butterfly bush frames pool Lockport garden walk

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…...

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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…...

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Brierly explains hypertufa in Buffalo NY

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…...

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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…...

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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…...

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Check on your amaryllis and other items too good to miss

I walked into my basement this weekend and was surprised to see that my amaryllis bulbs were leafing out. I shouldn’t have been surprised; this is precisely what they were supposed to do. I am forcing them to bloom indoors so I can enjoy gorgeous flowers in the middle of winter. But out of sight, out of mind. I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t notice their activity until the leaves were quite long and I had a flower bud. If…...

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Carnation is the birthday flower for January, but it gets no respect

The birthday flower for January is the carnation, which is one of my favorite flowers. It has everything you could want in a flower– a beautiful shape, a wide variety of colors and a delightful fragrance. But some people look down on the magnificent carnation. “The carnation got a bad reputation,” said Maggie Wittmer, floral designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville. “There’s no reason to hate the carnation. That’s a bum rap.” In addition to being beautiful, the…...

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poinsettia painted with confetti in Hamburg NY

Hand-painted poinsettias for New Year’s & more news too good to miss

For New Year’s: Poinsettias painted with confetti pattern You can add a little zest to your New Year’s celebration with a poinsettia hand-painted with a confetti pattern. The poinsettias are painted by Steve Lockwood, owner of Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg. No two plants are alike. Special paint is used that doesn’t hurt the plant, explained Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s. Glitter adds a little sparkle. At right is a poinsettia painted in red, white and blue. __________…

Brierly explains hypertufa in Buffalo NY

Hypertufa: What it is and how to use it to make a planter

Back in the 1930s, it was found that some Alpine plants grew well in tufa, a porous rock formed when water seeps through limestone. Tufa was scarce and expensive, so a few gardeners worked to find an inexpensive and accessible alternative. The product they came up with is called hypertufa. Hypertufa is similar to concrete, but lighter and more porous. You can use it to make planters in whatever size or shape you need. Anne Brierley of the Parkside area…...

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decorations by Youngstown Garden Club in kitchen at Fort Niagara

Woodland motif used in Old Fort Niagara holiday decorations

An “Upstairs, Downstairs” theme has been used by the Youngstown Garden Club to decorate  Old Fort Niagara for the holidays. The decorations are woodsy and rustic to fit in with the architecture of the building known as the French Castle, built in 1726. The ornaments used in the officers’ areas are are fancier, embellished with satin ribbons and silver cording. You can see the decorations through Monday, Dec. 31. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. (The fort is…