by Connie Oswald Stofko Fester, which started out as the smallest of the three corpse flower corms (bulbs) that the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens acquired in 2014, is ready to bloom and is on display now. This announcement comes a week after another of the corpse flowers, dubbed Morty, bloomed for the second time! Since these plants bloom only once every six to ten years, having two bloom within such a short amount of time is unusual. It’s…
See inside Morty!
by Connie Oswald Stofko Morty isn’t acting the way it did the last time it bloomed. The corpse flower or Amorphophallus titanum, which gives off the smell of rotting flesh to attract pollinators, revved up its smell, but didn’t unfurl the way it did in 2014. It’s shorter this time, too– about 4 1/2 feet tall, not the huge 7 1/2 feet he attained last time. Yet the fact that Morty bloomed again so soon is pretty exciting– These plants may…
Explore Zittel’s & get $5 off a purchase of $50 or more
You can get locally grown flower plants and vegetable plants, but there’s so much more at Zittel’s Country Market, 4415 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg. Explore all that Zittel’s Country Market offers, and use the coupon above for $5 off any purchase of $50 or more. Print the coupon out and take it with you, or you can just show this page with the coupon on your phone to the staff when you check out. In addition to locally grown flowers and vegetable plants, Zittel’s has…
You might turn into a hosta fan at Hosta Experience
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you’re not familiar with hostas, you may wonder why this plant has an entire plant society devoted to it. You may just become a fan after attending the Hosta Experience to be held by the Western New York Hosta Society from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 10 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. You’ll see it listed as the Hosta Show, which is was it was…
Deadlines coming up for Amherst, Hamburg garden walks
If you want to share your garden on the Amherst Garden Walk or Hamburg Garden walk, register soon. Amherst Garden Walk Applications are now available for the 2018 Amherst Garden Walk. Applications must be submitted no later than June 17. Sign up for the Amherst Garden walk online or get a printable application here and return it to the address on the form. The Amherst Garden Walk will be be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 7. Hamburg Garden Walk…
Booklet for Open Gardens now available at garden centers
You can now buy the booklet for Open Gardens, which lists all the information you need to visit more than 75 exceptional gardens during select hours on Thursdays and Fridays in July. The booklet is available for a $5 donation at many local garden centers– see the list here. You can also buy a copy at the Erie County Master Gardener Plant Sale on Friday and Saturday, May 25 and 26, at First Presbyterian Church, 1 Symphony Circle, Buffalo….
International African violet convention to be held in Buffalo; you can attend
by Connie Oswald Stofko People from across the United States, Canada and the world will come to Buffalo this month for the annual convention of the African Violet Society of America (AVSA), a a joint effort with the African Violet Society of Canada (AVSC). “I’ve even had people from Ukraine and Armenia contact me about how to get visas to come here,” said Judy Niemira, local co-chair for the convention and current president of the African Violet and Gesneriad Society of Western New…
Discounted memberships offered at Botanical Gardens for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is May 13, and the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is celebrating with a Mother’s Day membership markdown. From May 1 through May 13, individual memberships will be discounted by 20 percent. It’s a great gift for someone who loves gardens. Yes, you can buy a membership for yourself, too! Memberships include year-round, free admission to the Botanical Gardens; discounts on selected classes, shows, and exhibits; a 10 percent discount in the gift shop and on the…
Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off this week
The cherry blossoms in the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park will begin to unfold this weekend, just in time for the fifth annual Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival, said Paula Hinz, co-chairman of the festival. The festival will kick off with an event at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, May 2, with many more activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6. When the blossoms are in full bloom, a Japanese tea ceremony will be held on…
From beginning bloggers to developers: join me at WordCamp May 5
by Connie Oswald Stofko Whether you want to get started in blogging, learn how to make money from your blog, improve your website or learn how to develop apps, there is something for you at WordCamp Buffalo. The daylong workshop for users of WordPress, a free website platform, will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 5 in 103 Center for the Arts on the North Campus of the University at Buffalo. Registration opens at 8 a.m. I’ll…
