You’ll get behind-the-scenes tours of some of Buffalo’s finest gardens, from secluded private yards to the city’s Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks, during these luxury motorcoach tours, which are part of the National Garden Festival in Buffalo. The tours will be led by expert gardeners and include a sit-down lunch. The tours are operated by AAA Western and Central New York’s Horizon Club Tours. There are various pick-up locations for each tour. In addition to these luxury motorcoach tours, the National Garden…...
Cheektowaga gardener stays organized with careful notes
Chet Okonczak can tell you the name of every plant in his garden, and if he’s not sure of a name, he can easily look it up. Organized in a three-ring photo album are hand-drawn maps of each plant in the six beds in his backyard at 38 Brentwood, Cheektowaga. On the same page are photos of that bed at various times of the year. In the pocket on the back of the page he keeps the plant tags so…...
Questions on another voodoo plant and lettuce woes
Can you help readers with these two gardening questions? Gardening question #1: What’s the name of this stinky plant? I saw your post about the stinky plant. I think I have one, but it does not look like a lily. I was told mine is a voodoo plant. Last year, it gave me a beautiful umbrella effect. This year, it is odd and has a red flower in the middle. Today I found a ton of flies on it, and…...
Spring is dry and summer may be worse– Water your trees
by Connie Oswald Stofko The arborvitaes above have been damaged by drought, but don’t wait until your trees look like that to take action. Our spring has been dry enough that you should already be watering your trees, especially young trees and old trees, said Jeremy P. Sayers, president of the Tree Doctor and a board-certified master arborist. Conditions in 2013 are already dry We all remember last summer’s drought, but you may not realize that we’ve been experiencing dry…...
Scholarships available, report on bees & more gardening news
Scholarships available for horticulture students The Western New York Nurserymens Association Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications for the Fall 2013 semester and Spring 2014 semester from qualified full-time students enrolled in a degree program and high school students who will further their education in horticulture. For the George O. Adams and Kenneth E. Isaac Scholarship and the WNY State Nurserymens Association Foundation Scholarship, applicants will be considered for two scholarships when submitting one application. In addition, the Toby Martino…...
Two questions from readers: million bells get brown, bleach on roses
Question #1: What should you do about million bells that get brown? Here’s a question from reader Jim Barbati: “Every year in mid-August my million bells begin to brown out on the underside of the plant. I think the cause may be white flies. Any ideas about how to control this? Thank you.”Question #2: Can you save a rose that was damaged by bleach? Here’s a question from Charlotte Luksic: “I sprayed my roses with water and bleach. Is there…...
Serenity of a forest found in City of Buffalo backyard
by Connie Oswald Stofko Many people struggle with shady yards, wishing they could grow the plants they see in sunnier gardens. Jeff Lokken is different. He embraces his canopy of trees. The result is a forest-like retreat from the noise of the city. We visited Lokken last year during Garden Walk Buffalo at the home he shares with Rebecca Bish at 170 Prospect Ave., Buffalo. This year Garden Walk Buffalo will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday…...
Directory for Open Gardens & other events now available
July 15, 2013: UPDATE With just a few weeks left, the National Garden Festival has reduced the price of the Open Garden Directory from $8 to $5. If buyers of the book use the Botanical Gardens buy-one-get-one free admission coupon, the complimentary Spring Lake Winery wine tasting for two, the 25% off a Shrub Coat product offer, the free coffee or tea at Organic 3 Café coupon, the $10 off any fairy garden coupon for Mischler’s Florist, and the $5…...
Plant exchanges set, question on pine chips & more
Plant exchanges set Plant exchanges give you an opportunity to trade those extra plants you have in your garden for new varieties that you don’t already have. (I got my first sunchoke at a plant exchange.) If you’re a beginning gardener and don’t have plants to trade, you can still participate in these two plant exchanges. The Samuel P. Capen Garden Walk will hold a plant and seed exchange from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at the…...
Grow attractive fruit bushes & even trees– in containers!
You don’t need a lot of space to grow fruit bushes or even fruit trees. New varieties have been developed to be smaller, more compact and more attractive in the landscape, according to Fred Safford, who is in charge of trees and shrubs at Lockwood’s Greenhouses. Safford will discuss how you can grow your own fruit and berries at home in a class at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 19 at Lockwood’s, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg. He will explain how to…...