by Connie Oswald Stofko You can find out about gardening as well as home improvement this week at the 10th annual WNY Home & Garden Expo at the Event Center at the Fairgrounds, 5600 McKinley Pkwy., Hamburg. Hours are 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb 19; noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22. Tickets are $7 at the door or $6 online. On-site…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I will present “45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes” at the meeting of the Hamburg House and Garden Club at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24 in the Hamburg Methodist Church, 116 Union St., Hamburg. Like all the events we list on Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, this event is open to the public. In my presentation, I’ll share some of the best tips I discovered as I interviewed home gardeners and gardening experts for the online gardening magazine for Western…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko What is this garden showing me? That’s what gardening expert Sally Cunningham will help you learn in one of four talks she will present during the WNY Home & Garden Expo at the Fairgrounds, 5820 South Park Ave., Hamburg. The expo will be held 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb 19; noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22. I’ll…...
While it’s still too early for you to plant seeds inside, the professionals at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses have already started many of the 200,000 plants they will sell at their yearly 49-cent Perennial Sale. The sale will begin Friday, April 24 at Mischler’s, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. They can start seeds now because they have equipment you probably don’t have, such as a thermostat-controlled germination chamber, heated misting benches and, of course, a greenhouse. There’s also a fascinating…...
An heirloom gardening seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 at Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Rd., Mumford. The day-long program will feature sessions on growing and using herbs, cooking with heirloom vegetables, seed saving and an exclusive look at the heirloom seed catalog collection at Cornell University. There will also be an opportunity to taste some special dishes prepared by the museum’s village staff for those seeking a unique culinary…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I will be one of two speakers at the meeting of the Western New York Hosta Society on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Town of Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St. at Oakwood Ave., East Aurora. Doors will open at 1 p.m. and the program will begin at 2 p.m. Dennis James of DJ’s Greenhouse in Transfer, PA, will give a presentation on “Building a Shade Garden.” Then I will share “20 Gardening Tips in…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you want to try something different in your spring garden this year, the folks at Lockwood’s Greenhouses suggest the artichoke. If you like to cook and eat artichokes, you’ll naturally be drawn to this plant, but it’s interesting in several ways to gardeners. First, it gets beautiful gray-green foliage, making it a wonderful accent plant, said Teresa Buchanan, garden center manager. You can enjoy it as a lovely addition to your flower bed. The plant…...
During the Spring Seedling Sale, you can buy tree and shrub seedlings through various counties or through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Stock is limitied, so order early. The seedlings will be shipped to a central location in your county where you can pick up your order on a certain day. Ordering deadlines vary. If you live in a county that doesn’t have a central location…...
Some of us have trouble growing flowers in our garden beds, but Jerry Powarski of West Seneca can get them to grow in his concrete driveway! Powarski didn’t plant the flowers; they were “volunteers.” The seeds dropped off from flowers that had been growing the previous year in nearby pots and found their way into the cracks in his driveway. Not only does he allow them to grow in the driveway, he weeds out any competing plants. The really difficult…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I used to think Groundhog Day was silly, but now I really like it. Not because it’s accurate, of course. Let’s take a look at what Western New York’s own Dunkirk Dave has predicted. Since he is billed as the world’s second longest prognosticating groundhog (or woodchuck), he has some experience. In 2012, Dunkirk Dave didn’t see his shadow, which is supposed to mean we would have an early spring. That year we had record-breaking hot…...