Garden tips Archives - Page 56 of 98 - Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Which was better for our gardens– this winter or last winter?

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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Feb 23, 2016

5 gardening lessons to learn from this ladybug story

by Connie Oswald Stofko Awhile back, some gardeners went to Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg, looking for advice. Every branch of their spirea had been coated with aphids. And if that wasn’t enough, now they had these new insects, ugly things. They brought some specimens in a small plastic bag and showed Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s. The gardeners wanted to know what to do. Should they spray the insects with some kind of a soapy solution or…...

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Feb 2, 2016

'Star of Holland' amaryllis at Buffalo Botanical Gardens by Stofko

What you probably don’t know about potting an amaryllis, but wish you did

by Connie Oswald Stofko I have a bunch of amaryllis bulbs in two large pots, and I would like to separate them and move some into another pot. I asked David Clark, nationally and internationally known gardening educator, for some tips. His first suggestion: Don’t do it. “Amaryllis likes to be root-bound,” Clark said. He told me that if I separate the bulbs, they may not flower this year. While I hear his warning, those bulbs have been crammed into…...

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Jan 26, 2016

There’s a new bug in Western New York and it might eat plants in your garden

by Dana Santasiero There’s a new bug in Western New York and there are two main things you need to know about it. First, the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is called a stink bug because when you step on it, it smells. Second, it could eat the plants in your garden. The good news is even though it is big and ugly, it won’t hurt you. You might find it in your house over the winter but it’ll just be…...

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Dec 8, 2015

Christmas trees suspended from ceiling Goodman's Niagara Falls

How to keep your Christmas tree fresh until February

by Connie Oswald Stofko Ray Crawley and his family usually take their Christmas tree down around Jan. 1, but last year the tree was looking so good, they left it up until almost February. “I guess it’s like a flower arrangement,” Crawley said. Since it stayed fresh, they decided to enjoy it a little longer. Crawley is store manager at the family-owned Goodman’s Farm Market, 2227 Cayuga Drive Extension, Niagara Falls. Here’s how he kept his Christmas tree fresh so…...

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Dec 1, 2015

autumn trees at sunset South Park in Buffalo

Is your garden ready for winter? Last-minute checklist for WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko I saw a few snowflakes fluttering in the air yesterday evening, but you may live in an area of Western New York that got some snow accumulation. And all of us gardeners have experienced cold temperatures. A lot of us were caught off guard by overnight lows in the teens and brisk daytime temperatures. Just last week we could putter in the garden without a jacket! While we may see some milder temperatures this week, winter…...

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Nov 24, 2015

Save those straw bales; grow vegetable plants in them next spring

by Connie Oswald Stofko If you are using a straw bale in your autumn decorations, don’t throw it away! You can grow tomatoes and other vegetables in it next spring. I saw photos of the technique called straw bale gardening on the Vegetable Gardeners of WNY Facebook page. I was delighted that Gina and Tony Kruzel allowed me to visit their Kenmore home early in October to see what they had done. They decided to try straw bale gardening because…...

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Nov 17, 2015

11 excuses to get outside and enjoy this warm, sunny fall weather in Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko What a forecast! For the next few days, it’s supposed to be unseasonably warm in Western New York, with highs in the high 60s– even 70s– Fahrenheit. That’s too good to miss. Need an excuse to get outside and enjoy this great November weather? Here are 11. Prepare for spring by taking photos of your garden now There probably aren’t many flowers in your garden right now, but that’s why this is a good time to snap…...

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Nov 3, 2015

street trees in autumn in Western New York by Stofko

Make the most of these wonderful autumn leaves in Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko This has been a gorgeous autumn with a wonderful display of autumn leaves. Now that those leaves are falling, let’s put them to use. Crunch them for compost or mulch If you have a lawn mower with a bag on it, it’s easy for you to crunch up and collect your fallen leaves. If you don’t have a bag, rake your leaves onto a concrete or asphalt driveway, then go over them with the lawnmower. That…...

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Oct 27, 2015

What does this mild autumn weather mean for Western New York gardens?

by Connie Oswald Stofko What’s up with this warm weather in Western New York? We can’t predict these things with 100 percent accuracy, but because of El Niño, it looks like we are going to have a mild autumn and early winter, said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Our winter may not be as cold as the two previous winters have been, “which would be nice for a change,” he added. We may not…...

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Oct 6, 2015