by Connie Oswald Stofko “It’s quite interesting; it’s not beautiful,” Fran Evans of Hamburg said about his voodoo lily, an unusual plant from Cambodia. Last year Evans showed us his many gardens that were filled with early spring flowers. At the same time, his six-year-old voodoo lily (Amorphophallus konjac), a potted specimen, bloomed for the first time. The blossom has a cool pitcher shape, decorated in regal colors of maroon and gold. I’d say the voodoo lily was pretty– if it weren’t…...
Preserve leaves with glycerin for dried floral arrangements
by Connie Oswald Stofko I had never even heard of using glycerin to preserve leaves until David Clark, horticulturist, showed me how. It’s a simple and inexpensive technique. You can learn how to do it in the video below. Last week we showed you how to dry flowers. Next week we’ll show you how to combine the preserved leaves and flowers by making a hand-tied bouquet. You can learn even more in a series of upcoming workshops led by Clark…...
Find speakers for your next event, & more items too good to miss
Find a garden speaker for your next event Garden Talk Buffalo provides a way for garden clubs, garden centers and other groups to easily find speakers. This brand new website is a speakers bureau that lists Western New York’s top gardening speakers. You can find all the information you need, including the speakers’ topics, bios and contact information. If you have an event coming up, but don’t know who is available to speak, check out Garden Talk Buffalo. If you…...
Video shows you how to dry roses; workshops coming up in Buffalo
by Connie Oswald Stofko Learn how to dry roses using silica gel in the video below with David Clark, a nationally recognized horticulture instructor, gardening expert and event judge. You can learn more in a series of three hands-on workshops to be led by Clark as part of the 125th anniversary celebration of Blessed Sacrament Church in Buffalo. The sessions will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, March 6 and March 20 in the gymnasium of the Catholic Academy of…
Learn to attract birds to your garden, then count them to help science
The Audubon Center & Sanctuary can help you learn how to attract birds to your garden and invites you to help scientists by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Learn to attract and identify birds in your garden “Bird Feeding 101” will be held Saturday, Feb. 16 at the Audubon Center and Sanctuary, 1600 Riverside Road, Jamestown. You can choose one topic during each of the two time periods. 10-10:45 a.m. How to identify common backyard birds and learn…...
Garden walk season is on the way, & more items too good to miss
Send us information on your garden walk & other events Garden walk season is on the way! This week I got my first email announcing the dates for a garden walk. The 9th Annual Lockport in Bloom will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 13 and 14. See more details on our Upcoming Events Page. It’s not too early to submit information on your garden walk or other gardening events. By March people start…...
Wild weather– Should we worry about our Buffalo gardens?
Last week the temperatures were in the single digits. This week it may be in the 50s or even 60s. Should we Western New York gardeners be worried? “I’m probably more concerned that folks don’t have much snow cover,” said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Snow is a good insulator and can protect plants against damage that can come from these wild fluctuations in temperature. This is the second year in a row that…...
Hypertufa: additional tips on using this material to make planters
Hypertufa is a concrete-like material that you can use to make planters that can stay outside all winter. In December, Anne Brierley of the Parkside area of Buffalo took us through the steps of making a hypertufa planter. But she had so many great tips, we couldn’t squeeze them all into one video. In the video below, Brierley gives tips on using leaves to make impressions, talks about coloring hypertufa and goes into more detail on the process of making…...
Photographers get their own night at Night Lights & more great items
Night Lights includes night just for photographers Photographers love the popular Night Lights at the Gardens event, and this year the Botanical Gardens has added a night just for them. Photographers Night will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday,Feb. 5 at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. This is the only time during Night Lights that you are allowed to use a tripod. Another bonus: Photographers Night is just for photographers, so it shouldn’t be…...
Wegmans Family Garden offers indoor learning at Botanical Gardens
The temperature outside was in the teens and snow blanketed the ground, but it felt like spring inside the new indoor Wegmans Family Garden at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Avenue, Buffalo. A grand opening was held yesterday for the new indoor space, which provides hands-on activities for children that help them learn about plants and nutrition. Children of all ages and abilities can engage in free play as well as structured activities. In the…...