Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is a weed you may see at this time of year, said Carol Ann Harlos in WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. This plant and other ephemeral spring weeds pop up when the earth warms, quickly bloom and produce seeds. When the seeds are ripe, they shoot out and wait until autumn to germinate and grow. Depending on the conditions, several generations of plants can occur before…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Pollinator Week is all about spreading awareness of the butterflies, bats, birds and bees that are essential to plant reproduction. Find out how you can help protect pollinators. Pollinator video Provide a place for pollinators by making your backyard a better habitat for plants, insects and birds. Watch the video Green Your Backyard from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). It gives great tips you can use whether you have a large suburban…
The plant societies will be back this year at the Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale on Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Take your questions to the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. Learn more about popular plants from the Western New York Rose Society, Buffalo Area Daylily Society and Western NY Hosta Society. Find out how you can help butterflies…
Dining at Dusk is returning to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens with new artists, new menus and new themes from summer to fall. There will be dinner, drinks, live music, desserts and raffles on the front lawn of the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Dining at Dusk makes for a great date night or a relaxing evening to bond with friends and family. It’s also part of the celebration of Erie County’s 200th Anniversary and an opportunity…
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s wonderful to enjoy the beauty of the hundreds of gardens that we get to visit here in Western New York. It’s even better when we get an idea that we can use in our own garden! Here are five simple tips to make your garden extra special. In the photo above, you see lots of flowers in bloom. But what don’t you see? Garbage cans! Two simple doors hide what could be an ugly distraction….
A series of presentations will be held on “Cultural Roots of the Americas” by Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Chautauqua County. The presentations will feature vegetables with connections to cultures from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and indigenous people of New York State. The sessions cover a variety of gardening topics and involve direct how-to methods. Questions are encouraged. The sessions will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesdays on June 15, July 20 and Aug. 17 in…
The WNY Rose Society will hold its annual Rose Show from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 18 at the Galleria Mall, One Walden Galleria, Cheektowaga. The show will be in the concourse next to the old Sears. Sometimes we get busy working in our gardens, but take time to–literally–smell the roses. Find more information from the WNY Rose Society about roses in this previous article….
by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you want to show off your splendid container planting? Plant it up now so it’s ready for the contest at the Lewiston GardenFest on Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the gardenfest,” said Judy Talarico, chairperson of the Lewiston GardenFest. “There’s so much interaction with the community.” There isn’t any limit on the size of the entries. “Some containers take two or three people to carry in,”…
by Connie Oswald Stofko “We do not have Asian giant hornets (also known as murder hornets) anywhere in Western New York,” said Sharon Bachman, Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. We ran an article about murder hornets in October 2021. We didn’t have any in Western New York then and we still don’t have any. I keep hearing from people who think they have spotted murder hornets–or even insist that what they encountered was…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Every so often, we’ll post a photo (or two or three) of what’s blooming at Graycliff, 6472 Old Lake Shore Rd., Derby. See beautiful plants that are in bloom now, but won’t be noticed on a garden walk because the plant will be past its prime. These are plants you might want to add to your landscape for some early summer color. The photos also give you a peek at the stunning Graycliff landscape, which was initially…