adult spotted lanternfly

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) can damage plants & keep you inside; please report sightings

  Please be on the lookout for an invasive insect called the spotted lanternfly (SLF). Not only can it damage many kinds of plants, it can secrete so much messy “honeydew” that people can’t go outside without getting honeydew on their hair and clothes, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The SLF was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014. A single, dead SLF adult was found in New York this past autumn. The SLF  is an invasive pest from…...

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May 22, 2018
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arbor made of old ladders in Amherst NY

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…...

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May 22, 2018
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Tomato CherokeePurple courtesy Burpee Home Gardens

What tomatoes taste the best?

by Connie Oswald Stofko When I asked Jen Weber, retail manager at Mike Weber Greenhouses, for recommendations on the best-tasting tomatoes, I expected her to deliberate for awhile. I was surprised when she answered immediately. “Oh, that’s easy,” Weber said. “‘Cherokee Purple’, and for a red tomato, ‘Glamour’.” Those are both heirloom tomatoes. When I asked her for the best-tasting hybrid tomato, that question proved more difficult. “I don’t have a preference,” she said. “To me, they all taste the same…....

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May 15, 2018
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ginkgo 'Snow Cloud'

Botanical Gardens to hold Great Plant Sale; buy ginkgo trees

Ginkgo trees will be one of the new items to be offered at the Great Plant Sale to be held Thursday through Saturday, May 17-19 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Ginkgos are hardy plants that are used as street trees, said Kristin Pochopin, director of horticulture. Some people may be wary of ginkgo trees because the fruit is stinky and messy, but these trees are at low risk for fruiting. “These are low…...

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May 15, 2018
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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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May 15, 2018
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pest and weeds in spring

6 pests & weeds to watch out for during spring in WNY

  by Connie Oswald Stofko Now is the time that certain troublesome insects and weeds can show up in your garden, and now is the time to take action. Today we’ll talk about six insects and weeds to watch out for in spring: red lily leaf beetle, ticks, mosquitoes, lesser celandine, creeping Charlie and crabgrass. Red lily leaf beetle Calls have started coming in from gardeners who have spotted the red lily leaf beetle, so it’s time to look closely…...

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May 8, 2018
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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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May 8, 2018
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planting trees for Leaf a Legacy in West Seneca

Trees planted as Leaf a Legacy project by PLANT WNY

For this year’s Leaf a Legacy project, PLANT WNY member firms planted 22 bare root trees of mixed varieties on Arbor Day, April 27, at the Kids Escaping Drugs (KED) campus in West Seneca. The KED campus recently lost a large number of trees on their campus due to construction. Trees are important for many reasons. They’re calming, add beauty to the campus and absorb and block sound. Trees provide environmental benefits by cleaning the air and providing a home for wildlife…....

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May 8, 2018
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front porch on Garden Walk Buffalo

Overgrown backyard becomes relaxed space for entertaining

  By Connie Oswald Stofko The front porch “is like another living room,” said Doug Lilley of Livingston St., Buffalo. “I love sitting out here. It’s peaceful.” When he bought this 150-year-old double seven years ago, the upstairs porch was rotting and needed to be replaced. An addition to the back of the house was rotten and Lilley had to lop off the entire addition. The backyard was so overgrown, it was hard to walk back there. Now the house…

May 1, 2018
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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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May 1, 2018
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