Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Summer bulbs: plant now (or soon) in WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko Lilies, gladiolus and dahlias are just three of the stunning flowers in a group of plants referred to as summer bulbs. Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager of Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, gives us an overview of summer bulbs and how you can use them in your Western New York garden. Urban Roots, located at 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo, offers a variety of summer bulbs. Don’t confuse these with spring bulbs (such as crocus, hyacinth and tulips)…....

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May 2, 2023

flower illustration by Connie Oswald Stofko

It’s the season for plant sales in Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko Many nonprofit organizations are holding plant sales in the coming days and weeks throughout Western New York. More sales or plant exchanges may be added; check our Events page for the latest on gardening activities. African violet show & sale, Amherst The African Violet & Gesneriad Society of WNY will present Meteorological Violets and Gesneriads on Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7 at the John James Audubon Library, 350 John James Audubon Parkway, Amherst. Times are noon…...

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May 2, 2023

Hear author of ‘Rescuing the Planet’ May 25

Update: You can watch a recording of the talk here. Tony Hiss, one of the most important conservation writers working today, will discuss his seminal book Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth. The talk will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 25 at the Montante Cultural Center at Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo. The event is being held by the Western New York Land Conservancy. Hiss is a world-renowned author and one of the strongest advocates…...

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May 2, 2023

castle at Castle Creek garden in Williamsville NY

Pretty pix, but better in person: Get booklet now for Open Gardens

by Connie Oswald Stofko Start planning for summer by getting the booklet that gives you all the details for Tours of Open Gardens. These 100 beautiful gardens are open for free on Thursdays and Fridays in July–and there are no crowds! Most of the gardens are generous in size and can be found across Erie and Niagara Counties. To find out where the gardens are located and when they are open, you need the booklet. You can order the booklet…...

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Apr 25, 2023

No, you can’t plant cannabis in WNY yet, but you can prepare for next year

by Connie Oswald Stofko There seems to be confusion over which home gardeners can legally plant cannabis in Western New York. Right now only people that have their medical cannabis card from their practitioner can grow cannabis, said Melissa Moore, co-coordinator of the Horticulture Program and instructor of Cannabis at Niagara County Community College (NCCC). Those people can grow up to six plants per person, and a total of 12 plants per residence. People without a medical card are not…...

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Apr 25, 2023

More on lesser celandine in WNY: questions & discussion for next year

by Connie Oswald Stofko A month ago, I published Lesser celandine is back: What to do if it’s already out of control, but I still keep getting questions from readers. I also have gotten comments on that article and previous lesser celandine articles about how bad the situation has become on their property. Let’s address some of these issues. You can’t apply herbicide once the plant has flowered. Why? Here’s the answer from Andrea Locke, coordinator of WNY PRISM (Partnership for Regional…...

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Apr 25, 2023

No Mow May: what people in WNY are doing & why

by Connie Oswald Stofko We talked about No Mow May in an article last year. The idea is to take a break from mowing your lawn until the end of May. That way, you’re allowing plants in your lawn to flower, providing early food for bees and other pollinators. “But it’s just a starting point,” said Matthew Shepherd, director of Outreach & Education at the Xerces Society. “We want to see landscapes transformed. We want lawns that are less manicured, where…...

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Apr 18, 2023

Pruning, composting & more in ‘The Optimistic Gardener’

Why should you prune? What do the terms “greens” and “browns” mean for composting? Those are just two of the topics in the newest edition of The Optimistic Gardener, the local horticulture newsletter for Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties. It is produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in those counties. Find the newsletter on the gardening page of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Chautauqua (on the lefthand side) and in Cattaraugus (on the righthand side)…....

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Apr 18, 2023

North Tonawanda Garden Walk seeks sponsors, gardeners

The 2023 North Tonawanda Garden Walk is looking for sponsors as well as for gardeners to share their landscapes. The sponsorship deadline is Monday, June 5. Sponsorship applications are available here. To share your garden, you must be within the drawn city borders. There’s a focus on the downtown and Sweeney Estate historic districts. There is no judging of spaces; gardens of all types are welcome. Organizers encourage gardeners to get a neighbor to sign up, too, because gardens that…...

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Apr 18, 2023

lamium 'Pink Pewter' courtesy Ball Horticultural Company

Plants for dry shade & more at Mischler’s 69-cent sale; starts April 21

by Connie Oswald Stofko Shady areas can be a challenge for gardeners, and if the shady area is dry, that’s even more difficult. If you have an area like that, try planting lamium. “It’s drought tolerant,” said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses. “It grows in dry shade areas. That’s a hard thing to find.” What’s even better is that you can buy it during the 69-cent Perennial Sale at Mischler’s, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. The…...

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Apr 11, 2023