by Connie Oswald Stofko I was talking with some gardeners recently who began to commiserate about how poorly their roses did this year. Since mine did quite well, I was surprised to hear they had problems. Then I remembered where I was– South Buffalo, one of the areas hardest hit by the Snowvember Storm. That lake-effect storm hit a year ago next week, Nov. 17-21, 2014. In just a few days, they got a whole winter’s worth of snow– seven…...
The new Knox Farm Garden Club aims to restore the gardens and grounds at Knox Farm State Park, 437 Buffalo Rd., East Aurora. The club was formed in September and already has 23 members, but is looking for more members. The immediate goals of the club are: To clean out the gardens surrounding the main house and the grounds To develop a plan to plant historically significant plants based on the original garden designs created by landscape architect Ellen Biddle…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko What a forecast! For the next few days, it’s supposed to be unseasonably warm in Western New York, with highs in the high 60s– even 70s– Fahrenheit. That’s too good to miss. Need an excuse to get outside and enjoy this great November weather? Here are 11. Prepare for spring by taking photos of your garden now There probably aren’t many flowers in your garden right now, but that’s why this is a good time to snap…...
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Ph.D., a member of the Potawatomi nation and a professor of environmental science, will speak on her culture and biodiversity at the meeting of the Niagara Frontier Botanical Society at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. Dr. Kimmerer will present “The Honorable Harvest: Indigenous Knowledge for Biodiversity Conversation.” Dr. Kimmerer is a distinguished teaching professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. She…...
Applications for the Garden Walk Buffalo Marvin Lunenfeld Beautification Grants, named for Garden Walk Buffalo’s founder, are now available. Completed applications are due Feb. 17. Applications and eligibility requirements can be found here, or you can call (716) 247-5004 and they will mail you an application. The application process is easy and they will offer assistance if there are any questions. Garden Walk Buffalo is a major event in the City of Buffalo, showcasing gardens and drawing tourists to the…...
Do you have a garden you would like to show off? We have a page, the Your Photos page, dedicated to sharing photos from local gardeners of Western New York. Email us your photos and let other gardeners know what you have been doing. Some photos you can see are birds building their home, a butterfly relaxing on a flower, quirky finds in the garden and activities of garden clubs. Gardener or not, you are more than welcome to send us your…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko This has been a gorgeous autumn with a wonderful display of autumn leaves. Now that those leaves are falling, let’s put them to use. Crunch them for compost or mulch If you have a lawn mower with a bag on it, it’s easy for you to crunch up and collect your fallen leaves. If you don’t have a bag, rake your leaves onto a concrete or asphalt driveway, then go over them with the lawnmower. That…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I will present “45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 upstairs at Dog Ears Bookstore & Cafe, 688 Abbott Rd., South Buffalo. Call 823-book (2665) to reserve your seat. The cafe will be serving until 8 p.m. The talk is sponsored by South Buffalo CREW (Concerned Residents Engaged in Work). In my presentation, I’ll share some of the best tips I discovered as I have interviewed home gardeners and gardening experts…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A reader once asked me if only Native Americans were allowed to grow white corn. “It’s our traditional food, but anybody can grow it,” said Layfayette Williams, project assistant with the Food is Medicine Project of the Seneca Nation, which aims to improve people’s health through native plants and cultural initiatives. You can learn more about growing white corn and braiding it for drying during a corn husking bee to be held from 1 to 7…...
A new, larger greenhouse at Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara will not only benefit the horticulture therapy and vocational programs there, but will provide more space for hands-on workshops and other special events for the public. A ribbon cutting for the new Covanta Energy Greenhouse was held on Oct. 12 by Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara, 2510 Niagara Falls Blvd., Wheatfield. “Through this new facility, working spaces have been created for people of all abilities to learn through hands-on experience about many different…...