26, 2016

Rain barrels & composters for sale, plus gardening tips for Earth Day

by Connie Oswald Stofko Just in time for Earth Day, a sale of rain barrels and compost bins is being held by Erie County and the Western New York Stormwater Coalition. This year, a kitchen compost container and a compost turning tool will also be offered. Orders must be placed by May 20. You don’t have to live in Erie County to purchase the items, but you have to pick them up in Erie County. There will be two locations…...

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Apr 19, 2016

lesser celandine in Buffalo NY by Mike Fabrizio

Get rid of lesser celandine– It’s pretty, but it will take over your lawn

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…...

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Apr 19, 2016

49-cent perennial sale starts April 22 at Mischler’s; see new offerings

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…....

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Apr 12, 2016

Arbor Day: Blight-resistant American chestnut, tree tours, choose trees for your garden & more

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…...

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Apr 5, 2016

pansies at Mischler's in Williamsville NY

It’s time for pansies! Yes, you can plant them outside now

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…...

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Mar 29, 2016

Yellow flag iris is invasive, plus more in this new feature from Erie County Master Gardeners

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…...

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Mar 22, 2016

Liatris spicata. Photo courtesy Ball Horticultural

Is it too early to plant liatris bulbs in Western New York?

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…

Mar 15, 2016

Change your yard to keep pests away; learn more at Jamestown Garden Fair

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…...

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Mar 8, 2016