Smug Creek Gardens in Hamburg NY

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…....

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trailing African violet 'Cirelda'

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…...

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Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in summer

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…...

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pink boat and cherry blossoms in Buffalo

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…...

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logo for WordCamp 2018

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…...

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Lewiston GardenFest

Lewiston GardenFest seeks vendors & gardeners; register now

The 13th annual Lewiston GardenFest is looking for residents who want to share their gardens as well as vendors for the event to be held 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17 on Center St. in Lewiston.  The event is presented by the Lewiston Garden Club. It is free to attend. Lewiston GardenFest will include gardens open to the public as well as nearly 80 vendors offering flowers, plants, garden décor and more. There will also be speakers, and Master Gardeners…...

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orchid dyed blue

Don’t be misled by gardening myths; learn more at Plantasia

by Connie Oswald Stofko “I finally got fed up with the baloney I saw on the Internet,” said Carolyn Stanko, associate professor of horticulture and biology at Niagara County Community College and a senior CNLP. She’d see posts of bogus gardening information, but other readers would think it was true and share it. “I finally had to stand up and preach the truth!” she said. She will help you separate gardening fact from fiction when she presents “Garden Myth Busting –…...

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bonsai of Japanese juniper

Mischler’s introduces bonsai plants & supplies; see them at Plantasia

  by Connie Oswald Stofko You can now get mature bonsai, bonsai starter kits and bonsai supplies at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. As we learned a few years ago, bonsai (pronounced bone-SIGH) is created by pruning and training a tree over a period of years to keep it small while giving it the form and shape of a mature tree. If you’re a beginner, you may enjoy the starter kits. If you’re already in the process…...

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hort wall made of upcycled chimney stacks in Buffalo NY

Sign up by May 15 to share your garden on Garden Walk Buffalo

  Gardeners from the Peace Bridge to Main Street and from Canalside to the Scajaquada can be part of the 2018 Garden Walk Buffalo. May 15 is the deadline to sign up to share your garden on Garden Walk Buffalo. You can sign up online.  There is no contest and no prizes; the objective of the garden walk has always been to encourage neighborhood beautification and to promote community pride. Just fill out the registration form and your garden can become part…...

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Cassia didmobotrya flower

Plant that smells like buttered popcorn offered at Great Plant Sale

by Connie Oswald Stofko “I’m pretty excited about this plant,” said Kristin Pochopin, director of Horticulture at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. She was referring to an annual called Cassia didmobotrya, whose unique feature is that when you rub the leaves, it smells like buttered popcorn. The scent is most noticeable in late summer and early fall. Popochin was familiar with this plant when she worked for a wholesale grower in Pennsylvania, but hasn’t seen it much in our area. It’s…...

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