Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

‘Perennial’ doesn’t mean ‘live forever’; expect to replant some perennials

by Connie Oswald Stofko “‘Perennial’ doesn’t mean ‘live forever,’ said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses. “Granted, they may come back, but some perennials are short lived and might not last more than three or four years.” It’s best to plant those varieties every two or three years to make sure they don’t die out completely. (All you people who tell me you can’t garden because you don’t have a green thumb: If a perennial died, it…...

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Apr 17, 2018

Succulents in a mini-bird-bath from Mischler's

Congratulations to the three lucky winners of our $200 prize package!

by Connie Oswald Stofko Please help me congratulate the three lucky winners in our recent drawing held by Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. They are: Jeanne Watson of Hamburg Bonnie Finkbeiner of North Tonawanda Kalyn Szakall of Blasdell The names were drawn at random. Everyone who was subscribed to Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com by March 28– even those who signed up years ago– were entered into the drawing. I’m happy to have so many new subscribers, and I love my loyal readers, too! Each of the winners receives a $200 prize package that…...

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Apr 17, 2018

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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Apr 17, 2018

Will tree that didn’t drop its leaves in winter survive?

by Connie Oswald Stofko I was chatting with one of my subscribers at Plantasia and she mentioned that she has seen trees– Japanese maples as well as other trees– that didn’t lose their leaves over the winter. The leaves are brown, but still attached. “I’m scared because the trees don’t have buds yet,” she said. I noticed the same thing in my neighborhood, so I talked to John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Don’t worry,…...

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Apr 10, 2018

Deadline for PLANT WNY scholarships is June 18; spring winners named

The PLANT WNY Foundation is offering scholarships to students who want to pursue careers in the nursery/landscape industry. The next application deadline is Monday, June 18 for the fall 2018 semester. Get more details and application forms here. Winners of spring 2018 scholarships are: Cheryl Krisnosky, recipient of the Mary and George Schichtel Scholarship Alora Angelina Brusino, recipient of the WNY Nurserymen’s Association Foundation Scholarship Sean Beckinghausen, recipient of the WNY Nurserymen’s Association Foundation Scholarship Carrie Everett, recipient of the George O. Adams…...

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Apr 10, 2018

Did you win our prize drawing? The suspense continues!

by Connie Oswald Stofko I know there are literally thousands of people out there waiting to hear who won our drawing for a gardening prize package worth $200. There will be three winners, and each winner receives the entire prize package! I created a randomized list of all my subscribers on Wednesday, March 28. I notified the first three people on the list that they were winners. Two of the winners got back to me promptly. But the third winner…...

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Apr 10, 2018

Tips on deer, composting & more for Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko I am fortunate that so many Western New Yorkers share gardening tips with me. People often share tips with me after I give a talk. Unfortunately, I am so busy scribbling down notes about the tips themselves that I don’t always get the name of the person who shared the tip. My apologies. Today I’ll share a few of the tips I’ve accumulated. If you have a tip that worked for you, you can share…...

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Apr 3, 2018

the Earth Machine Composter for sale in Erie County

Rain barrels, compost bins on sale in Erie County; order by May 25

A sale of rain barrels and compost bins is being held by the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, the City of Buffalo and the Western New York Stormwater Coalition. Prices are 50 percent off retail. The deadline to order is May 25. Quantities are limited. You have to pick up your items on June 7. The pick-up sites are in Buffalo and Tonawanda. See more details here. This is the third year the organizations have held the sale. Some…...

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Apr 3, 2018

Winning landscapes at Plantasia, plus you may be winner in my drawing

by Connie Oswald Stofko During the summer, we spend more time outside, even after the sun goes down. Visitors to Plantasia got ideas for gardens in general and more specifically for viewing them at dusk with this year’s theme, “Cityscapes into the Night.” Garden lighting was a big feature of the displays. Street signs, traffic lights, a fire hydrant and a manhole cover added to the feeling of being in a big city. Plantasia is the garden and landscape show…...

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Apr 3, 2018

large garden around tree in Grand Island NY

After years of adding gardens, couple finds it’s OK to cut back

by Connie Oswald Stofko After about 20 years of adding trees and garden beds to their Grand Island landscape, Pat and Gary Scott are slowing down and even reducing the size of some beds. “We have to tone it down a little because it’s a lot of work,” Pat said. “If the gardens get too big, it’s overwhelming.” I visited the Scotts on last year’s Grand Island Garden Walk. This year the Grand Island Garden Walk will be held from 10…...

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Mar 27, 2018