Category: Uncategorized

elderberry sambucus black lace

Want flowers? Think of smaller, compact shrubs

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…...

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May 31, 2016
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Scene Around Town Garden Walk logo

Brand new garden walk to debut in Springville

by Connie Oswald Stofko The first ever garden walk for the Springville area will debut this year. Called Scene Around Town, the walk is organized by the SCENe (Springville Concord Elder Network) Garden Club. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 9. The walk will be free. Pick up maps at Fiddler’s Green Park, Franklin and S. Buffalo St., Springville. “We’ve got 20 gardens lined up, and that’s good for the beginning,” said Cindy Goode,…...

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May 31, 2016
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backyard patio with archway in Grand Island, NY

New garden walk to premiere on Grand Island

by Connie Oswald Stofko A new garden walk will be held on Grand Island this year. There had been a garden walk on Grand Island in the past, but that was a fundraiser for a church, explained Jan Freedman, one of the members of the organizing committee. This new Grand Island Garden Walk is free.  It comes under the umbrella of Gardens Buffalo Niagara (formerly the National Garden Festival.) It will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday,…...

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May 31, 2016
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bonsai maple in Buffalo NY

Bonsai Show set for this weekend; Hosta Show coming next Sunday

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens will host both a Bonsai Show and a Hosta Show in June. Both shows are included with admission: $9 for adults, $8 for seniors (ages 55 and older) and students (ages 13 and older with ID), $5 for children ages 3-12 and free for Botanical Gardens members and children 2 and under. There will also be a Hosta, Daylily, and Iris Sale in August. Admission to the sale is free. The Botanical Gardens…...

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May 31, 2016
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agastache Acapulco salmon and pink

Four great annuals that you might not know about

by Connie Oswald Stofko Whether you’re tired of using the same annuals every year or you’re new to gardening and don’t know where you start, here are some interesting suggestions for annuals from Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. These plants all like sun. Varieties of cuphea “It’s a nice, reliable, good overall plant,” said Jill Kisker, grower at Lockwood’s, referring to different varieties of cuphea. It’s also known as cigar plant for the shape of its flowers. “The hummingbirds…...

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May 24, 2016
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rows flowers Goodman's Niagara Falls

Use local garden centers when shopping for plants

by Connie Oswald Stofko When you go out to buy plants this weekend– or at any time– turn to your local garden centers. They often have interesting plants that you can’t get in the big box stores. More important, many of the garden centers are growers, too. They know about plants and have folks on staff who can answer your questions. For example, if you say you don’t want to spend a lot of time maintaining your garden, they’ll know…...

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May 24, 2016
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how to deadhead hanging basket by shaking

Here’s an easy way to deadhead annuals in hanging baskets

by Connie Oswald Stofko Here’s an easy way to deadhead some annuals in hanging baskets. I got this great tip from Kristin Pochopin, interim director of horticulture at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens during the recent Great Plant Sale. Instead of picking off the dead flowers one by one, hold the basket by the hook, as she is doing in the photo. Hold it close to the ground and shake the basket. The dead flowers will fall off…...

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May 24, 2016
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bee and milkweed flower in Buffalo

No, there’s no labeling on use of neonicotinoids in plants or seeds

by Connie Oswald Stofko I got this question from a reader: Hi Connie, How can we be sure that we aren’t buying plants that have been treated with neonics, or grown from seeds containing neonics? Is there a standard label to look for? Or certain brands that don’t deal in them? Thanks. Kristen Buffalo Since I’m not a gardening expert, I contacted someone who knows more about  neonicotinoids, which are used in pest control. I talked to John Farfaglia, the…...

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May 24, 2016
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healthy impatiens in Lancaster NYJune 2013 closeup

You can plant impatiens in your shady garden if you want to play the odds

by Connie Oswald Stofko If you want to plant impatiens this year, you can take steps to decrease your chances of having your flowers killed by the blight called downy mildew, said Margery Daughtrey, senior extension associate with the Section of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology at Cornell University. One thing you can do is to plant your impatiens in hanging baskets where they might be more sheltered from the disease. You can also plant them among other plants so…...

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May 17, 2016
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mixed container at Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

Go early to get best picks at Great Plant Sale; see container demonstrations, too

by Connie Oswald Stofko In a new feature this year, you can see free demonstrations on creating great mixed containers at the Great Plant Sale to be held in the Administration Building of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Admission to the sale is free. The sale will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 19, 20 and 21. (I’ll have a table there, so stop by and say hello!) Thursday is for volunteers…...

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May 17, 2016
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