Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

coleus Kingswood Torch at Buffalo Botanical Gardens

8 reasons why the Botanical Gardens uses coleus– & why you should, too

by Connie Oswald Stofko Coleus doesn’t get showy flowers, yet it’s the featured plant in the Celebration of Coleus and Color show that starts Saturday, June 13 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Even without an emphasis on flowers, this exhibit is a favorite among some visitors to the Botanical Gardens, said Jeff Thompson, director of horticulture. What’s the attraction of coleus? Today we’ll give you eight reasons why the Botanical Gardens showcases…...

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Jun 9, 2015

Tip: Plant Egyptian walking onions & mark your calendar for Lewiston GardenFest

by Connie Oswald Stofko Carol Ann Harlos will give a talk on herbs at the 10th annual Lewiston GardenFest, which will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21, on Center Street in Lewiston. I asked her to share one tip as a preview. “Plant Egyptian walking onions,” Harlos said without hesitation. Why? “Because they walk through your garden!” she said. The plants get bulbils or bulblets at the top of the stem, the…...

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Jun 9, 2015

airy garden workshop June 2015 from Mischler's in Williamsville

Fairy garden workshops set for June 20, 21 at Mischler’s; contest set during garden walk

Make your own fairy garden in a workshop at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. You can choose from morning and afternoon sessions. The workshops will be held from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21 at Mischler’s. The cost is $25 per person per class. You could make a fairy garden like the one pictured here; the arbor that the fairy is standing under is extra…....

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Jun 9, 2015

gobike tour with Garden Walk Buffalo Niagara

Tour Buffalo gardens by bike on June 20

You can tour some of Buffalo’s most beautiful gardens on the GObike City Garden Tour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 20 as part of Garden Walk Buffalo Niagara (formerly National Garden Festival). This will be a fun and relaxed seven-mile tour of some of Buffalo’s most beautiful gardens in and around Allentown. It includes a box lunch. The cost is $30 for the public or $25 for GObike Buffalo members. There is a limit of 30 people,…...

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Jun 9, 2015

rue at Mike Weber Greenhouses in West Seneca NY

7 unusual uses for easy-to-grow herbs; you can plant them all summer

by Connie Oswald Stofko Everybody knows you can use herbs to season your food, but there are many other uses for these wonderful plants, said Jen Weber, retail manager at Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. Today we’ll talk about just a few of the 90 varieties of herbs grown by Mike Weber Greenhouses. What I like most about herbs is that they’re easy to grow. “They just don’t want to be overwatered,” Weber said. As I’ve said…...

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Jun 2, 2015

bee flying into hosta flower in Amherst NY

Help bees, butterflies & other pollinators

by Connie Oswald Stofko Whether we want to grow food or enjoy beautiful flowers, pollinators are so important to our gardens that an entire week has been dedicated to them. About 75 percent of all flowering plants rely on animal pollinators, according to Pollinator Partnership, which works to protect the health of these animals that are vital to not only our gardens, but to agriculture and our ecosystem. The group initiated Pollinator Week, held this year from June 15-21, out…...

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Jun 2, 2015

Exhibit June 5-27 to feature art created during Open Gardens last year; art can be purchased

Garden Walk Buffalo Niagara will hold an exhibition of artwork that was created during Open Gardens last year. (During Open Gardens, clusters of private gardens are open to the public on Thursdays or Fridays. Open Gardens will be held again this year in July.) The opening of the art exhibit will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 5 at Studio Hart, 65 Allen St, Buffalo. The exhibit continues through June 27. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon…...

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Jun 2, 2015

Mushrooms by Elizabeth Miller courtesy Audubon Nature Center

June 30 is deadline for Audubon photo contest; photo workshop set for June 20

The deadline is Tuesday, June 30 for submitting photographs to the Audubon Nature Center’s 2015 Nature Photography Contest. You can choose photographs from your collection or shoot new ones. Photographers with any level of experience can enter. All submissions are made online. The Youth Division is for people ages 8-18 or who are still in high school; the Adult Division is for people 18 and over or are post-high school. Youth and Adult winners in the three categories of Landscapes,…...

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Jun 2, 2015

Shayne Dark exhibit at Botanical Gardens depicts nature, shaped by humans

by Connie Oswald Stofko Shayne Dark doesn’t want you to be intimidated by his artwork. Dark took a break last week from installing Tanglewood, the blue artwork you can now see on the front lawn of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, to talk about his art and how it connects with nature and gardens. His works are being showcased at the Botanical Gardens in a collaboration between the Albright-Knox Public Art Initiative and the Botanical Gardens. Dark’s works…...

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May 26, 2015

yarn around tomato cage in Buffalo NY area

Help a reader: Is it safe to use concrete reinforcing wire around tomatoes?

by Connie Oswald Stofko A reader sent me this gardening question that I can’t answer, but I hope one of my readers can. Can we use concrete reinforcing wire in our gardens? If you can answer his question, please leave a comment below. Here’s the whole question: Hi Connie. I have a question for you or one of your readers. I’ve read a lot about using concrete reinforcing wire to make sturdy tomato cages. All I’ve ever seen about that wire is…...

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May 26, 2015