garden by pool in Parkside area of Buffalo NY

100-year-old house features large perennial border in long side yard

The weather was seasonably warm on Sunday, and that made the cool, blue pool below look even more appealing. Michael and Claudette Rivera of 268 Crescent, Buffalo, shared their lovely landscape during the 15th annual Parkside Garden Tour on June 24. Their home was built in 1913 by the Kelly family that established Hens and Kelly, a local upscale chain of department stores that operated from 1892 to 1982. Mike likes to use plants that go with the time period…...

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Rubus ordoratus by Ken Parker

Native Plants Day, tips for aphids & more stuff too good to miss

Native Plants Day set at Lockwood’s Native Plants Day, part of the National Garden Festival, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 7 at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg. Topics include the significance of native plants, revitalizing neighborhoods by creating beautiful livable growing places, and the impact of individual decision-making on the quality of life in Western New York. Speakers include: Sally Cunningham, author, consultant and director of the National Garden Festival sees an opportunity…...

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bamboo and fountain in Niagara County

What should she do about neighbor’s bamboo?

From time to time, we post a question and ask for input from our readers. If you have an idea on how to help, please leave a comment. I hope you can help with a gardening concern I have. My neighbor has bamboo growing in their front yard. Right now it’s sending shoots out into just their yard. However, I’m terrified it will creep into my yard. I’ve read some scary things online about bamboo. Can you tell me how…...

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trees in Amherst NY

‘Fungi & great moments in history’ among talks at ReLeaf Conference

If it weren’t for fungi, we wouldn’t have the Ten Commandments or the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. That’s the tongue-in-cheek assessment of George Hudler, professor at Cornell University, who will speak on “Great Moments in History and How Fungi Got Us Here.” His entertaining talk will be part of the 20th annual statewide ReLeaf Conference, where you will have the opportunity to learn from professionals from across the country and Canada and to tour local community forestry projects,…...

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armyworms hiding in turfgrass from University of Nebraska closeup

Army worms reach epidemic levels; wacky weather spurs other damage

Wheat and hay crops in Western New York are being damaged by an epidemic of armyworms, but unless your yard backs up to a wheat field, your lawn probably won’t be affected. That’s according to John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Cooperative Extension is also fielding calls from gardeners concerning problems with aphids brought on by mild weather as well as continuing problems with plants that were damaged by frost this spring. Armyworms damage feed…...

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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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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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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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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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slug photo from Kathryn Olmstead

Garden slugs prefer Budweiser to other American, Canadian beers

If your garden has ever been bothered by slugs, you probably already know this great tip about beer. Take an old pie tin, splash in some beer, and set the tin near  your affected plants. The slugs crawl in and meet their doom. What you may not know is that slugs prefer Budweiser. At least that’s what Kathryn Olmstead found in her admittedly unscientific study, which she described in an article for the Bangor Daily News. Olmstead edits and designs…...

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