Garden tips Archives - Page 66 of 98 - Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Help a reader: Is there a trick to using soaker hoses?

by Connie Oswald Stofko I received this question from a reader: Is there some trick to using soaking hoses? The round black ones that are slightly smaller around than a regular hose are the ones I bought and they are made by Swan so that’s usually a good brand. I have a 100-foot perennial bed that I have been nagged about literally for years to put in hoses so I don’t have to spend so much time watering. I bought…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

Jun 17, 2014

Coleus can add color & height to shady gardens; see spectacular displays at Botanical Gardens

by Connie Oswald Stofko “The colors are breathtaking,” said Jeff Thompson, director of horticulture at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, talking about the coleus ‘Chocolate Covered Cherry’. “It will visually will stun you.” The colors in ‘Chocolate Covered Cherry’, which you can see in the first photo, are indeed mouth watering. A center the color of cherry candy is surrounded by a chocolatey brown. A thin border of minty green traces around the edges. “The color combination is…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

Jun 10, 2014

solid hand lotion made by Mike Weber Greenhouses in West Seneca NY

Keep your hands soft with Gardener’s Healing Balm from Mike Weber Greenhouses

You may notice that when you’re working in your garden a lot, your hands get dry. Jen Weber, retail manager at Mike Weber Greenhouses, had the same problem. “Working here and being outside, my hands cracked a lot,” Weber said. “I don’t like using greasy hand lotion. I wanted something that wasn’t greasy, but that worked.” Her search led her to make her own solid bars of hand lotion. “I used it last June and July and it worked,” she…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

Jun 10, 2014

tip for planting containers from Buffalo Botanical Gardens

Tips on color and more from my sneak peek at Celebration of Coleus & Color

By Connie Oswald Stofko Because Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com is the proud sponsor of the upcoming Celebration of Coleus & Color exhibit at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, I was given a peek of what’s in store–It’s going to be spectacular! I got to see some of the containers being prepared for the show and Jeff Thompson, director of horticulture at the Botanical Gardens, shared tips you can use at home, too. Mark your calendar: The show will be held from…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

Jun 3, 2014

Dangerous plant: Do not touch giant hogweed! It can cause severe burns and blindness

by Connie Oswald Stofko I saw giant hogweed in Niagara County several years ago. It was about four feet tall and I thought it was an overgrown Queen Anne’s lace. Boy, am I glad I didn’t go near it! Its sap, in combination with moisture and sunlight, can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blistering, permanent scarring and blindness. This is a seriously dangerous plant. The plant has been identified in every county in Western New York. See a…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

Jun 3, 2014

How to protect seedlings & sprouts when applying mulch

by Connie Oswald Stofko Usually I share tips that I hear from another gardener, but I’m proud to say I came up with this tip myself. My sister, Maxine Osiewicz of Clarence, was telling me about her big project for the weekend. She and her husband Bob were going to spread mulch on their garden beds. The problem, she said, was that there were some tiny lupine plants coming up and she didn’t want to cover them up with the…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

Jun 3, 2014

uperbells Lemon Slice from Proven Winners

There’s still time to plant annuals; new varieties available for Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko There’s still plenty of time to plant annual flowers in your garden or in containers. As I’ve said many times before, gardening doesn’t start and stop on Memorial Day weekend. If you like, you can choose the same annuals you use every year (with the possible exception of impatiens— not many garden centers will be carrying them this year.) But some people want something different. They like odd flowers that you won’t see in other gardens,…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

May 27, 2014

Get spectacular spring color without sacrificing summer splendor

by Connie Oswald Stofko So many of us are looking forward to the start of the 2014 gardening season, but Claudia Kolbe-Hawthorne of the Cleve-Hill section of Cheektowaga is already enjoying the third wave of color in her flower beds. First there were the hyacinths, which were followed by daffodils. When I visited her last week, there were masses of colorful tulips. But even after the tulips are gone, there won’t be a lack of color. The perennials, such as…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

May 20, 2014

Tomato Old German courtesy Terra Organic

Heirloom tomatoes aren’t pretty, but can be fun to grow

by Connie Oswald Stofko Heirloom tomatoes may look weird to you. They’re purple or creamy yellow or even striped. And that’s why some people like them. “From that angle, they’re really fun,” said Jen Weber, retail manager at Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. You can buy heirloom tomatoes now at Mike Weber Greenhouses, and if you want to plant them now, go for it, Weber said. She has checked with Western New York farmers and they are…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

May 13, 2014

How to find a garden center that has the plant you’re looking for

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately from readers who want to know where they can buy certain plants. Whenever you want to know what garden centers have a particular plant in stock, it’s best to contact them directly. While some common plants might be carried by all garden centers, you’d be surprised at how widely the stock varies from shop to shop. In addition, garden centers will try out new plants each year and stop carrying other plants…...

Monthly Subscription Membership Required

You must be a Monthly Subscription member to access this content.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in here

May 13, 2014