by Connie Oswald Stofko You may have seen succulents displayed vertically on a wall– we showed you a framed arrangement with a mirror that the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens used in its succulents show a few years ago. This year the folks at the Botanical Gardens thought it would be cool to create arrangements that look like abstract art, said Kristin Pochopin, director of horticulture at the Botanical Gardens. John Santomieri, horticulturist, suggested they take some of the…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I will present “45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes” at the meeting of the Barker Garden Club at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, in the Barker Public Library, 8706 Main St., Barker. I will share 45 tips that I have come across while writing for BuffaloNiagaraGardening.com, the online gardening magazine for Western New York. I have to average one tip per minute, so it’s fun to see if I can squeeze them all in! Whether you’re…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You could see– and hear– the nearby convenience store from the backyard. But not anymore. Bernie Grosser and Jim Jankowski now have a private backyard paradise at their home on Tudor Place in West Seneca. I visited them during the fifth annual West Seneca Tour of Gardens held July 23 and 24. In addition to having a noisy store nearby, another challenge of this yard is that it is situated at the top of a…...
The Botanical Gardens is about to end its travel raffle. The grand prize is a customized “dream vacation” where you choose the destination. Only 700 tickets are being sold, so your chances to win one of three prizes are good. There are three chances to win on each ticket, and the cost is $20 per ticket. The winners will be drawn on Sept. 1. Winners don’t need to be present. To claim the grand prize and second prize, you must…...
Register now for the 19th annual Fall Hosta Forum to be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at Edinboro University, 219 Meadville St., Edinboro, PA. The mail-in registration form must be received by Sept. 2. The event is organized by the Western New York Hosta Society along with the Daffodil and Hosta Society of Western Pennsylvania. The program will include speakers, vendors, lunch, door prizes and a silent auction. There will also be an auction of…
The annual Gala at the Gardens will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Guests will delight in the indoor and outdoor gardens while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and sipping cocktails with friends. Dinner, catered by Oliver’s, will be served under a lovely tent behind the Botanical Gardens. A live auction, hosted by Cash Cunningham, will engage guests bidding on spectacular auction packages to raise…...
Garden walks are done for the season in Western New York, but there are gardens you can still enjoy: Peace Gardens. The Peace Garden Trail of New York State is made up of 19 gardens across the state that commemorate the peace that has existed between Canada and the United States since the War of 1812. Get suggested itineraries here for visiting the gardens. The gardens in the Greater Niagara Region are located in Batavia; Niagara Falls; Lewiston; Hull House…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Natural stone not only adds charm to your landscape, it can be easier to work with than concrete, said Ethan Waterman, manager of Waterman’s Greenhouse, 12317 Vaughn St. (Route 240), East Concord (Springville). The first reason that it’s easier using natural stone for a garden wall is that a piece of natural stone is smaller and much lighter than a concrete block, he said. You don’t have to be a weight lifter to work with natural…...
Hundreds of daylilies, hostas and irises will be for sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The sale will be in the Administration Building. You should arrive early because there will be a long line waiting for the doors to open. All of the plants will be labeled and will be available at reasonable prices. Experts will be on hand to answer your plant…...
If you see an oak tree suddenly lose leaves during August, report it to the New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The tree could have oak wilt, a very serious tree disease in the eastern United States, killing thousands of oaks each year in forests, woodlots and home landscapes. Report suspected cases of oak wilt to the Forest Health Information Line toll-free at 1-866-640-0652 or email foresthealth@dec.ny.gov. The DEC and Department of Agriculture and Markets announced that oak…...