Garden tips for the Buffalo area.
I often hear people say that they don’t have room to garden. They live in an apartment, they explain, and have only a small patio area. Or worse, they’re not even on the ground floor. Those things didn’t bother the folks with these second-floor balconies that I happened to spot in Buffalo this year. At left, this balcony on Niagara St. near Hudson has more flowers than your average suburban yard! The folks here could have settled for a single…...
Take advantage of this beautiful autumn weather we’re enjoying in the Buffalo area and tackle some gardening projects. Here are some reminders of things you can do right now. Reminder #1: Hurry and plant spring bulbs. If you want spring flowers such as tulips and daffodils, hurry and plant your bulbs now before the ground freezes. That tip is from the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, where today 16 volunteers and several staff members planted spring bulbs– 4,500 of…...
I don’t know why everyone doesn’t grow the Jerusalem artichoke, also known as sunchoke. This plant starts out from nothing and grows a dramatic ten feet tall in one season. It flowers in September, adding autumn interest to your garden. You can plant it in fall, so it gives you a chance to putter in your garden now. If that weren’t enough, it’s a food plant. The roots are delicious! I hadn’t heard of this marvelous plant until I got…...
Are you growing poisonous plants? If you have foxglove, hydrangea or even tomato plants, the answer is yes! In this video, Rachel Gorodetsky, Pharm.D., clinical assistant professor at D’Youville College in Buffalo, discusses common garden plants and indoor plants that can be poisonous when eaten. Her presentation was part of the kick-off event for the medicinal gardens at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens…....
“All of this is to teach our children where food comes from,” said Tricia Miller, volunteer coordinator for the Giving Garden at Union-Pleasant Elementary School in Hamburg. “If children grow it and taste it, their willingness to eat it and try more things grows.” The garden at Union-Pleasant Elementary School started three years ago because parents were concerned about food in the schools, Miller said. They decided a garden would be a good way to educate children about healthy food…...
“We like to have our coffee out there,” said Ann M. Bednarek, referring to her beautiful garden that you can see in her photo at left. She named the photo, “Have a Seat in Paradise.” Ann and her husband Jack have lived in the duplex at 136 Fairgreen Dr., Amherst, since 2004. They have been adding to the backyard garden there every year. Many of their plants are perennials, which are still blooming. Ann enjoys the zinnias because they come…...
The sunflower is wonderful in so many ways. If you’re not growing them now, there are many reasons why you should consider growing sunflowers next year. They have beautiful flowers. Sunflowers grow rapidly and reach a magnificent height. They offer food for people and wildlife. They blossom from summer to fall. You start sunflowers from seed, so they’re cheap. They’re easy to grow. Here’s one tip that you can use now, and two more tips for growing sunflowers next year…....
It’s officially autumn in Buffalo. Whether you’re a beginner and want to start a garden for the first time or you’re an experienced gardener and want to start new beds, now is the time to do it. Mark Van Buren, owner of Zehr’s on the Lake, offers four big reasons why it’s actually better to start a garden in the fall rather than in the spring. Fall is a great time to buy perennials. “You get the biggest plant, at…...
You need to do a little planning when choosing a tree for your garden or yard. Unlike a smaller plant, you can’t move a tree each year trying to find the perfect location. You need to pick the right tree for your yard, and the right spot for your tree. We talked to Curt Leising, plant technician at Russell’s Tree and Shrub Farm, 9800 Transit Rd., East Amherst. While there are many factors to take into consideration when choosing a…...
Here’s a question I got from Diane, a reader: “I would love it if you would settle a long-standing debate regarding roses in the Western New York area. Cut them down in fall or spring?” Lillian Stiegler, president of the Western New York Rose Society, responds, “You don’t prune your roses in the fall. The only exception is if it’s exceptionally tall and you’re afraid it will break in the snow.” If you have climbing roses, you can cut away any dead…...
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