African violet in Buffalo NY

Learn how to care for African violets with these great instructions

Autumn keeps hanging on in the Buffalo area. My niece Carrie picked a rose from her garden last week! Unfortunately, we know that wintry weather is inevitable, and our outdoor gardening will soon come to an end. Don’t let it get you down, though. When we lose our outdoor flowers, it just means we have more time for our indoor blooms, such as African violets. If you’ve never grown African violets, or if you haven’t grown them well, check out…...

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Holiday coupon from Perry’s Nurseries in West Seneca

Print this page and take the coupon to Perry’s Nurseries, 5203 Seneca St., West Seneca, to receive the coupon discounts. The coupon is valid from Nov. 29 through Dec. 18, 2011. (If you’d like to print the coupon by itself, here’s how you get to that view: Click on the coupon and you’ll be taken to another page. Click on the coupon yet again, and you’ll be taken to another page where you’ll see just the coupon.)…

gazing ball in Kenmore NY

Light up a gazing ball, make a trap for fruit flies, plus more news

This is another one of those articles I like to think of as potpourri– a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I hope you find something that’s useful or entertaining. Light up a gazing ball. These instructions for making a lighted gazing ball, like the one you see at left, come from Kathi and Craig Schwab of Kenmore: “We used an extra LED light that we had, put it inside the globe and connected the lighted gazing globe…...

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visitors to Lewiston NY garden walk 2010

Buffalo-area gardeners have many reasons to be grateful

We Buffalo-area gardeners should take a moment to stop and count our blessings. We live in an area with so many gardening riches that it’s easy to take them for granted. Let’s start with something as simple as a garden walk. Backyards, which normally are private spaces, are opened to strangers and friends alike. You’re invited to enjoy the scenery and take photos if you want. The gardener is willing to answer questions you might have about their garden. Wait,…

deer eating in Buffalo NY winter Jan 2011

Keep deer and rabbits out of your garden in the Buffalo area

  by Connie Oswald Stofko The image at left is lovely if it’s on a Christmas card, but aggravating if it’s actually happening in your garden. I’ve written before about ways to keep deer and rabbits out of your garden. Even if you read those articles when they were published, take a second look and make sure you take a look at the comments sections. Readers have followed up and shared great tips! I think it’s time to address the…...

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AAA gems_of_germany cruise Nov 2011

See Floriade, held just once a decade, during river cruise

You can experience Floriade, the international horticultural expo held just once every 10 years in the Netherlands, during a trip hosted by Sally Cunningham, CNLP (Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional)and professional garden writer. “Every gardener should see Floriade at least once in a lifetime!” Cunningham said. An informational meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21 in McKinley’s Banquet Center, S-3950 McKinley Parkway, Blasdell. Reservations are required for the meeting. To make a reservation, call AAA at 800-242-4244…....

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Quit smoking now– it’s bad for your plants

“All plants are sensitive to smoke,” David Clark said in answer to a question during a recent horticulture class at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Thursday, Nov. 17 is the 36th Great American Smokeout. Protecting your houseplants is one more reason for you to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. If you smoke, you probably notice that you have to wash your windows and mirrors…...

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tar spot on leaves in Buffalo NY

Dealing with tar spot, plus two other timely tips for fall

Here are three helpful tips for autumn, courtesy of the free newsletter from Heimiller Greenhouses. Tip #1: How to deal with tar spot When it comes to tar spot, there’s bad news and good news and more bad news. The bad news is that tar spot is an ugly black fungus that seems to infect Norway maples, to a greater or lesser degree, every year, according to Lisa Heimiller of Heimiller Greenhouses. The good news is that while tar spot…...

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waterfall at Botanical Gardens in Buffalo NY

Botanical Gardens will expand exhibits with $200,000 grant

Expanded outdoor gardens and a new “Celebration of Color” exhibit this summer are among the changes you’ll see at the the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, thanks in part to a $200,000 core improvements grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation. The Botanical Gardens will use the grant to continue its  growth in educational programs and horticultural exhibits as it strives to become financially self sustaining. Why growth is vital to the Botanical Gardens The challenge that the Botanical…...

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balcony on Niagara near Hudson in Buffalo

Yes, you do have enough room to garden in Buffalo!

I often hear people say that they don’t have room to garden. They live in an apartment, they explain, and have only a small patio area. Or worse, they’re not even on the ground floor. Those things didn’t bother the folks with these second-floor balconies that I happened to spot in Buffalo this year. At left, this balcony on Niagara St. near Hudson has more flowers than your average suburban yard! The folks here could have settled for a single…...

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