by Connie Oswald Stofko Fall is a good time of year to plant perennials. The weather isn’t as hot as it was just last week, so the plants won’t be as stressed. Since we’re getting more rain, it’s easier to make sure those new plantings are kept well watered. You need to make sure you water deeply so that they put down deep roots before the ground freezes. You can buy perennials in garden centers now, and those plants are…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko When it comes to hydrangeas, there’s something for everyone: large plants and small plants, early bloomers and late bloomers, tree shapes and shrub shapes. For those of you who got tired of watering this summer, there are drought-tolerant varieties. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the many hydrangea cultivars that are available, and you can find out more at the Fall Festival to be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 at…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A steep hill that some people might see as an obstacle has become the focal point of Paul Sabato’s backyard. He shared his garden on South Buffalo Alive, a garden walk that took place Sunday, July 17. When he moved in 23 years ago, the staircase to the right was already there, but Sabato put in the rest, including an above-ground swimming pool. The soil was full of rocks. “You put a shovel in the ground…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Peter Kurtzworth is the fourth generation of his family to live in the home at 491 Morgan St., City of Tonawanda. When he married Judy four years ago, she brought pieces of her heritage to his homestead: plants from her former home, from her aunt’s cottage and from her mother’s garden. The Kurtzworths shared their gardens on the City of Tonawanda Garden Walk, which featured a nighttime tour on Friday, July 15 and a daytime tour…
by Connie Oswald Stofko “My favorite flowers are phlox and oriental lilies because they’re fragrant,” said Ed Dinki, “and I love the color. Asiatic lilies are nice, but they’re not too fragrant.” You can get tips like that and see some amazing gardens when you dare to stray from the clusters of gardens at the center of a garden walk map and take a few minutes to visit some of the outliers. The Amherst Garden Walk, which took place July…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Can you get garden mums to come back year after year? Yes, you can, said Ethan Waterman, manager of Waterman’s Greenhouse, 12316 Vaughn St. (Route 240), East Concord (Springville.) “Planting them now is the trick,” Waterman said. “You can’t take a mum out of the pot in October and shove it in the ground and think it will come next year. You have to plant them now to get them established so they make it through…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s been a dry spring in Western New York, and now that summer is officially here, well, it’s still dry. Gardeners I’ve talked to all say the same thing. Thunderstorms that were predicted passed right by. Even when we got rain, there wasn’t enough to help our gardens. While the beach-goers are loving this weather, what we as gardeners should be hoping for is a good, all-day soaking rain, said Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko When you’re shopping for plants for your garden, don’t overlook shrubs. Many shrubs will give you lovely flowers, and there are smaller, more compact varieties of shrubs available that won’t overpower your yard, said Ray Crawley, store manager at Goodman’s Farm Market, 2227 Cayuga Drive Extension, Niagara Falls. First, let me assure you that there’s still plenty of time to plant things in your garden. There’s no rule that says you have to get all of…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko What are you looking for in a perennial? Something that works in shade? Is deer resistant? Attracts butterflies or humming birds? Find perennials in those categories and more at the 49-cent perennial sale to be held from Friday, April 22 to Saturday, April 30 at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko You can get lots of well researched information in a new online-publication called WNY Gardening Matters produced by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners in Erie County. They plan to publish several articles online every month. They’ll let me know when new articles are available, and I’ll share them with you. Here are the first two: 1. “Invasives: Yellow Flag Iris” The yellow flag iris (Iris psuedacorus) is pretty, but it can get out of control…...
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