by Connie Oswald Stofko If you do it right, you can have pretty flowers while helping the environment– and save time and money, too! Kerry Ann Mendez, garden designer, writer, speaker and consultant, will show you how to do that in two talks during the Education Day to be held by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County Master Gardener Program. She shared some of her tips with me in a phone interview. Details on Education Day For the first…...
During this year’s Spring Seedling Sale, you can buy tree and shrub seedlings through various counties or through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis as stock is limited, so place your order early. The seedlings will be shipped to a central location in your county where you can pick up your order on a certain date. Ordering deadlines and pickup dates vary by county. If you…...
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens will hold its popular fundraiser Taste of Paradise from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 18 at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Tickets are on sale now. They’re $30 for Botanical Gardens members and $35 for non-members, but after March 9 they go up to $40. Buy tickets online or call 827-1584, ext. 220 to purchase over the phone. Just when winter might be getting you down, you can enjoy…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Gardeners aren’t looking for plants, they’re looking for solutions, Dr. Allan Armitage told the audience of professionals and Master Gardeners at PLANT WNY’s Education Day on Feb. 5 in Depew. Armitage, a perennial guru, wrote the books Herbaceous Perennial Plants, Armitage’s Garden Perennials and Armitage’s Native Plants for North American Gardens. He also has a new app for Android and Apple devices called Armitage’s Greatest Perennials & Annuals. The advantages of the app over a book…...
Vendors of garden-oriented or nature-themed works that can be displayed in a garden setting are being sought for the Buffalo-style Garden Art Sale to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The deadline for applications is Feb. 20. New this year, the art sale will be held at a new location, the Botanical Gardens, over the span of two…
by Alex Clark The only thing that can make a garden more lively than the bright, exuberant colors of flowers, is the subtle, yet amusing presence of birds. Here are are four things you can do to learn more about birds and enjoy them in your garden. The Great Backyard Bird Count Help out your community by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. This was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display…
The Audubon Nature Center is now accepting applications for its Ryan Exline Memorial Scholarship. The $500 scholarship is for area college-bound high school seniors or Jamestown Community College students who intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree in an environmental or related field. Applications and more information may be found here and can also be obtained by calling (716) 569-2345 or emailing shatfield@jamestownaudubon.org. Applications must be received by March 15 at the Audubon Nature Center, 1600 Riverside Road, Jamestown, NY 14701. In 2009 this scholarship award…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Awhile back, some gardeners went to Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg, looking for advice. Every branch of their spirea had been coated with aphids. And if that wasn’t enough, now they had these new insects, ugly things. They brought some specimens in a small plastic bag and showed Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s. The gardeners wanted to know what to do. Should they spray the insects with some kind of a soapy solution or…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Have you ever sent flowers to a man? Why not? As we gardeners know, men like flowers. They plant flowers in their yards and go on garden walks and participate in garden clubs. And men like to receive flowers as a gift, just as women do, says Frank Mischler, president of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. For men, choose bold, masculine colors, such as you see in the video below. Another thought…...
The Erie County Master Gardeners are offering graduating seniors from Erie County high schools a chance to apply for a 2016 scholarship. In order to be eligible, students must be planning to study horticulture, botany or another related field at an accredited New York State college or university. The amount of scholarship(s) will be up to $300. Applications and information may be obtained here. All applications must be received by March 1 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County office,…...