Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

spotted wing drosophila courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension

Mushy fruit? You might have invasive fruit fly called spotted wing drosophila

by Connie Oswald Stofko If you’re having problems with your fruit this year, it might be due to an invasive fruit fly called the spotted wing drosophila. The fruit fly is in Western New York. Cornell Cooperative Extension representatives in Erie, Niagara and Chautauqua counties told me it has been found those counties, and it has been found in other counties as well. One of the biggest tell-tale signs of damage from the spotted wing drosophila is beautiful looking fruit…...

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Aug 19, 2014

woman walking by test gardens at Erie Basin Marina

Miss the National Garden Festival? See the beautiful trial gardens at Erie Basin Marina

by Connie Oswald Stofko We gardeners in Western New York are spoiled. During the height of the National Garden Festival, we can visit beautiful gardens– many, many beautiful gardens– four days a week. It’s been less than two weeks since the last event of the National Garden Festival ended, but many of us miss it already. There are still lovely gardens to visit in Western New York. One of them is the Joan and Victor Fuzak Memorial Gardens at the…

Aug 12, 2014

Chef to demonstrate cooking with herbs Aug. 23 at Mischler’s; tips on growing herbs, too

Herbs can add so much to the dishes we prepare– if you know how to use herbs well. Chef Andrew Marino of the Irishman Pub and Eatery in Williamsville will present a free demonstration and tasting called “Cooking With Herbs” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Using plants available at Mischler’s, Marino will teach you how to make and plate special herb-inspired dishes. You can buy the plants and take…...

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Aug 12, 2014

There’s more to flower shows than large arrangements; here’s a darling 3-D craft

by Connie Oswald Stofko I’m always delighted by the creativity on display at flower shows. Yes, there are flower arrangements, but there is so much more. Here’s a darling three-dimensional baby bed made of plant material. Wouldn’t something like this be cute for a baby shower? I saw this at the annual flower show organized by the Eighth District Federated Garden Clubs of New York State at Plantasia in March. Chris Wheaton made this prize-winning creation. The blanket is made…...

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Aug 12, 2014

Morty the corpse flower bloomed

by Connie Oswald Stofko Morty, the corpse flower at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, finally bloomed! It opened in the wee hours of the morning Friday, Aug. 8. I went over around 10 a.m. and shot the video below. People were lined up Friday to see Morty and lines got longer on Saturday. The lines snaked through the various buildings at the Botanical Gardens, so there was plenty to look at along the way, plus volunteers were on…...

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Aug 8, 2014

Create a no-bending, no-kneeling garden like this one in Buffalo

by Connie Oswald Stofko JoAnn Yager has a small garden along the fence in her backyard, but the plants there struggle. “They never grew,” she said, “and it was too hard bending and weeding.” This year she tried something new. Her reward is that she is surrounded by flowers and herbs and vegetables, plus she eliminated all that bending and kneeling. Her trick? She used containers on her back deck. Yager shared her tips during the Black Rock &…...

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Aug 5, 2014

Kids bored? Take them to Botanical Gardens for outdoor garden, camps & more

by Connie Oswald Stofko In the outdoor children’s garden at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, kids are allowed– and encouraged– to touch the plants and experience the texture of fuzzy and glossy leaves. They can water the plants or just play with the hand pump. A big attraction is the sandbox, located comfortably in the shade of a tree. There’s a small pond where frogs and turtles have made an appearance. “There’s lots to explore,” said Kristy Blakely,…...

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Aug 5, 2014

Trellis can support vines & shade lettuce; see 3 examples from Lockwood’s community garden

You can provide support for vining vegetables such as squash or cucumbers, while at the same time providing shade for lettuce, which likes cooler temperatures, with a simple trellis. I saw three different examples built by clever gardeners earlier this summer at the community garden at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Anyone can rent a parcel in the community garden, which is a wonderfully sunny area. Parcels are $85 for 4 feet by 50 feet (200 square feet) and…...

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Aug 5, 2014

Corpse flower to bloom soon at Botanical Gardens; may happen only once a decade

UPDATE: Morty the corpse flower is blooming now. Today, Saturday, Aug. 9, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens will be open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. The last admission ticket will be sold at 11 p.m. See a video of Morty in bloom here. by Connie Oswald Stofko In a rare event that might happen only once a decade, a corpse flower is likely to bloom within the next nine days at the Buffalo and Erie County…...

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Jul 29, 2014

A lot of garden is packed into small Buffalo yard– ponds, falls, hot tub & many plants

by Connie Oswald Stofko The description of this yard on the Garden Walk Buffalo map summed it up perfectly: A lot of garden crammed into a tiny space. Bruce and Renée Adams of 533 Auburn, Buffalo, have a backyard that is about 36 feet wide but only 20 feet deep, yet they manage to squeeze in two ponds, a stream, a patio table and chairs, a hot tub and lots and lots of plants. I visited their home during the…...

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Jul 29, 2014