by Connie Oswald Stofko When it comes to pruning, the most common mistake people make is that they do it at the wrong time, said Sally Cunningham, CNLP, who is a horticulturist, author and garden consultant. Cunningham will join Rex Weber, CNLP, arborist at Bradley Tree, in teaching a pruning seminar on Saturday, March 19 at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. “Where most people go wrong is that they go around like little squirrels and try to tidy things…...
by Ruth Syron Daffodils (also known as jonquils or narcissus) are the March birthday flower. In the Victorian era, daffodils meant, “You are an angel.” In the modern language of flowers, daffodils are a symbol of domestic happiness and friendship. Both meanings hold very nice sentiments. The daffodil is considered the national flower of Wales. On St. David’s Day, March 1, many folks wear the national flower on hats or lapels. The daffodil competes with the leek as the Welsh…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A new frost-tolerant annual called Inticancha will be available at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville. “You can put it out in mid-April in containers or even in ground beds,” said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses. “It’s nice to get that kind of color a month ahead of time. “It’s nice to extend the gardening season, too. Here in Buffalo, that’s kind of important.” The Inticancha series is a dwarf alstromeria that…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Everything in this landscape– including the stone– is done in greens, whites and purples. “The homeowner left the design up to us,” said Sean Haentges, owner of S & R Greenleaf Landscaping. “We incorporated the design with the house.” The design at 48 North Parade St., Buffalo, was part of the Front Yard Competition, an event in the National Garden Festival in Buffalo in 2010. As we promised, throughout the winter we’re showing you designs from…...
The Niagara Frontier Orchid Society Display and Sale will be held this weekend at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The times are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27. Orchid workshops will be held at noon and 3 p.m. Saturday and at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday. Orchid plants and supplies will be on sale. Learn more about orchids and find out…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you don’t have a compost bin going yet, now is the time to start. The temperatures should be in the 50s later this week, and you may get a touch of spring fever. Starting a compost bin will give you a garden-related chore during this brief warm spell. Your goal for the next few weeks is to start accumulating plant materials in your compost bin. Nothing much will actually happen to the materials for awhile,…...
“Everything looks so different,” a visitor exclaimed as she toured the Night Lights exhibit at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. If you haven’t made it to Night Lights, this is your last chance. The last three days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17, 18 and 19. The exhibit is open from 5:30 to 9 p.m. “The overwhelming positive response from the public has been nothing short of spectacular,” said David Swarts, president…...
Everybody in Buffalo and Western New York gardens. That’s what I decided last year while chatting with a young, single blue-collar guy. When I started talking about this garden magazine, I thought he would announce that he was in desperate need of some cheese and crackers and wander off. Instead, he whipped out his cell phone and showed me photos of his garden, which he created with a patriotic theme of red, white and blue. Some people think of gardening…...
by Ruth Syron February folks actually have a choice of two flowers for their birthday, the iris and the violet. The violet has a charming and long history in mythology. Greek myth states that Zeus fell in love with Io. Zeus was afraid that Hera, his wife, would discover him and Io, so he made Io into a white heifer. Zeus created the sweet scented flower that we know as the violet for Io to eat while she was a…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Sharon M. Webber, CNLP was once called to a home with a problem. It had a fairly new landscape, installed just two years before, but the plants weren’t thriving. In fact, normally tough and sturdy varieties of plant, such as forsythia, spirea, day lilies and even black-eyed Susans, were declining, big time. When you want to know why, she said, “Always go to the soil.” It turned out the initial installation had used soil pulled from…...