Mischler's prize basket in Williamsville NY

Our prize drawing is back & bigger than ever!

by Connie Oswald Stofko What’s as exciting as the first flower in spring? The annual prize drawing of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com! And this year the prize package is bigger & better than ever– valued at nearly $500! There will be three winners, and each winner will receive the entire prize package! To enter, just subscribe to Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, the online gardening magazine for Western New York. It’s free to subscribe! I appreciate my current readers! Have you already subscribed? Then you are already entered into the drawing!…...

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seed packets from Botanical Interests

Reminder: It’s time to start seeds for cool weather veggies in WNY

Some cool weather vegetables can be started inside now–or soon–depending on the last frost date in your area. Other seeds are sown directly outside. As their name implies, cool weather vegetables can withstand cooler temperatures in the air and soil, which means you can plant them outside in early spring. Cool weather vegetables include broccoli, kale, cabbage, collards, endive and onions. See this previous article where Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager of Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, explains the details of starting cool…...

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Mark Mortenson at Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

Mortenson chosen as new head of Botanical Gardens

Mark Mortenson will take over as the new president and CEO of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in March when David Swarts retires from the role after 12 years. Mortenson led the transformation efforts at the Buffalo Museum of Science and Tifft Nature Preserve. Most recently he played a dual role as president and CEO of the Richardson Center Corporation and executive director of the Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo. He also held leadership positions at The Arc Erie…...

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Pre-sale is open now; Great Plant Sale will be back in person in May!

by Connie Oswald Stofko I am excited to say that Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com is sponsoring the Great Plant Sale at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens again this year! There’s so much to talk about. The pre-sale is open online now. And the Great Plant Sale will be back in person in May! Pre-sale is open now The pre-sale is being held online. Find great selections of annuals, perennials and shrubs. Sale orders are due April 15, but you should place…...

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sowing seeds on snow in Western New York

Sow seeds right on top of snow in WNY!

by Connie Oswald Stofko We’ve talked about winter sowing before, and here’s another method for planting seeds outside during winter. I got this great tip from Linda Blyth of the Town of Tonawanda. “This is what we do with poppies, cleome, datura, bells of Ireland and a few others: sprinkle these seeds on top of the snow,” Blyth said. “Why? Because they all need a period of cold in order to germinate! Have you ever tried planting seeds in the spring…...

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cardinal and sparrow in snow in Cheektowaga NY

Help researchers with Great Backyard Bird Count

The 25th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which will be held Friday, Feb. 18 through Monday, Feb. 21, is a way for you to help researchers right from your own backyard. Anyone, from beginning bird watchers to experts, can take part. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org. Each checklist submitted during the Great Backyard Bird…...

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annuals along pat in Orchard Park NY

Orchard Park gardener shares tips on annuals in sun, shade

by Connie Oswald Stofko There’s a lot to see in Pat Gurney’s large Orchard Park landscape, but what surprises many people when they visit during Open Gardens is her use of annuals. Gurney uses annuals to add color to shady areas, to fill in areas when perennials are done blooming and to add height or interest in an area. She uses a lot of containers, setting them wherever they are needed. Though she uses annuals, trees and perennials are the…...

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sign of hemlock woolly adelgid

Join Winter Mapping Challenge for hemlock woolly adelgid

Winter is the best time to spot the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid, and you can help monitor them from Feb. 12 through March 12 in New York’s first statewide Winter Mapping Challenge. You could win a prize! The challenge is being hosted by NY iMapInvasives and the NYS Hemlock Initiative. To participate: Get outside, find some hemlock trees and check for white “fuzz balls” on the undersides of twigs– these are the egg masses. Report your findings to iMap. Even if you don’t…...

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Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale 2019 by Stofko

Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale accepting applications for vendors

The Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale is accepting applications for artists to exhibit. The application deadline is March 26. This popular summer craft sale is a high point of the summer for Buffalo Niagara’s ever-growing and enthusiastic gardening community. Items for sale, in any medium, have to be garden- or nature-themed, or works that can be displayed in a garden setting. Sculpture, planters, metalwork, paintings, lighting, vintage signs, woodwork, architectural remnants, fountains, found art, jewelry, ceramics – anything that relates back…...

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statues of face, dragon and Chinese warrior in Amherst NY garden

Statues & negative space can add a lot to your garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko “I find a statue, then think, ‘What can I plant around it to accent it?’” said Jim Bardot. The statue that was the inspiration for this garden is the Chinese head, situated in the very center. “It sat by itself in the backyard for years,” Bardot said. “I placed it here, I placed it there, then I brought it out front and found other things to go with it.” This Asian garden is one of the…...

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