Garden Walk Buffalo poster in 2023

Artwork sought for Garden Walk Buffalo; deadline is Jan. 31

Garden Walk Buffalo is looking for submissions of original artwork to promote the 2024 event, its 30th anniversary. This is an opportunity to share your artwork with hundreds of local gardeners and tens of thousands of visitors from around the U.S., Canada, and abroad. Entries are due Wednesday, January 31. Here are the submission guidelines: Email your entry to aclark@gardensbuffaloniagara.com. Include ART ENTRY in the subject line. If possible, zip your files or use a service like wetransfer. See past posters here. See more information…...

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images representing topics of horticulture classes

Register now for free classes; Gardeners Give & Take starts soon, too

Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market in Buffalo will host a free discussion series called Gardeners Give and Take starting in January. Urban Roots is also partnering with Grassroots Gardens and the Massachusetts Avenue Project for a series of free classes and workshops. More workshops will be announced in February. Gardeners Give and Take An informal discussion on everything gardening will take place at 10 a.m. Saturdays on Jan. 6, Jan. 20, Feb. 3 and Feb 17 at Urban Roots, 428…...

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Plant stand made with recycled prescription bottles in Amherst NY

Make a plant stand with free materials: plastic prescription bottles

by Connie Oswald Stofko Every month, when I ran out of my prescription medicine, I would get a new supply of pills in a new bottle. Then I would throw the empty bottle from the previous month into the trash, and it would end up in a landfill. I would throw out another bottle the next month. And the next month. And the next. I hated to throw out the bottles, but the recycling company in our area doesn’t take…...

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arrangement of greens from Mischler's Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville

Fresh holiday arrangements—for outdoors!—from Mischler’s

Welcome holiday visitors with an arrangement of evergreens for outdoors. You can find an assortment at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. The greens are set into Mischler’s Mix, the same potting mixture they use for growing plants. By the time the cut greens have lost their lustre, you can remove them and plant spring pansies in the pot. Use the evergreen arrangement as is or set the pot into an urn. Display it on your porch,…...

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cardinal and sparrow in snow in Cheektowaga NY

You can add to 120 years of data through Christmas Bird Counts

Be a citizen scientist and join one of the many Christmas bird counts that the National Audubon Society will hold from Thursday, Dec. 14 to Friday, Jan. 5. The Christmas bird counts have been taking place for more than 120 years. The information from these has been used in hundreds of analyses, peer-reviewed publications and government reports over the decades. One thing that scientists have discovered from the bird counts is that the number of birds has decreased dramatically in…...

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Buddha's Hand citron at Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

See ‘Buddha’s Hand’ when new exhibit opens at Botanical Gardens

by Connie Oswald Stofko “We’re reimaging everything,” said Joe Mannion, director of Horticulture & Operations at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. The multi-million-dollar expansion plan that the Botanical Gardens started several years ago is gaining momentum, and Mannion gave me a sneak peek at the next transformation: Greenhouse 12 will become the home for a new collection of fascinating edible plants. Other revamped exhibits will include a seasonal pollinator exhibit and a family play space inside the existing…...

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cannabis conference in Niagara Falls NY: chef using cannabis and vendor at table

Cannabis conference set in January at Niagara Falls Community College

by Connie Oswald Stofko Experts will discuss the latest research and opportunities in cannabis at the second annual, two-day 2024 SUNY Cannabis Conference to be held January 8 and 9 at Niagara County Community College and the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute. Sessions include plant genetics, sustainable practices, medical cannabis research and human resources. See speakers here. You don’t have to be a professional to attend. Culinary uses of cannabis A half-day program on the culinary uses of cannabis will take…...

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tiny Laricobius Nigrinus beetles that eat the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Thousands of native beetles set off to combat insects that threaten hemlocks

1,700 tiny native beetles called Laricobius Nigrinus (or affectionately called Larry, short for Laricobius), were released at Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area in November. It’s hoped that the beetles will find and eat the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that threatens native eastern hemlock trees. Over time, the woolly adelgid can kill the hemlocks, which are an important tree species in Zoar Valley. The hemlock is a foundational species; it’s key to the ecosystem. By protecting the hemlocks, we’re protecting…...

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early winter gardens in Amherst NY and East Aurora NY on the same day

Early winter (late autumn?) gardening tips for Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko I often write articles about what you can do your garden right now. But today, what you can do in your garden depends on whether you live in the northern part of Western New York or the south. Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Southern Erie counties are getting heavy lake effect snow. The rest of Western New York is looking at a few flurries. But as we gardeners know, the weather in Western New York can fluctuate…....

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poinsettia 'Christmas Mouse' at Mischler's Florist and Greenhouses

So cute! Poinsettia ‘petals’ shaped like mouse ears at Mischler’s

by Connie Oswald Stofko We gardeners tend to look for color when we choose plants, but shape can add interest, too. Let’s take a look at three varieties of poinsettias at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, located at 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. All three are red, but each has “petals” with different shapes. Tip: What we think of as flower petals on poinsettias aren’t really petals. They’re bracts, a kind of leaf. Technically, the flower isn’t the colorful part; it’s…...

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