by Connie Oswald Stofko Mischler’s 49-cent perennial sale starts this week, and today we’re going to talk about using perennials in containers. We’ll also show you a couple of easy-to-maintain flowers that attract pollinators for your garden beds. The sale will be held from Friday, April 28 to Saturday, May 6 at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko I’ve been getting emails from people wanting to know what to do with lawns filled with lesser celandine. My best advice is to not let it get that far. Dig it up now. And do it this year when you have only a few patches! This is a serious weed, said Carol Ann Harlos, Master Gardener, garden writer and speaker. “You have two choices,” Harlos said. “You can either spend the time and dig it out…...
The deadline is May 15 for gardeners to sign up for Garden Walk Buffalo. The deadline for vendors to sign up for the Buffalo-style Garden Art Sale has been extended to May 15. In other news, Gardens Buffalo Niagara, the group that organizes the garden walks, Open Gardens and other events, is looking for an executive director. Applications for that part-time contractor position are due by May 15. Register your garden for Garden Walk Buffalo Gardeners from the Peace Bridge to…...
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens will celebrate moms with a Mother’s Day Membership Markdown from May 1 through 14. And on Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 13 and 14, a small café will be set up from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The café will be a casual experience where guests can enjoy fresh, portable snacks, sweet treats and creative herbaceous drinks from chef Avi Altman of…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko No matter what size garden you have– even if it’s only a few containers on your balcony– we invite you to join the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. One of the significant threats to the health of pollinators is the scarcity and degradation of plants that they use for forage. The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge wants to increase the number of landscapes of every size– including pots on a balcony– that have plants that provide the nectar…...
Annual baskets can add a splash of color to your garden, and at Waterman’s Greenhouse, you can get exactly what you want. Do you have a favorite flower or color? Is there a certain mixture of plants you like? Do you need something large and showy? Place an order for a custom-designed container of annuals now. Waterman’s staff will plant it up and care for it until the weather is ready for you to place it outside. By then it…...
While you can prune many kinds of trees in spring and early summer, don’t prune oak trees now. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recommends holding off on pruning oak trees until winter to protect them from oak wilt, a deadly tree disease. Oak wilt can kill trees in as little as four to six weeks and is one of the most destructive tree diseases. The video, ‘Winter Pruning For Oak Wilt Prevention’ (two minutes long) highlights why…...
Gardeners and vendors are sought to participate in the 12th annual Lewiston GardenFest, which is set for Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18 along Center Street in Lewiston. Applications are due May 1. Lewiston residents who are interested in showcasing their gardens can apply to be part of this year’s open gardens. You can share your entire yard or or just a particular section of your yard. Festival attendees can view the participating gardens only when the “Open Garden”…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Hummingbirds are making their way back to Western New York, said Penny Durnin of North Tonawanda, moderator of the Hummingbird Forum (which is no longer online). The birds are hungry after their long trip, so now is a good time to hang your hummingbird feeder. Durnin has very generously shared lots of great information with readers in articles here in 2011 and 2013. She has also added more information in the comments sections of those articles…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko We might not think about it a lot, but so much in gardening has to do with science. Whether it’s basic botany or soil testing or research on plant diseases or the new weather patterns we’re experiencing due to climate change, we depend on science in gardening. Yet talking about science has become something of a hot-button political issue. But it doesn’t have to be that way. “You can care about this without being political,” said Elizabeth Schiavoni,…...