Buffalo gardens have been covered with white, fluffy snow pretty much all winter, and more snow is on the way. Put the snow shovel aside for a few minutes and pick up your camera instead. This is an opportunity to capture the beauty of your Buffalo garden through photography. If you don’t see beauty in your garden during winter, take a look at Buffalo through a newcomer’s eyes. Natividad Lopez, originally from Yuma, AZ, is a personnel specialist in the…...
Last week we gave you tips on creating a garden you can enjoy during our Buffalo winters. In this article, we’ll give you ideas for creating a garden that looks great in the Buffalo area during the other three seasons as well. For examples of what you might plant, we’ll look to the garden of Wayne Gostomski and Tom Flanigan, who live in Buffalo. Their photos are used throughout this story. For spring color, think bulbs, such as crocuses, tulips,…...
You can start seeds anywhere– even in your basement– by building an inexpensive frame that holds a light. At a well attended workshop Saturday at Buffalo ReUse, Danielle Rovillo, ReUse’s community programs director, and Tom Arrigo, volunteer, gave a demonstration on how to build frames using recycled materials. The directions for building two different styles, an A-frame and a box frame, are given below. The A-frame is designed to hold one light and the box frame holds two. You don’t…...
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,…...