A new hosta show called Buffalo: The City of Light will be held by the Western New York Hosta Society from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 22 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. In this unique show, hundreds of single hosta leaves (not the flowers) will be displayed in vases and grouped by size and color. Judges will analyze each leaf for awards. Anyone may enter. Entries will be accepted from 8:30…...
Help a reader: Is there a trick to using soaker hoses?
by Connie Oswald Stofko I received this question from a reader: Is there some trick to using soaking hoses? The round black ones that are slightly smaller around than a regular hose are the ones I bought and they are made by Swan so that’s usually a good brand. I have a 100-foot perennial bed that I have been nagged about literally for years to put in hoses so I don’t have to spend so much time watering. I bought…...
Coleus can add color & height to shady gardens; see spectacular displays at Botanical Gardens
by Connie Oswald Stofko “The colors are breathtaking,” said Jeff Thompson, director of horticulture at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, talking about the coleus ‘Chocolate Covered Cherry’. “It will visually will stun you.” The colors in ‘Chocolate Covered Cherry’, which you can see in the first photo, are indeed mouth watering. A center the color of cherry candy is surrounded by a chocolatey brown. A thin border of minty green traces around the edges. “The color combination is…...
Keep your hands soft with Gardener’s Healing Balm from Mike Weber Greenhouses
You may notice that when you’re working in your garden a lot, your hands get dry. Jen Weber, retail manager at Mike Weber Greenhouses, had the same problem. “Working here and being outside, my hands cracked a lot,” Weber said. “I don’t like using greasy hand lotion. I wanted something that wasn’t greasy, but that worked.” Her search led her to make her own solid bars of hand lotion. “I used it last June and July and it worked,” she…...
National Garden Festival coming up: Garden walks start next week, open gardens in July
by Connie Oswald Stofko The big question people have been asking me is whether the open gardens will return this year as part of the National Garden Festival. The answer is yes! This year the open gardens will be held only in July on Thursdays or Fridays. The listing of all the open gardens should be available within a few days online. When the list is published, you’ll see the address of each garden and the times and days it…...
Starry Night in the Garden to feature A Great Big World and Kodaline
Starry Night in the Garden, a fundraiser for the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 18 in the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The headliners will be A Great Big World and Kodaline. General admission tickets include entry to the concert and the Botanical Gardens, a wine glass, wine, beer and delicious tidbits from local restaurants. VIP tickets include everything listed above and a private VIP party and…...
Tips on color and more from my sneak peek at Celebration of Coleus & Color
By Connie Oswald Stofko Because Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com is the proud sponsor of the upcoming Celebration of Coleus & Color exhibit at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, I was given a peek of what’s in store–It’s going to be spectacular! I got to see some of the containers being prepared for the show and Jeff Thompson, director of horticulture at the Botanical Gardens, shared tips you can use at home, too. Mark your calendar: The show will be held from…...
Dangerous plant: Do not touch giant hogweed! It can cause severe burns and blindness
by Connie Oswald Stofko I saw giant hogweed in Niagara County several years ago. It was about four feet tall and I thought it was an overgrown Queen Anne’s lace. Boy, am I glad I didn’t go near it! Its sap, in combination with moisture and sunlight, can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blistering, permanent scarring and blindness. This is a seriously dangerous plant. The plant has been identified in every county in Western New York. See a…...
How to protect seedlings & sprouts when applying mulch
by Connie Oswald Stofko Usually I share tips that I hear from another gardener, but I’m proud to say I came up with this tip myself. My sister, Maxine Osiewicz of Clarence, was telling me about her big project for the weekend. She and her husband Bob were going to spread mulch on their garden beds. The problem, she said, was that there were some tiny lupine plants coming up and she didn’t want to cover them up with the…...
I’ll be giving presentations in WNY this month; stop by and say hello!
by Connie Oswald Stofko Please stop by and say hello as I give presentations around Western New York in the coming weeks. I’m looking forward to it! Western New York Dairy/Agricultural Festival 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7 Town Hall, 86 Franklin St., Springville. “45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes.” I’ll share some of the best tips I’ve come across over the years. I have to cover one tip per minute, so it will be exciting to see if I…...