white blossom of China Snow tree lilac

New outdoor trees set at Botanical Gardens arboretum; you can plant trees now, too

by Connie Oswald Stofko The bad news is that some of the trees in the arboretum (outdoor collection of trees) at the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens were damaged and had to be removed. The good news is that new trees will be planted in their place, and the new specimens were chosen to fit into the plan originally designed by famed landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted. Even more good news is that the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy expects to…...

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Pat Noonan and her bird houses in Hamburg

Tips for dealing with a blank landscape & gardening in later years

by Connie Oswald Stofko When Pat Noonan moved into her Hamburg home in 2011, the yard was totally bare. Noonan, now 88, was at a point in her life when some people give up gardening. And at any point in your life, starting from scratch on a landscape can be daunting. But with help from neighbors and relatives, she now has a landscape that she enjoys. She shared her garden on the Hamburg Garden Walk on Saturday and Sunday, July…...

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cardinal in snow

Count birds at your feeder during winter to help scientists

You can help scientists through Project FeederWatch by counting the birds you see at your backyard feeder from November through early April. FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. FeederWatch data help scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. You can count birds as often as every week, or as infrequently as you like. The schedule is completely flexible. All you need…...

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allium in pot and near bench

Now is the time to plant bulbs for spring flowers

by Connie Oswald Stofko “Alliums are flowers that people see in the spring, and they come in expecting to buy them,” said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville. “It’s showy and they think, ‘I’ve got to have that.’” Although these great flowers appear in spring, you have to plant them in fall. “Right now is the time to plant them,” Yadon said. You can plant them through mid-November, if you can still work the soil…...

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red lily leaf beetles mating

Could cedar mulch stop red lily leaf beetle?

by Connie Oswald Stofko Is it possible that there could be an easy way to keep the red lily leaf beetle from damaging lilies? A local gardener may have stumbled across a way: cedar mulch. John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County, was contacted by the gardener. She had happened to put cedar mulch in the bed where she has lilies and discovered that the pests didn’t bother her lilies. “It might just be a coincidence”…...

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Owens Falls in Aurora NY

WNY Land Conservancy needs help to begin walking trail in Town of Aurora

The Western New York Land Conservancy needs help from the community to complete a walking trail system so the public can access their newest preserve, the Owens Falls Sanctuary. The Owens Falls Sanctuary, which includes two beautiful waterfalls, a deep ravine and acres of mature forest, is located in the Town of Aurora between Center Street and Hubbard Road near Major’s Park. The area wasn’t accessible before, but now that the Land Conservancy has acquired the property, it wants to open…...

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thyme secured with rubber band

9 ways to preserve herbs, including drying and freezing

by Pam Jones Master Gardener Volunteer, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County There are many ways you can continue enjoying the herbs from your garden all winter long– nine ways are described here. Grow on windowsill You can dig up your garden herbs, plant them in pots and bring them inside on a sunny window sill. Rosemary does not overwinter in our area, but will do well inside. If you want to bring herbs inside, do it soon. At the…...

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halloween-miniature garden in cauldron

Create a spooky miniature garden at Mischler’s

Presentations on how to create a spooky miniature garden for Halloween will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14 at at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. The presentations will be held at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. After a presentation, you can shop in Mischler’s Greenhouse and Fairy Nook for the items you want for your unique mini garden. You get 20 percent off your selections. Choose from a variety of…...

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How to overwinter tuberous begonias in Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko Here’s a question from a reader: I have beautiful tuberous begonias that I want to overwinter. Do I have to take them out of the soil or can I bring the window box in? Rosemary K. Lyons, Buffalo I thought this was a question many readers might be interested in, so I took it to David Clark, a nationally known gardening educator who teaches the Horticulture I and Horticulture II classes at the Buffalo and Erie…...

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sculpture Wise Man of the Woods

New nature-themed sculpture exhibit to start Oct. 7 at Botanical Gardens

A new nature-themed sculpture exhibit, Whispering from the Woods, is being held in conjunction with sculptor and artist Kim Bellavia at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Saturday, Oct. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 5. The exhibit is included with Botanical Gardens admission. Admission is $11 for adults, $10 for seniors (ages 62 and older), $9 for students (ages 13 and older with ID), $6 for children…...

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