When you’re thinning out your perennials, you probably feel sad when you have to throw those extra plants on the compost pile. Two Western New York organizations that would be delighted to find a good home for those plants are the Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford and Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo. Genesee Country Village & Museum The Genesee Country Village & Museum recreates a 19th-century country village with costumed interpreters in restored historic buildings. This season the gardeners…...
Update: Impatiens might do okay in WNY this year, or they might not
by Connie Oswald Stofko If this summer is like last summer in Western New York, you might be able to plant impatiens and have them perform well, perhaps into August, anyway. But there are still a lot of ifs involved, and there are certainly no guarantees. Margery Daughtrey, senior extension associate with Cornell University who co-wrote a fact sheet on how downy mildew affects impatiens, gives us an update on what Western New York gardeners might expect from impatiens this…...
Things you can do in your garden now & tips to push the season
by Connie Oswald Stofko The weather will be warmer this week and it will be great to get outside and work in your garden. There are many things you can do in your garden right now, and, if you’re an impatient gardener, we have a few tips on how you might try to push the season from Teresa Buchanan, garden center manager at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Now is a great time to plant trees and shrubs, Buchanan…...
June 6 is deadline to register your garden for Ken-Ton Garden Tour
The Ken-Ton Garden Tour is now accepting applications to have your garden on this year’s tour, which will be held Friday through Sunday, July 18 through 20. New this year: The Night Lights tour will be held on Friday as well as Saturday; in the past it was held on Saturday only. Hours are 8:30 to 11 p.m. both nights. The daytime tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Applications to have your garden…...
Sign up by June 20 to show your garden on West Seneca Tour of Gardens
The deadline is June 20 to sign up to have your garden on the third annual West Seneca Tour of Gardens. To sign up, contact the organizers, Dave or Sharon Pulinski, at 824-3995 or email sharonpulinski@yahoo.com. This year the garden will be held for two days instead of just one, said Sharon Pulinski. That way even if the weather is bad on one day, there’s still a chance for better weather the next day. A gardener can choose to show…...
Garden Walk Buffalo awards grants to community groups
Garden Walk Buffalo has awarded a total of $8,945 in 2014 Marvin Lunenfeld Beautification Grants to block clubs, non-profits and neighborhood associations for beautification projects in the neighborhoods of Garden Walk Buffalo. Award amounts are based on the overall project cost. Eligible projects are required to include matching funds from government, private contributions or volunteer sweat equity. The grants have helped to fund more than 80 garden beautification projects for a total of more than $60,000 since they began in…...
You can help protect bees from toxins; learn more at Honey Bee Festival
by Connie Oswald Stofko Let the clover and dandelions grow in your lawn. Minimize your pesticide use, too, especially on flowers that are attractive to honey bees. Those are ways gardeners can help with the problem of Colony Collapse Disorder, said Reed Johnson, assistant professor in the Department of Entomology at the Ohio State University. Dr. Johnson will speak at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 3 at the Honey Bee Festival at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South…...
Two new emerald ash borer infestations confirmed in WNY
Recent detections of trees infested with Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Angola (Erie County) and Fredonia (Chautauqua County), both near the NYS Thruway, remind us that we need to continue to prepare for the eventual spread of this devastating invasive insect, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension. The Chautauqua detection is the first reported find of EAB infested ash trees in that county, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). A free information session on the EAB…
Welcome Mike Weber Greenhouses, our new premium partner
Please welcome our new new premium partner, Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. Mike Weber Greenhouses is known for their Gardener’s Own™ brand plants that they grow themselves. You can buy these high-quality plants at their garden center as well as at Wegmans and at other independent garden centers. As you plan your herb garden, plan a stop at Mike Weber Greenhouses. They grow 95 different varieties of herbs. It’s a popular place for flowers, too– They specialize…...
Master Gardeners to hold events May 17 in Cattaraugus, Genesee counties
The Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners in Cattaraugus and Genesee counties will hold events on May 17. Cattaraugus County Cornell University Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners in Cattaraugus County will host a Gardening Day for interested gardeners of all levels of experience from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at the Ellicottville Town Center/ Cooperative Extension Center, 28 Parkside Dr., Ellicottville. The program is free and open to the public. This year’s program will feature six sessions related to…...