by Connie Oswald Stofko You can get free seeds at libraries in Erie County: Central Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, and the Hamburg Public Library, 102 Buffalo St., Hamburg. These are in addition to the WNY Seed Library at the Audubon Branch Library, which we talked about previously. The organizers at all these seed libraries hope that after you have borrowed seeds, you will save some seeds from the plants you grew and take them back to the seed library…
by Connie Oswald Stofko You may be a gardener who knows a lot about plants or a connoisseur who knows a lot about craft beers, but what do you know about hops? I learned a lot when I visited the gardens of Matt and Tashia Tribo on the Ken-Ton Garden Tour in July. Hops plants are easy to maintain; you don’t have to water them at all, Matt said. You do have to trim them back at the bottom so…
Do you have trees in your yard that were defoliated during the gypsy moth caterpillar outbreak this year? Here’s what you need to know. Outlook for your tree Most healthy trees can withstand a couple years of leaf loss from caterpillar damage, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Long-term damage depends on the type of tree as well as how much defoliation took place. Hardwoods A healthy leaf-bearing tree should have grown new leaves by now, though leaves…
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is holding its Staycation Raffle with three great prizes. Entries will be accepted until Sept. 1 or until 1,000 enties are sold. This raffle sells out every year, so be sure to make your donation ASAP! Every $20 donation to the Botanical Gardens will be entered for a chance to win at all three of the prizes. Enter as many times as you like. Only 1,000 entries will be taken. The prizes are: Grand Prize: Three-night stay…
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you plant grass seed now in Western New York, you won’t have to water it, said Mike Braddell, part owner of Lakeside Sod in Clarence. He grows grass for a living: Lakeside Sod is a farm and their crop is grass. “We seed in August and we never water,” Braddell said. The only time they water is when they harvest sod; the extra moisture helps the sod curl into neat rolls. August through September is…
Master Gardener Lyn Chimera introduces us to a perennial with a pretty red and yellow flower called Spigelia marilandica or Indian pink in the newest edition of WNY Gardening Matters. While not native to Western New York, Indian pink is native to the southern United States. “This is a wonderful, unusual and pest-free plant,” Chimera wrote. “Hummingbirds love it, deer don‘t and it’s beautiful too!” It also attracts hummingbirds. “What’s not to like?” she wrote. See the whole article here….
A destructive insect called the Asian longhorned beetle has been found–and eradicated– in downstate counties with the help of citizens. You can help here in Western New York, too. Watch for Asian longhorned beetles so that if they arrive here, we can detect them early and keep them from damaging our street trees and forests. The Department of Environmental Conservation is holding its annual Asian Longhorned Beetle Swimming Pool Survey. What to look for with Asian longhorned beetles During late…
by Connie Oswald Stofko The last garden walk of the season in Western New York is being held Friday and Saturday, Aug. 6 and 7 in the City of Tonawanda with tours at night and during the day. The City of Tonawanda Friday Night Lights will be held from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6. The City of Tonawanda Garden Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7. The tours are free and self-guided. Maps can be picked…
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you’re having trouble with your cucumber, melon, pumpkin or squash this year, you’re not alone. A disease called cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) has already been identified in Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming and Cattaraugus counties. This map shows the spread of CDM. Chautauqua County and Northern Pennsylvania expect to see the disease soon. Cornell Cooperative Extension in Chautauaqu County would like gardeners to send in samples of suspected cases of CDM. (See more below.) Unfortunately,…
It’s not uncommon for Western New York gardeners to see turkeys trotting through a nearby field or even across their own lawn. How many wild turkeys are there this year? That’s what the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) would like to know. And they’d like your help. During August, you can participate in a survey, recording how many adults and poults (young of the year) you see during normal travel. To make a report, click the “Summer…