Category: Garden tips

Garden tips for the Buffalo area.

plant tags by Anne Gareis in Buffalo NY

Make plant tags for your Buffalo-area garden

Right now you may be able to name all the plants in your garden, but next season, will you still know what’s what? Make these sturdy plant tags and you’ll definitely be able to keep track of your perennials. You can keep the tags outside all winter and, unlike flimsy plastic tags that get trampled by rabbits or pushed over by heavy snow, these wooden plant labels will still be standing in spring. Best of all, they’re so pretty that…...

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Dec 6, 2011
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poinsettias at Mischlers Florist and Greenhouse

Check out gardening gift suggestions for the Buffalo area

Whether you’re looking for wonderful gifts to give to your gardening friends, or wondering what you should put on your own wish list this year, you’ll find some wonderful suggestions right here. Poinsettias: Beautiful, traditional, convenient A gift of poinsettias from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses is  beautiful and traditional. It’s also fast, easy and convenient to  have poinsettias delivered, which is great at this busy time of year. Home-grown under ideal conditions in Mischler’s greenhouses, the plants are fresh and…...

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Nov 29, 2011
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African violet in Buffalo NY

Learn how to care for African violets with these great instructions

Autumn keeps hanging on in the Buffalo area. My niece Carrie picked a rose from her garden last week! Unfortunately, we know that wintry weather is inevitable, and our outdoor gardening will soon come to an end. Don’t let it get you down, though. When we lose our outdoor flowers, it just means we have more time for our indoor blooms, such as African violets. If you’ve never grown African violets, or if you haven’t grown them well, check out…...

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Nov 29, 2011
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gazing ball in Kenmore NY

Light up a gazing ball, make a trap for fruit flies, plus more news

This is another one of those articles I like to think of as potpourri– a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I hope you find something that’s useful or entertaining. Light up a gazing ball. These instructions for making a lighted gazing ball, like the one you see at left, come from Kathi and Craig Schwab of Kenmore: “We used an extra LED light that we had, put it inside the globe and connected the lighted gazing globe…...

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Nov 22, 2011
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deer eating in Buffalo NY winter Jan 2011

Keep deer and rabbits out of your garden in the Buffalo area

  by Connie Oswald Stofko The image at left is lovely if it’s on a Christmas card, but aggravating if it’s actually happening in your garden. I’ve written before about ways to keep deer and rabbits out of your garden. Even if you read those articles when they were published, take a second look and make sure you take a look at the comments sections. Readers have followed up and shared great tips! I think it’s time to address the…...

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Nov 15, 2011
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Quit smoking now– it’s bad for your plants

“All plants are sensitive to smoke,” David Clark said in answer to a question during a recent horticulture class at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Thursday, Nov. 17 is the 36th Great American Smokeout. Protecting your houseplants is one more reason for you to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. If you smoke, you probably notice that you have to wash your windows and mirrors…...

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Nov 15, 2011
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tar spot on leaves in Buffalo NY

Dealing with tar spot, plus two other timely tips for fall

Here are three helpful tips for autumn, courtesy of the free newsletter from Heimiller Greenhouses. Tip #1: How to deal with tar spot When it comes to tar spot, there’s bad news and good news and more bad news. The bad news is that tar spot is an ugly black fungus that seems to infect Norway maples, to a greater or lesser degree, every year, according to Lisa Heimiller of Heimiller Greenhouses. The good news is that while tar spot…...

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Nov 8, 2011
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balcony on Niagara near Hudson in Buffalo

Yes, you do have enough room to garden in Buffalo!

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…...

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Nov 1, 2011
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Spring Flower Show by Kathy Struckle

Hurry and plant spring bulbs now. Plus, three other autumn reminders

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…...

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Nov 1, 2011
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Jerusalem artichole or sunchoke flowers in Amherst NY

The coolest plant ever: Jerusalem artichoke (also known as sunchoke)

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…...

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Oct 25, 2011
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