Garden Walk Buffalo poster 2018

Garden Walk Buffalo needs artwork for 25th anniversary poster

Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest garden walk in the United States, will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2019 and needs artwork for the anniversary poster.  Entries are due Jan. 31. This is an opportunity to share your artwork with hundreds of local gardeners and thousands of visitors. Artwork should communicate: • Descriptives: gardens, flowers, creativity, neighborhood • 25th Anniversary: You may choose to incorporate the number “25” into your artwork if applicable. It is not a requirement to do so, but…

Nov 12, 2018
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container gardening on wheelchair ramp

You can do container gardening anywhere– even on a wheelchair ramp!

  by Connie Oswald Stofko Don’t have a big yard? You can do container gardening anywhere–even on a wheelchair ramp! Growing flowers or vegetables in pots is called container gardening. Container gardening counts as real gardening! I’ve seen it done in small spaces on balconies, decks and porches. I saw a clever example of container gardening done on a wheelchair ramp at the home of Dorothy Gambino during the Samuel Capen Garden Walk in July. Gambino chose the vegetables she wanted– tomatoes…

Nov 6, 2018
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flowers on sunchoke in Amherst NY 2013

Plant sunchokes in pots; now is time to plant

by Connie Oswald Stofko I’ve been growing sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes) for several years now. These cool plants can grow 10 feet tall in one season. They get small yellow flowers. Not only that, you can eat the root! See more here. They’re very easy to grow– perhaps too easy. They spread a lot. Even if you try to harvest all of the tubers, it’s easy to miss a piece. The next year, you find you have sunchokes growing…

Nov 6, 2018
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See award-winning specimens & learn about growing at Orchid Show

The annual fall Orchid Show  will be held by the Niagara Frontier Orchid Society and the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10 and 11 at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.  Dozens of orchids, including award-winning orchids, will be dispersed throughout the Botanical Gardens for visitors to enjoy. Informal educational presentations will be held both days on growing orchids and other aspects of indoor orchid gardening. You can…

Nov 6, 2018
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broom leaves on perennial bed in Western New York

How to mulch ground cover, plus 4 more tips for autumn leaves in WNY

  by Lyn Chimera of Lessons From Nature  Many people dread raking up autumn leaves, but you should look forward to it. Leaves are a free resource for your landscape, a bonus from nature. Don’t throw them away! Here are five tips on using autumn leaves in different parts of your landscape. Leaves on the lawn If there is a light covering of leaves on your lawn, you can mow right over them and leave the chopped-up leaves on the lawn. They…

Oct 30, 2018
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Halloween bat

Bats are great for your landscape; poster will promote bat habitats

by Connie Oswald Stofko Don’t believe what you see portrayed in Halloween decorations. Bats aren’t scary– They’re amazing! To encourage people to welcome bats into their landscapes, “Habitats for Bats” will be the theme of the 5th Grade Arbor Day Poster Contest sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Agriculture and Markets and Department of Education. Posters must be submitted by Dec. 21 to your local DEC regional office to allow time for judging and printing of the artwork. See…

Oct 30, 2018
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holly raguza, Bugwood.org

Spotted lanternflies found in NYS; look for egg masses

by Connie Oswald Stofko Back in May, we told you about the spotted lanternfly (SLF), a new invasive insect that can damage many plants and can secrete so much messy “honeydew” that people can’t go outside without getting honeydew on their hair and clothes. In September and October, both dead and live SLF have been found in New York State. Autumn is the time that the SLF lays eggs, so look for egg masses as well as adults. Updates on SLF found…

Oct 23, 2018
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bulbs of garlic in Buffalo

Six reasons why you should plant garlic– & you can do it now!

  by Connie Oswald Stofko I grow garlic– lots of it. And I recommend that you try growing garlic, too. Here are six reasons why you should grow garlic: Garlic is so easy to grow! You plant it, then you sit around for several months, then you harvest it. I haven’t been able to grow zucchini, but I can grow garlic. You have a wide window for planting. You can plant anywhere from August through November– even into December if…

Oct 22, 2018
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brown marmorated stink bug in Western New York

Did you experience invasion of brown marmorated stinkbugs?

  by Connie Oswald Stofko When the weather was hot last week, you might have been one of the many Western New York gardeners who experienced what seemed to be an invasion of brown marmorated stink bugs. The bugs hung outside on window screens, trying to get into the house. And when they did get into the house, they crawled up walls and curtains, looking for a place to settle down for the winter. My husband and I killed two…

Oct 16, 2018
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daisy in Western New York garden

Join me at District 8 vendor & craft show in Cheektowaga

by Connie Oswald Stofko I’ll have a table at the vendor and craft show to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Leonard Post 6251 VFW, 2450 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga. Admission is free. It’s a fundraiser being held by the 8th District Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, Inc. to support local community services provided by the local garden clubs of the 8th District. The event will feature a variety of crafters and other vendors. It’s a great way to get an…

Oct 16, 2018
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Upcoming Events

Monday, Nov 19, 2018 - Thursday, Nov 22, 2018 | 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Botanical Gardens Closed

Location: Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens
Tuesday, Nov 20, 2018 | 10:00 am - 11:15 am

Toddler time at Beaver Meadow

Location: Beaver Meadow Audubon Center
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