Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Feb. 26 is deadline to register for Gardens & Landscapes Day in Jamestown

Hear and talk to regionally renowned authorities on garden design, maintenance and plant selection at the 2014 Gardens and Landscapes Day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 1 in the Carnahan Theater at Jamestown Community College, 525 Falconer St., Jamestown. Registration is required and will close on Wednesday, February 26. Register by calling Jamestown Community College Center for Continuing Education (716) 338-1005. Cost is $40 and includes a catered lunch. Space is limited. The event is hosted by…...

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Feb 23, 2014

Garden Walk Buffalo to absorb National Garden Festival; expect events to continue as usual

by Connie Oswald Stofko The National Garden Festival, which has been looking for ways to become a sustainable organization so that it can continue into the future, will be absorbed by Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest garden walk in the United States. Visitors probably won’t notice any differences in events this year, said Cindy Loomis, president of Garden Walk Buffalo. “We anticipate the National Garden Festival will continue this year as it has, and after Garden Walk Buffalo, we’ll figure…...

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Feb 18, 2014

Orchid show set for Feb. 22 & 23; orchids & supplies will be sold

The Orchid Show, sponsored by the Niagara Frontier Orchid Society and the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, will take place at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Avenue, Buffalo. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. The show includes dozens of amazing orchid exhibits spread throughout the Gardens. Educational programs will be held both days on growing orchids and other aspects of indoor gardening. Orchids and supplies…

Feb 17, 2014

deer eating from birdfeeder in Clarence NY

Mystery of the empty bird feeder solved, plus a tip on woodchucks

by Connie Oswald Stofko When I was at the recent meeting of the Garden Friends of Clarence, Linda Klimczak, one of the members, told me about the mystery of her empty bird feeder and sent me the video that you can see below. Klimczak had gotten a squirrel-proof bird feeder and set it out on her back patio. Although the bird feeder holds quite a lot of seed, the next day it was empty. The mystery of the empty bird…...

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Feb 17, 2014

Learn how to keep chickens & more at urban farming event in Buffalo

You can tour an urban farm, learn about keeping chickens and learn the basics of aquaponics during Growing Green Spring Urban Agriculture Training, hosted by the staff of Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP). It takes place Friday through Sunday, March 7 to 9 in Buffalo. The cost for Saturday only is $150; for Sunday only, $125; free for the Friday evening reception, and $225 for all three days. The deadline to register is Feb. 28. Click here to register. At the…...

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Feb 17, 2014

ice spheres displayed in clear vase in Amherst NY

Cool table decoration: colorful frozen spheres

by Connie Oswald Stofko I have been fascinated with making decorations out of frozen spheres. I made a large arrangement of frozen spheres for my porch, then I added candle holders made out of ice. I kept thinking that you should be able to use this idea inside, too, but I quickly recognized some drawbacks. The spheres in the large arrangement don’t just balance; they’re sort of glued in place. I poured water in between the spheres. When it froze,…...

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Feb 11, 2014

Get custom potting mix for indoor plants at Lockwood’s

Now is a good time to repot your houseplants, but don’t use just any soil—Use what the professionals use at Lockwood’s Garden Center, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg. Lockwood’s Garden Center creates their own soilless potting medium, and you can buy the same mixture they use. It contains a slow-release fertilizer and is great for African violets, houseplants and outdoor window boxes and pots. While you’re there, pick up some new houseplants, too. Lockwood’s carries a wide variety of plants including…...

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Feb 11, 2014

Get “45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes” at Garden Friends of Clarence meeting

by Connie Oswald Stofko I will present “45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes” at the meeting of the Garden Friends of Clarence at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Clarence Town Park Clubhouse, 10405 Main St., Clarence. Like all the events we list on Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, this event is open to the public. 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 New York. See…

Feb 11, 2014

Rain barrel-painting contest set for high schools in Erie & Niagara Counties; register by Feb. 24

Students in grades 9-12 in Erie and Niagara Counties can enter a rain barrel-painting contest with cash prizes held in conjunction with Earth Day 2014. Schools are encouraged to enter a team, either through a class or an after-school program. The team will design and paint a rain barrel provided by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Buffalo, Inc. All participating schools will receive their final painted rain barrels to use, donate or raffle as desired. The deadline to register is…...

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Feb 11, 2014

Inspiration: Look for the diamonds in the snow

by Connie Oswald Stofko You have to brush off your car every time you want to go anywhere. There’s shoveling. Then there’s more shoveling. Then there’s still more shoveling. The air is so bitter that if it touches your forehead, you get brain freeze, also known as an ice cream headache. Only there’s no ice cream. There are a lot of reasons to irritated, fed up and cranky. If you want to pout and complain, you’re justified. And sometimes it…...

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Feb 10, 2014