rose climbing on trellis

Prune roses when forsythia blooms, but don’t cut back climbing roses

Here are two tips from the Western New York Rose Society on pruning and planting roses. Tip #1: Don’t prune or plant roses too soon. Wait until you see forsythia blooming in your neighborhood. When you see those yellow blossoms, you will know it’s the perfect time to start planting and pruning your roses. From Steve Styn, Western New York Rose Society Rosarian Tip #2: Don’t cut back your climbing roses. Just trim the brown tips off in the spring. …...

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succulent garden from Mischler's in Williamsville NY

Congratulations to the three lucky winners of our $200 prize package!

by Connie Oswald Stofko Please help me congratulate the three lucky winners in our recent drawing held by Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. They are: Nancy McCrae of Elma Carl Yerkovich of Lakeview Freda Peisley of Rochester The names were drawn at random. Everyone who was subscribed to Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com by March 26– even those who signed up years ago– were entered into the drawing. I’m happy to have so many new subscribers, and I love my loyal readers, too! Each of the winners receives a $200…...

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grass with numbers representing zero phosphorus in fertilizer

“Look for the Zero;” don’t use phosphorus on lawns

by Connie Oswald Stofko Most lawns don’t need phosphorus. And if you use a fertilizer containing phosphorus on your lawn, the excess phosphorus can wash off and pollute our waterways. That’s why the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is running its “Look for the Zero” campaign. If you want to use a chemical fertilizer on your lawn, make sure you choose one without phosphorus. Fertilizer labels have three numbers. The number in the middle is the percentage of…...

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image for 2019 Pollinator House competition

Design & build a pollinator house, enter new competition

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Garden Walk Buffalo, the Buffalo Architecture Foundation has partnered with Gardens Buffalo Niagara to launch the 2019 Pollinator House Design-Build Competition. This unique design-build competition encourages participants to submit a functional, contemporary pollinator house. The houses will be displayed during Garden Walk Buffalo and then auctioned off to support the programs of both Gardens Buffalo Niagara and the Buffalo Architecture Foundation. The competition seeks to bring awareness to the wide array of pollinators in Western New…...

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path in garden at Plantasia 2019 by Chevalier and Luminated Landscapes

Get tips from Plantasia gardenscapes

by Connie Oswald Stofko Local landscapers created gardens at Plantasia this past weekend around the theme of “Plantasia in Paradise.” Various awards were announced at Preview Night on Wednesday. Throughout the rest of the show, visitors were invited to vote for their favorite landscaped garden. It was difficult for many people. I heard one after another say, “Oh, but they were all so good!” After all the votes were counted, Tripi’s Landscaping came out on top and received the People’s…...

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daffodil buds in spring in Western New York

Things you can do in your garden in this warm(ish) weather in WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko Yesterday I took some kitchen scraps out to my compost bin. The air temperature was only about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was surprised by how warm it felt in the sun. It made me want to putter in my garden. But don’t rush things. One thing you have to be concerned about is walking around on a wet lawn or garden bed. Walking on wet soil can compact the soil, which isn’t good for your…...

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cover of Buffalo-Style Gardens book

Last day to enter our drawing for a prize package worth more than $200

by Connie Oswald Stofko Tell your friends that today, Tuesday, March 26 is the last day to enter to win a gardener’s prize package worth more than $200. All they have to do to enter is to subscribe to Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. And it’s free to subscribe! If you are already subscribed, you’re already entered. I love my loyal readers! But if you haven’t subscribed, do it today. You will automatically be entered into our prize drawing. We will choose the winners tomorrow morning (Wednesday,…...

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hand with flower

Horticulture scholarships offered

Scholarships are available from the Master Gardeners of Erie County and from the Amherst Garden Club. Master Gardeners of Erie County The Master Gardeners of Erie County are offering a $1,000 scholarship to high school seniors who are going on to college to study horticulture, botany or a related field. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 15. Completed applications must be submitted by mail to the Cornell Cooperative Extension Erie County office, 21 S. Grove St., East Aurora, NY  14052, Attention:  Master Gardener…...

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hand lotion from Lockwood's Greenhouses

There’s still time to enter our great prize drawing; tell your friends!

by Connie Oswald Stofko There is still time to enter our great prize drawing. To enter, just subscribe to Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, the online gardening magazine for Western New York. It’s free to subscribe! The deadline to enter is Tuesday, March 26. If you are already subscribed, you are already entered. Hey, I love my loyal readers! Three winners will be selected at random from our list of subscribers. Each will win a prize package worth more than $200! The deadline to enter is Tuesday, March…...

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Eastern coyote

Coyotes: Another reason to use a covered compost bin

When you started your compost pile, you may have worried about attracting mice and rats. But here’s a new concern: coyotes. Eastern coyotes are well adapted to suburban and even some urban environments. They are becoming a more common sight to gardeners in Western New York, and you don’t want to attract them to your yard. One thing gardeners can do is to enclose compost piles so coyotes can’t get at them. That’s a tip from the New York State…...

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