by Connie Oswald Stofko Too many of us in the Buffalo area ignore our gardens during winter and miss out on what can be a spectacularly beautiful season. Because it’s too cold to sit outside in your garden during this time of year, you want to create a gardenscape that can be admired while you’re snuggled up inside. Concentrate your efforts on the areas of your yard that you can see from your windows, especially those near your sofa or…
David J. Swarts has been named the new president/chief executive officer of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. A lifelong resident of Erie County, Swarts previously served as commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Erie County Clerk. He also was a Buffalo teacher. Swarts will be responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Botanical Gardens and for implementing its overall master plan and the recently adopted strategic plan. “This is an exciting time…
by Connie Oswald Stofko “The whole reason I got into orchids was that it gave me the ability to play in the wintertime,” said Joseph A. DiDomenico Jr., president of the Niagara Frontier Orchid Society. You can have fun gardening inside with orchids, too. In a previous article, we explained how easy it is to grow orchids, even during winter in the Buffalo area. In this article, we’ll take a peek inside DiDomenico’s large greenhouse at his home in Elma…
by Connie Oswald Stofko The emerald ash borer, an insect that might be admired for its beauty if it wasn’t so destructive, is threatening ash trees in the Buffalo area. Although the beetle hasn’t yet been spotted in Erie or Niagara Counties, “Unfortunately, it’s pretty much all around us,” said John Farfaglia, extension educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County. “It’s not official, but I think it’s safe to say they’re here in some form.” The emerald ash borer…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Your garden looks beautiful under its blanket of snow, but you may be missing the beautiful blooms it offered during the warmer months. If you’re looking for a way to grow flowers indoors over the winter, try orchids. People think they’re difficult to grow, but modern orchid hybridizing has created a wide variety of orchids that you can grow easily inside your home, said Joseph A. DiDomenico Jr., president of the Niagara Frontier Orchid Society. What…
If you’re interested in exhibiting photos or artwork at the new Arcangel Gallery at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, check out the Arcangel Gallery Application & Guidelines. The aim of the Arcangel Gallery at the Botanical Gardens is to display photography and/or artwork that reflects first, the Botanical Gardens and its horticulture residents, then nature in general and Western New York life and architecture. First preference will be given to applicants that highlight the Botanical Gardens. The gallery…
by Connie Oswald Stofko The Arcangel Gallery, a new art exhibit space, was dedicated on Friday at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Local artists will have an opportunity to display their work. The gallery was named for Brent D. Arcangel, who died at age 23 in a car crash caused by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. The space was dedicated by his parents, Wayne D. and Corrine Arcangel of Hamburg,…
When you have 12 different garden clubs decorating the rooms of a mansion, how do you assure that the house will have a coherent look? At the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, they choose a theme and colors. This year’s theme is “A Visit From St. Nick” and the colors are red and gold. That color scheme can be seen in the elegant dining room at left, decorated by the Lancaster Garden Club. The portrait is of Frances Wilcox, daughter of…
by Connie Oswald Stofko During the Victorian era, wealthy Buffalo residents celebrated Christmas with spectacular parties and lavish decorations. Get a taste of that bygone era during the Victorian Christmas events at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, 641 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. You can still make reservations for events on Thursday and Friday of this week, which include a dinner theater performance by Mike Randall, actor and meteorologist for WKBW-TV, in Charles Dickens Presents: A Christmas Carol. Randall will perform as…
Get a taste of how Christmas was celebrated in Buffalo during the Victorian era by participating in the Victorian Christmas events at the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguaral Site, 641 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. The site has been decorated by the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, Eighth District, to evoke the feeling of the times. You can still make reservations for a luncheon and two dinners this week: “Shirley Temple Black: An American Treasure” will be the presentation by Dorothy Freeman…