by Connie Oswald Stofko When Carol and Rick Stumpf bought an empty lot for their home 30 years ago, ash trees were already established. A house and gardens followed and the Stumpfs enjoyed their landscape. “It was all shaded back here,” Carol said. “I had all my beds how I wanted them.” She gazed longingly around her huge backyard, remembering how it used to be before her mature ash trees–and many others across Western New York– were killed by emerald…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Birds on the Niagara, North America’s only international bird festival, will take place from Friday to Monday, February 16-19. It includes indoor talks as well as outdoor bird walks in several sites in Western New York and Ontario. It includes birding hotspots along the international river corridor between Canada and the United States. Here are a few highlights:…
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County Master Gardener Program will host its 2024 Education Day from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 9 at Classics V Banquet Center, 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst. Speakers and topics are: The deadline to register is March 8. Registration fee includes lunch. The cost is $60 for the public and $55 for out-of-county Master Gardener volunteers. Advanced registration is required. Space is limited. Register here. For more information, contact Jolie Hibit at (716) 652-5400,…
by Connie Oswald Stofko You don’t want to be that person—the person whose tree branch knocked out the electricity for the whole neighborhood. And you don’t want to plant a tree or shrub in a spot where the utility companies will do the pruning for you. The result isn’t pretty and it’s not good for the tree. That’s why you need to make sure you choose the right tree or shrub for your landscape before you buy one from the…
What looks like a huge, lush garden is really extreme container gardening. “Everything is in pots,” said Scott Dunlap. His husband, Joe Hopkins, does the gardening and together they share their Buffalo Cottage District landscape on Open Gardens and Garden Walk Buffalo. You can get a glimpse of their gardens in this video, created by Jay Jinge Hu, who also shares his Williamsville landscape on Open Gardens. Other interesting tidbits from Hopkins and Dunlap’s landscape: See more videos here….
Master Gardener training for residents of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties will begin Tuesday, March 5. The program lasts 14 weeks takes place every other Tuesday evening from 6-8 p.m. at 28 Parkside Dr., Ellicottville. There is a remote Zoom option available. Tuition is $125. Apply here or contact Shannon Rinow, Master Gardener program coordinator, at smr336@cornell.edu. The program includes a core course in gardening, as well as refresher classes, field trips and workshops to enhance expertise and ability to communicate information…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Majestic trees rise high above the huge backyard of Kim and Seth Kaiser. “I retired a couple years ago,” Kim said, “but when I was working, this was my respite.” The size of the backyard itself, 200 feet deep, is remarkable. “Who would ever think this is back here?” a visitor wondered. Kim replied: “It’s a surprise!” When the Kaisers moved into their East Aurora home 33 years ago, “There were no flowers here,” Kim said….
by Connie Oswald Stofko The forecast for the coming week calls for daytime temperatures above freezing, so if we do get any snow, it should melt. That means you’ll have time to easily walk around your yard and prepare your gardens for another onslaught of snow. When the temperatures do get colder, chances are we will get lake effect snow again. Lake Erie still hasn’t iced over, so cold wind picking up moisture from the lake can fall on land…
The 20th Annual Communities in Bloom Classes will be held by the Master Gardener Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County. Classes will be of interest to both beginning and veteran gardeners. Dates, locations & topics February 10 – Orchard Park Community Center, 4520 California Road, Orchard Park February 24 – Roswell Park Community Center, 907 Michigan Ave, Buffalo Class times 8:30 a.m. registration / 9–11:45 a.m. class Pre-registration is required. Register here or contact jah663@cornell.edu or (716) 652-5400 ext. 176. Fees 1 day/2…
by Connie Oswald Stofko David Clark, CNLP has sad arborvitaes in his Hamburg yard. “They’re about 15 feet tall, but they’re bent lower than my knees,” he told me over the weekend. While that’s bad, it’s not as bad as it could be because the soil wasn’t frozen yet. The roots of the arborvitaes could come out of the ground a little bit and allow the shrubs to tip, preventing the trunk from snapping. Your azaleas and rhododendrons will be…