Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Buy a mini-Morty & more at Great Plant Sale at Botanical Gardens

by Connie Oswald Stofko Remember Morty, the huge, stinky corpse flower that made its appearance at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in 2014? You can buy a smaller “cousin” of Morty to call your own at the Great Plant Sale. The voodoo lily, which smells like rotting meat, is one of the new offerings available this year at the Great Plant Sale to be held Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20 at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave.,…...

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May 16, 2017

Stinging nettle: weed or crop?

by Paul Hetzler, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County If you have a nettle patch, put away the weed killer and consider yourself lucky to have this tasty plant. Many gardeners don’t like stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) because they are painful to touch. The plants sprout little hypodermic needles on their stems, leaves and even flowers. These glass-like silica-based needles, called trichomes, inject a mixture of irritating chemicals upon contact. So why would you risk putting it in your…...

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May 16, 2017

Deadline is June 16 for scholarships from PLANT WNY; spring recipients named

The PLANT WNY Foundation is offering scholarships for students to study horticulture. The scholarships are available to high school and college students. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 16 for the fall semester. The scholarships are awarded twice a year. Get the applications and more details here. The recipents of the spring 2017 PLANT WNY Foundation Scholarships are: Bryce Gossel, Niagara County Community College – Fred Howarth Memorial Scholarship Marie Myers Shearing, University at Buffalo – The George O…....

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May 16, 2017

raking by Grassroots Gardens in Buffalo NY

Volunteers, items needed by Grassroots Gardens

by Connie Oswald Stofko If you enjoy gardening, consider volunteering with Grassroots Gardens WNY or helping them out in other ways. That organization has gardens in the City of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Volunteer The community gardens of Grassroots Gardens WNY could always use extra help, especially at spring planting time. You can choose to help out on a regular basis or just once. You can pick one garden or help throughout their network as needed. Sometimes they schedule work…...

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May 16, 2017

Tropical annuals will brighten your landscape

by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s time to start thinking about adding color to your summer garden with tropical annuals, said Ethan Waterman, manager of Waterman’s Greenhouse, 12317 Vaughn St. (Route 240), East Concord (Springville). While you can buy them now, it’s still too early to plant them outside because they need to be protected from the cold, Waterman said. You want to wait until the air temperatures, day and night, are above 55 or 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If you purchase…...

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May 9, 2017

Wasp could help battle red lily leaf beetle, but not soon

by Connie Oswald Stofko A parasitic wasp could help Western New York gardeners battle the red lily leaf beetle, but that help is still years away, said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. What to do now with red lily leaf beetle Now is the time to look for the red lily leaf beetle, which can cause extensive damage to lilies and a spring bulb plant called fritillaria. The pests aren’t a problem for daylilies,…...

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May 9, 2017

plants for sale in pots illustration copyright Connie Oswald Stofko

Compost bin sale set; look for plant sales in WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko The gardening season is taking off in Western New York. A sale of compost bins and rain barrels is set in Erie County, and many garden clubs and organizations are holding plant sales. When you’re looking for plants, gardening supplies and landscapers, check out the businesses that support Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. See our Gardening Directory and click on any of the ads on our site. Sale of compost bins, rain barrels A sale of rain barrels, compost bins…...

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May 9, 2017

floral clock photo illustration by Connie Oswald Stofko

Hear 45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes in East Amherst

Connie Oswald Stofko, editor of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, will present “45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes” at the meeting of the Town & Country Garden Club at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11 in the cafeteria of Transit Middle School, 8730 Transit Rd., East Amherst. Go to the back entrance. Like all the events we list on Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, this is open to the public. The club is looking for new members, too. Stofko will share 45 tips that she has come across while…...

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May 9, 2017

Plant onions now & why trying for a head start with tomatoes may backfire

by Connie Oswald Stofko Vegetable gardeners are eager to get planting, and there is a lot you can do now– if your soil is workable after all that rain. Give it the squeeze test. If you squeeze a handful of soil and it sticks together, it’s too wet to plant. If you squeeze it and it crumbles, you can plant. If you want to plant cool-weather veggies, this is the time to do it, said Jen Weber, retail manager…...

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May 2, 2017

Badding Bros offers coupons just for you

Because you are a reader of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, you can take advantage of a couple of coupons from Badding Bros Farm Market, 10820 Transit Rd., between Millersport Highway and North French, East Amherst. With the first coupon, get 20 to 50 percent off all ceramic pottery on Mother’s Day weekend, Friday-Sunday, May 12-14. A plant in a lovely pot makes a great gift. Pick up pots for your own yard as well. With the second coupon, get a free four-inch plant…...

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May 2, 2017