Buffalo’s sunny skies and warm temperatures greeted gardeners from across the nation and around the world as they arrived last week for the 83rd national convention of the National Garden Clubs Inc. There was plenty to do at the convention, called “Explore the Wonders.” Internationally renowned speakers, seminars, tours and a flower show were all part of the convention. In future articles I’ll share some of the things I learned at the convention, and today I’ll give you a glimpse…...
Today we have a returning question and three new questions. Can you help these readers? If you have a suggestion for any of them, please leave a comment below. Question #1: Leeks gone wild All of a sudden, I have wild leeks growing throughout my gardens. Last year they were in one section, now they are everywhere. I have to dig down up to 8 inches to get the bulbs but they still come back. How do I get rid…...
by Colleen Morrissey, herb manager and container designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses If you love salad and enjoy gardening, plant a “lettuce bowl” container garden. It’s a quick and easy project. You don’t need much space, so you can have a “lettuce bowl” container garden on a sunny balcony, front stoop or just outside your kitchen door. Setting the container on a picnic table or other tabletop may discourage rabbits, slugs and other pests. This is also a…...
With flowers so large that you need two hands to cup a blossom, the tree peony in the garden of Christine Brooks provides a spectacular spring show. “Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked as I admired the tree with her this past weekend. The tree peony is visible from the street as you drive toward her home at 22 Larchmont in the University area of Buffalo. It’s in the side garden along the driveway. It blooms two weeks at the most,…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Spring is an overlooked time for gardens in the Buffalo area. It seems we spend our time waiting and preparing for the end of May, the traditional time to plant tender annuals, and we forget to pause and enjoy the beauty of spring gardens. With perennials, you can have successive waves of blooms in your garden starting in early spring, said Fran Evans of Hamburg, who is a Master Gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension Erie County…....
You’ll see marvelous examples of bonsai, the miniature gardening art form, at the upcoming Bonsai Show, but there is lots more to do at the show, too. You can also watch demonstrations on how to start a bonsai tree. There will be a table where you can get advice on tending bonsai trees, and you can even bring your own bonsai and get technical help. Bonsai supplies and trees will be sold. If you want to start a bonsai, you…...
I’m trying something new today. Let me know what you think. Occasionally readers contact me with specific gardening questions. Since I’m not an expert gardener, I often can’t answer the question myself, so I try to seek out someone who can. Did you know you can use the same resources I use when trying to answer questions? Often I call the Master Gardeners with Cornell Cooperative Extension Erie County at (716) 652-5400. These knowledgeable volunteers are available from 9 a.m…....
Labyrinths date back thousands of years and have been used in many cultures. During Medieval times, many Christian churches incorporated labyrinths into floor designs. Today garden labyrinths are getting new attention at places of worship, medical centers, conference centers, parks, colleges and even backyards. World Labyrinth Day is Saturday, May 5, so this seems a good time to introduce you to some local labyrinths: one at Unity Church in Buffalo, one at the Chautauqua Institution and one in the yard…...
Sometimes I have bits of information that I think will interest readers, but each bit is too short for a whole article. I save them up until I have enough to offer you a potpourri of news. I hope you find something that interests you. Add height to your garden with an old ladder Maxine Osiewicz of Clarence had an old wooden ladder that was no longer safe to use. Instead of throwing it away, she secured it to her…...
If you want something in your garden that your neighbors don’t have, try native plants, suggests Ken Parker, CNLP, native plant specialist and manager of trees, shrubs and perennials at Lockwood’s Greenhouses. He will talk about native woodland plants that you can grow in your own garden at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 5 at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg. The fee is $10. He will also be one of several speakers at a Native Plants Day at Lockwood’s on…...