Bring fish in for winter or leave in pond? Arbordale offers tips

In Western New York, should you bring your fish inside for the winter or leave them in your pond? That’s one of the questions Jeff Salmon, president of Arbordale Nurseries & Landscaping, will discuss during presentations on closing your pond for the winter. A free class will be held at Arbodale, 480 Dodge Rd.,  Getzville. The class is about 45 minutes long and will cover what to do with pond equipment, fish care, cleaning, plant care and more. It is…...

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Now is the time to plant cold tolerant annuals, spring bulbs

You can add color to your autumn garden now with cold tolerant annuals. You can find many varieties, grown on site, at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Amherst. Winter pansies, seen here, are popular. They’re frost tolerant and capable of withstanding our unpredictable fall weather. If you plant them in containers, they’re annuals, but if you plant them in the ground, they might come back in the spring. Ornamental kale and mums are favorites for autumn, but…...

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Celery update: I’ve harvested some & it’s tasty

by Connie Oswald Stofko Remember my experiment with celery stumps? Well, I harvested some stalks and they taste delicious. I got the idea from posts on Pinterest. When you’ve finished off a bunch of celery, instead of throwing the stump on the compost pile, you root it. Set it in just enough water to cover that ridge at the base of the celery where the roots come out– See the photo at left. I first tried rooting celery this winter,…...

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Watch local cooking challenge & learn to cook with native plants

Sumac, a native plant, is pretty this time of year with its large red, cone-shaped flowers. You can see these small trees in parks or in the wild, and they make a great landscape plant. But did you know sumac is edible? There are quite a few native plants you might want to start growing for food– If you know how to cook with them. In this article we’ll tell you about two events where you can get ideas on…...

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Cooperative Extension in Erie County sets gardening classes

Three gardening classes will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 21 South Grove Street, East Aurora. The cost is $15 per class or all three classes for $40. Send a check made out to MG of Erie County to CUCE Erie County, ATTN: Carol Ann Harlos, 21 South Grove St., East Aurora NY 14052. The classes are: Sept. 10: Lyn Chimera will speak on “Why Native Plants?” Sept. 17:  Carol Ann Harlos will speak…...

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Learn how to get better blooms on hydrangeas at Lockwood’s fall fair

If you’ve had trouble getting your hydrangeas to bloom, you’re not alone. So many people had this problem that Tim Boebel wrote a book on the topic called Hydrangeas in the North. You can get tips directly from the author when he speaks at Lockwood’s Fall Garden Fair at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg. This year the fair will be held for two days, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7 and 8. Hours will…...

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roof planted with flowers in Tonawanda NY

Look up– There’s a flower garden on the roof!

by Connie Oswald Stofko Denis Uminski said he should put a sign in his backyard that says, “Look up!” Otherwise visitors can miss one of the newest and most interesting features of the landscape: a flower garden planted on the slanted roof of the Uminskis’ garage at 95 Columbia Blvd., Kenmore. He and his wife Mary Jane got the idea during a visit to Plantasia five years ago. They had the garden installed during the second week in June, so…...

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Four spectacular ways to use succulents in your garden or home

by Connie Oswald Stofko The wonderful shows at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens can give you lots of great ideas that you can use in your own garden or home. Here are four spectacular looks from last year’s succulent show that you could adapt for your own home. Get more ideas at this year’s succulent show to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Saturday, Sept. 7 to Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Botanical Gardens,…...

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sand by bar and pond in barckyard in Buffalo NY

‘Beachside bar’ is relaxing spot in Riverside backyard

by Connie Oswald Stofko With water, fish, sand and a bar, it’s like a vacation resort in the backyard of Jim and Linda Whittaker, 56 Evelyn St., in the Riverside area of Buffalo. The Whittakers  shared their gardens Aug. 3 during the Black Rock and Riverside Tour of Gardens, which included the evening Starry Night Garden Tour. This was the final garden walk of the National Garden Festival in 2013. The bar essentials, including a refrigerator and a draft beer…

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Arrange flowers from your own garden with this how-to video

If you have perennial gardens, your showy flowers may be at their blooming peak. Learn how to arrange flowers from your own garden in this easy-to-follow video. Maggie Wittmer, professional floral designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville, shows us how to select flowers from the garden and how to arrange them in a pleasing way. If you don’t have flowers to pick, now is the time to plant flowering perennials for next year. Stop in to Mischler’s to…...

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