It’s another amazing week for gardening events in Western New York! You can visit six garden walks this weekend, and several have nighttime tours, too. The East Side Garden Walk, which debuted in 2018 but was canceled during the pandemic in 2020, is back. You can visit again– or visit it for the first time. More than a garden tour, the East Side Garden Walk is a way for residents to take control of the narrative for their community, according…
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is hiring for four positions. If you want to work at the beautiful and historic Botanical Gardens or know someone who does, check out the summaries of the positions below. Get more details about the positions and find out how to apply here. Assistant Gardener (part-time) Assist in the care and maintenance of their indoor and outdoor gardens and help create exhibits. Learn skills from their horticulture team in a variety of areas….
by Connie Oswald Stofko When you visit Dan Murak’s gardens on the Snyder-CleveHill Garden View, you may think he’s got a green thumb and succeeds with every plant, all the time. But starting in the front yard with the sick peach tree that he replaced last week, Murak is happy to tell you about the downs as well as the ups of his landscape. You can visit his landscape this weekend on the Snyder-CleveHill Garden View, one of six garden…
by Connie Oswald Stofko by Connie Oswald Stofko A narrow band of weather dropped hail– some of it as large as peas– in Western New York on Friday. A localized hail storm a few weeks ago damaged plants in some gardens in Niagara County, said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Hail can shred the leaves of your plants and bruise the stems. Will your plants survive? It depends on how badly damaged they were….
by Connie Oswald Stofko I will present “Get Crafty in Your Garden” at the meeting of the East Aurora Garden Club at noon Monday, July 12 at Nativity Lutheran Church, 970 Main St. East Aurora. Like all the events we list on Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, this event is open to the public. In my presentation, I’ll show you tips on crafts you can make for your garden as well as from your garden. One of the crafts is the inexpensive and easy-to-make glass mushroom decoration for your…
by Connie Oswald Stofko A new trend–but not a good one– is gardeners asking for very small plants for perennial beds, said Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. “They come in and want plants that are four inches high or smaller,” she said. “From a distance, a four-inch plant disappears. Every single day I have to explain. It makes me shake my head all the time.” Could it be that the plants…
This spring, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received reports of larger-than-usual gypsy moth populations and leaf damage on trees in the state. Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County found that last year as well. Gypsy moths are non-native but are naturalized, meaning they will always be around. Their populations spike in numbers roughly every 10 to 15 years, but these outbreaks are usually ended by natural causes such as disease and predators. Because of this, DEC and its…
Open Gardens is one of the amazing gardening events we get to enjoy here in Western New York. Open Gardens are like garden walks, but they take place on Thursdays and Fridays instead of on weekends. They take place only during July. And Open Gardens include just exceptional gardens. This year there will be nearly 100 gardens to visit! The gardens are beautiful, there are no crowds, and the gardeners are friendly and happy to answer questions. To see where…
by Connie Oswald Stofko We’re enjoying a cool break in the weather, but summer has just started. Temperatures are going back up into the 80s– or higher. Be prepared with annual flowers that can take the heat. Here are seven recommendations from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. These flowers will bloom all summer. Most of them are also drought tolerant, so you don’t have to water them constantly when the weather is hot and dry. Consider…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Whether you will share your landscape on a garden walk or just have a few friends over for a barbecue, you want your yard to look nice. Here are some tips on how to make your gardens look attractive to visitors. Here’s an article on how to prepare for a garden walk that is just as appropriate for a casual get-together. It links to other articles with more tips. Be sure to read the comments left…