I got this question from a reader: I bought some perennials that I didn’t get a chance to plant: leopard’s bane, hardy aster, cone flowers and Munstead lavender. It has already frosted once I believe. Is it to late too plant outside? If so, can I store them indoors in the same containers that they came in? Thanks, Deborah In the two days since I received this question, Western New York has had snow as well as frost…....
Get a jump on the holidays with Christmas open house at Lockwood’s
Lockwood’s Greenhouses will hold a Christmas open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 16, at the garden center, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Whether you’re looking for Christmas gifts or decorations for your own home, you’ll find a spectacular array at Lockwood’s. Make your purchases early– A free gift will be given to the first 100 guests with purchase. Enjoy a festive atmosphere with free refreshments including homemade cookies, savory treats and hot spiced cider. There will also…...
Learn the story of hosta ‘Niagara Falls’ from world-renowned hosta hybridizer
by Connie Oswald Stofko How the hosta ‘Niagara Falls’ was created is the fascinating story of an artist with a love for family and her country. Olga Petryszyn, the world renowned hosta hybridizer who bred ‘Niagara Falls’, will speak at the meeting of the Western New York Hosta Society on Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St. near Oakwood, East Aurora. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 2 p.m. The event…...
5 tips from Graycliff’s landscape restoration you can use in your own garden
by Connie Oswald Stofko Over the years, many changes were made to the landscape at Graycliff Estate, 6472 Old Lake Shore Rd., Derby. The historic landmark was designed by the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright as a summer home for Isabelle R. Martin and her husband, Darwin D. Martin, a wealthy Buffalo businessman. To bring Graycliff back to Wright’s original vision, the landscape has been restored to look as it did when it was completed in 1931. Reine Hauser, executive…...
Want an indoor flowering plant that’s really different? Grow tea!
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you want a really different kind of plant to grow indoors this fall and winter, grow tea. Yes, tea. The stuff you steep in hot water and drink. You can buy Sochi tea, a tea plant from the Sochi area of Russia, at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Our climate is almost, but not quite, mild enough to grow tea outside all year long in our gardens, said Fred Safford, who is in charge…...
Fifth-graders can enter Arbor Day poster contest; deadline is Dec. 17
Fifth-graders can help increase public awareness about trees in New York by participating in the annual National Arbor Day Poster Contest. The deadline is Dec. 17. The annual Arbor Day Poster Contest is sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Agriculture and Markets. Students are asked to create an original poster depicting this year’s contest theme: “New York’s Forest Where We Live!” The New York State winner will have his or her artwork…...
Frozen in time: Roses are beautiful covered with frost in Western New York
Patty Brandel of Getzville sent in this great photo compilation, saying, “I thought you might like to see these beautiful roses that were frozen in time in my yard early this morning!” While that frost on the ground had many gardeners groaning over what they might have lost in the cold, Patty went outside with her camera and captured this spectacular sight. I’m glad she shared these icy images with us. You can see more great images on the Your…...
How to keep basil over winter: Free class discusses growing tomatoes inside, too
by Connie Oswald Stofko The days are getting shorter and colder and soon we’ll be seeing snow in Western New York, but you can continue to grow food plants– inside! In this article, Jak Kochems, horticulture consultant at Arbordale Nurseries and Landscaping in the Getzville area of Amherst, gives us tips on how to bring basil plants inside and care for them over the winter. If you haven’t already brought your basil plant inside, do it now– a freeze can kill…...
Halloween fun: Be creative in your WNY garden all year long
I visited the yard of Jim “Wak” Nowicki during Garden Walk Buffalo in July. He had lots of interesting elements in his summer garden, including live fish in bowls suspended from tree branches, which we’ll talk about more toward the end of this article. But he doesn’t relegate his creativity to the summer months. He took a few moments out of the tour of his summer gardens to give me a sneak peek at his Halloween decorations that were stored…...
Buffalo is represented in book on garden tourism
The first ever book on garden tourism was published earlier this year, and Buffalo is represented. Jim Charlier, author of the blog Art of Gardening, gives us the details in this post. Charlier is seven-time past president of Garden Walk Buffalo as well as the current chair of its marketing committee. He is a co-founder of the National Garden Festival and is on its planning committee. Garden Tourism was written by Dr. Richard W. Benfield, associate professor of Geography at…...