by Connie Oswald Stofko When it comes to dealing with pests such as deer and rabbits, the bad news is that there is no single technique that works all the time. The good news is that there are lots and lots of things you can try. When I speak to gardening groups, I get a chance to talk with gardeners, and they’re happy to share what works for them. I’m always coming across new ideas on how to deal with pests…....
You could win a personal landscape consultation with nationally known gardening expert David Clark at Vines & Wines, a fundraising event to benefit the horticulture program and its participants with disabilities at Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara. He will also give a presentation on organic growing tips. The event will be held from 3-8 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at the Merani Hotel Group’s Four Points by Sheraton, 7001 Buffalo Ave., Niagara Falls. The hotel is offering a reduced room rate for…...
June 15 is the deadline to apply for fall 2015 scholarships from the Western New York Nurseryman’s Association Foundation. Get the applications here. The scholarships are available to full-time college students enrolled in a degree program and permanently residing in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans or Wyoming Counties or to high school students who will be furthering their education in horticulture. For more information, call (716) 741-8047 or email membership@plantwny.com. The scholarships are: Toby Martino Memorial Scholarship (available to a high school senior only)…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko In some months when you approached the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, the entrance beds were full of flowers. But in other months, they looked sad. “It would look like scorched earth,” said Jeff Thompson, director of horticulture. “It was just tilled ground.” You can expect wonderful beds there year-round now that the entrance gardens have been designated as one of six elite Proven Winners Signature Gardens in the country. The goal is to develop a showcase…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Sometimes people steal my photos, and when I find out, it upsets me. When I tell the thieves that I have caught them and they must take my photo off their website, they’re often upset, too, because they didn’t know they were doing anything wrong. Many people think that they can take any photo they find on the Internet and use it on their own blog or website. It’s okay, they think, as long as they indicate where…...
The Western New York Land Conservancy and the Friends of the Stella Niagara Preserve have received a $200,000 challenge gift by a local couple, Pamela and Joe Priest, to help create the Stella Niagara Preserve, a new nature preserve on the Niagara River in Lewiston. The Land Conservancy is asking residents, businesses, and foundations to donate and match this challenge gift by June 1 in order to complete the project on time and to open the preserve to the public later…...
You can call in your gardening and landscape questions during a radio show called “Gardener’s Corner” sponsored by PLANT WNY’s foundation. “Gardener’s Corner” will be part of the Home Improvement Hour on WBEN 930 am and will air from 11:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays for six weeks starting May 2. Chris Zeisz, a lifetime CNLP (certified nursery and landscape professional) and owner of Snyder Ridge Landscaping & Garden Center, will be the host of the show. He will have guests…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Now is a good time to install hardscapes in your yard—things like paths, trellises and retaining walls for raised beds and slopes. Here’s a creative idea for a retaining wall that I saw at Plantasia in March. It’s made out of old books. While this wall was in place for only a few days and was displayed inside a building where it never got rained on, I think it could work in the real world. The books wouldn’t…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko One marker says “Dog crossing” and another announces “I love my cat.” For gardeners who don’t want to take sides, there’s a marker that says “Bless all the creatures of the garden.” Express your feelings for whatever animal has stolen your heart with garden ornaments from Goodman’s Farm Market, 2227 Cayuga Dr. Ext., Niagara Falls. Maybe your dog joins you in your garden, creating holes in places where you need them, or more likely, where you don’t need them. You can…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s the sale that gardeners wait all year for— Mischler’s 49-cent perennial sale. Since it comes around only once a year, you should do a little preparation so you can make the most of it. The sale will be held Friday, April 24 to Sunday, May 3 at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. (Please note that it starts this Friday; I had the starting date wrong last week.) Sale hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday…...