Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

How to deal with insects that move into your house in autumn in WNY

by Steven Jakobi, Master Gardener Volunteer, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County Autumn is a time for unwanted guests in the house. These insects are like squatters, moving in for the winter and looking for a place to ride out the cold months. In my house, we have to deal with cluster flies, Asian lady beetles and western conifer seed bugs. (Western conifer seed bugs are often confused with the marmorated stink bug.) Other folks I know also have occasional…...

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Nov 14, 2017

map of climate zones in Western New York

Our growing season is longer: What gardeners need to know about climate change in WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko Our growing season in Western New York is longer than it used to be– two weeks longer than it was in 1965, according to Stephen Vermette, professor of geography in the Department of Geography & Planning at Buffalo State College. Now the growing season starts about a week earlier in spring and lasts about a week longer in autumn. This is just one of the findings of Vermette’s research into how climate change is affecting Western…...

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Nov 7, 2017

Now is the time to start cooling bulbs to force during late winter

by Connie Oswald Stofko You can enjoy spring flowers inside during winter, weeks before they appear outside in gardens, but you may not want to do it the way they do it at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. First of all, they force bulbs on a grand scale. (Forcing is getting a plant to bloom at a time when it wouldn’t normally bloom.) Last week they planted about 21,000 bulbs in pots. They can’t plant more because “there’s…...

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Nov 7, 2017

mushroom craft to make for garden in Western New York

‘Get Crafty in Your Garden’ to be presented in Kenmore

by Connie Oswald Stofko I will present “Get Crafty in Your Garden” at the meeting of the Ken-Sheriton Garden Club at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 at St, Mark’s Lutheran Church. 576 Delaware Rd., Kenmore. In my presentation, I’ll show you tips on crafts you can make for your garden as well as from your garden. One of the crafts is the inexpensive and easy-to-make glass mushroom decoration for your garden seen here. Like all the events we list on…...

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Nov 7, 2017

You can sow grass seed in November in WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko If you have bad patches of lawn, you can take steps in November to repair them by using what is called the dormant seeding method. November isn’t the best time to sow grass seed, but if you missed the ideal period (mid-August to mid-September), you can sow in November, said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Don’t plant grass seed in late September or in October because the seed will sprout,…...

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Oct 31, 2017

It’s time to plant sunchokes; email me if you want some

by Connie Oswald Stofko I have sunchokes that I will share for free, but there’s one catch. You have to pick them up or get someone you know to pick them up. I just don’t want to have to mail them. I’m in the Eggertsville area of Amherst. If you don’t get out this way, you probably have a neighbor or cousin or coworker who does. If you’d like some sunchokes, email me at connie@buffaloniagaragardening.com so we can arrange for…...

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Oct 31, 2017

If you change your email address, remember to re-subscribe

Nearly every week someone doesn’t receive their issue of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com because they changed their email address and forgot to re-subscribe. Once your old account is closed, you’ll no longer get any email that is sent to that old email address, and that includes issues of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. There’s an easy solution. As soon as you know your new email address, use it to subscribe using your new email address so you don’t miss a single issue. Even if there’s some overlap…...

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Oct 31, 2017

New outdoor trees set at Botanical Gardens arboretum; you can plant trees now, too

by Connie Oswald Stofko The bad news is that some of the trees in the arboretum (outdoor collection of trees) at the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens were damaged and had to be removed. The good news is that new trees will be planted in their place, and the new specimens were chosen to fit into the plan originally designed by famed landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted. Even more good news is that the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy expects to…...

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Oct 24, 2017

Pat Noonan and her bird houses in Hamburg

Tips for dealing with a blank landscape & gardening in later years

by Connie Oswald Stofko When Pat Noonan moved into her Hamburg home in 2011, the yard was totally bare. Noonan, now 88, was at a point in her life when some people give up gardening. And at any point in your life, starting from scratch on a landscape can be daunting. But with help from neighbors and relatives, she now has a landscape that she enjoys. She shared her garden on the Hamburg Garden Walk on Saturday and Sunday, July…...

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Oct 24, 2017

Count birds at your feeder during winter to help scientists

You can help scientists through Project FeederWatch by counting the birds you see at your backyard feeder from November through early April. FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. FeederWatch data help scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. You can count birds as often as every week, or as infrequently as you like. The schedule is completely flexible. All you need…...

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Oct 24, 2017