Brierly explains hypertufa in Buffalo NY

Hypertufa: additional tips on using this material to make planters

Hypertufa is a concrete-like material that you can use to make planters that can stay outside all winter. In December, Anne Brierley of the Parkside area of Buffalo took us through the steps of making a hypertufa planter. But she had so many great tips, we couldn’t squeeze them all into one video. In the video below, Brierley gives tips on using leaves to make impressions, talks about coloring hypertufa and goes into more detail on the process of making…...

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Photographers get their own night at Night Lights & more great items

  Night Lights includes night just for photographers Photographers love the popular Night Lights at the Gardens event, and this year the Botanical Gardens has added a night just for them. Photographers Night will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday,Feb. 5 at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. This is the only time during Night Lights that you are allowed to use a tripod. Another bonus: Photographers Night is just for photographers, so it shouldn’t be…...

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Wegmans Family Garden offers indoor learning at Botanical Gardens

The temperature outside was in the teens and snow blanketed the ground, but it felt like spring inside the new indoor Wegmans Family Garden at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Avenue, Buffalo. A grand opening was held yesterday for the new indoor space, which provides hands-on activities for children that help them learn about plants and nutrition. Children of all ages and abilities can engage in free play as well as structured activities. In the…...

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Check on your amaryllis and other items too good to miss

I walked into my basement this weekend and was surprised to see that my amaryllis bulbs were leafing out. I shouldn’t have been surprised; this is precisely what they were supposed to do. I am forcing them to bloom indoors so I can enjoy gorgeous flowers in the middle of winter. But out of sight, out of mind. I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t notice their activity until the leaves were quite long and I had a flower bud. If…...

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Carnation is the birthday flower for January, but it gets no respect

The birthday flower for January is the carnation, which is one of my favorite flowers. It has everything you could want in a flower– a beautiful shape, a wide variety of colors and a delightful fragrance. But some people look down on the magnificent carnation. “The carnation got a bad reputation,” said Maggie Wittmer, floral designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville. “There’s no reason to hate the carnation. That’s a bum rap.” In addition to being beautiful, the…...

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Brierly explains hypertufa in Buffalo NY

Hypertufa: What it is and how to use it to make a planter

Back in the 1930s, it was found that some Alpine plants grew well in tufa, a porous rock formed when water seeps through limestone. Tufa was scarce and expensive, so a few gardeners worked to find an inexpensive and accessible alternative. The product they came up with is called hypertufa. Hypertufa is similar to concrete, but lighter and more porous. You can use it to make planters in whatever size or shape you need. Anne Brierley of the Parkside area…...

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Carol Franklin garden in Buffalo NY

‘Bloom where you are planted’ is motto of Buffalo gardener

When Carol Franklin is outside watering her garden on Prospect Avenue in Buffalo, people will stop and tell her what a good job she’s doing. They don’t expect to find city areas to look as good as this, she explained, but you can have a great garden wherever you are. “Bloom where you are planted,” Franklin said. I visited Franklin this July during Garden Walk Buffalo. Her welcoming front garden wraps around the side of the house and can be…...

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dried flower scene by Larson in Buffalo NY

Dried flower designs: Get inspired with creations from convention

Wonderful bookmarks, pictures and plaques using dried materials were on display this spring at the National Garden Clubs convention held right here in Buffalo. The convention offered so much to write about, I had to spread out the articles. In previous installments, you can get ideas for miniature flower arrangements; you can watch Ricardo Costa, internationally renowned floral designer from Brazil, create a flower arrangement, and you can see exhibits from the flower show. I saved the topic of dried…...

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seeds in Amherst NY

Seeds make great stocking stuffers & more items too good to miss

Seeds make great stocking stuffers Seeds are already available at some garden centers including Arbodale Nurseries & Landscaping, 480 Dodge Road, Getzville. Slip a packet into a Christmas card for a gardening friend, or use them as a stocking stuffer. Get some seeds for yourself, too. As soon as the holidays are over, I’m always aching to get into the garden, but there’s not much to do when the ground is frozen. That’s why I love this tip on how…...

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bird feeders in Amherst NY

Need a gift for a gardener? Here are 5 great ideas

People who want to buy a gift for a gardener often don’t know what to get. They see an item that they think might be nice, but then wonder if it’s really useful or whether the gardener already has it. Today we’re going to give you five suggestions for gifts that gardeners will love. (If you are a gardener, feel free to drop a few hints by sending this article to someone you love. Or, print out the article and…...

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