The Ken-Ton Garden Tour is accepting applications for this year’s tour. All interested gardeners in the Town of Tonawanda and Village of Kenmore are welcome to register online here or call Sandy at 716-983-6827. The deadline to register is Friday, June 3; please register as soon as possible. You may display your garden during one or more of the times listed below: Friday, July 22 from 8:30 to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, July 23 from 8:30 to 11:00 p.m. Saturday &…...
Two recent articles from WNY Gardening Matters give updates on jumping worms, an invasive species that leaches nutrients from soil, making it difficult for most plants to grow. Jumping worms have been found in Western New York. NY iMapInvasives is trying to track where jumping worms are and where they haven’t gotten to yet. Please look in your yard and let NY iMapInvasives know whether or not you see this invasive pest. WNY Gardening Matters The first article says that…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko With many events put on hold for three years, this spring offers plant sales and plant exchanges galore! In addition, the Great Plant Sale at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens will be held on site again. And Gardens Buffalo Niagara will hold a day trip to Rochester to see specialty nurseries. Below is a list of nonprofits that are holding plant sales and exchanges in Western New York. I’m sure there are more sales…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Western New York gardeners who like to get their tomatoes planted outside on Mother’s Day should probably wait a bit longer this year. What are the chances you will get another frost in your area? Even if you don’t get a frost, the forecast calls for lows in the 40s Fahrenheit this week. And the soil is still cold. Find out why putting out your tomatoes too early can actually cause a setback to your plants…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko No Mow May is gaining popularity locally and across the country. The idea is to help bees. When you take a break from mowing your lawn, you’re allowing plants in your lawn, such as dandelions, white clover, violets, trefoil and self-heal, to flower. Those flowers provide food for bees and other pollinators. The idea started in Britain. Following Britain’s success, Bee City USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, partnered in 2020 with…...
See updated information in the Nov. 21, 2023 article: Your Western New York garden may be in a new plant hardiness zone by Connie Oswald Stofko When you’re buying perennials (or trees and shrubs), you want plants that will survive the winter and come back the next year. What plants will work for you depends on where you live. The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard that helps you determine which plants are most likely to thrive…...
Consider sharing your garden on Garden Walk Buffalo or the East Side Garden Walk. The deadline to register is May 15 for both garden walks. Your garden does not need to be perfect; no one’s ever is. There are no fancy garden criteria– no site visits, no judging, no entry fees. All you have to do is be proud of your little spot of earth. It does not need to be giant. It does not need to be professionally landscaped…....
by Connie Oswald A dark red heuchera called ‘Melting Fire’. A hollyhock that’s resistant to rust. A columbine with blossoms the color of ‘Tequila Sunrise’. Those are just a few of the new plants being offered in the 69-cent perennial sale starting Friday, April 22 at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Road, Williamsville. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The plants…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Those are just three changes that I’ve seen in Western New York since the first Earth Day in 1970. These changes didn’t come quickly. They didn’t happen easily. But they happened. They happened because people cared. And a person did something. They spoke up. They changed other people’s minds. They changed their own habits. Take the example of trash. It used to be common to toss your pop can out the car window when you were…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Please help me congratulate the three lucky winners in our recent prize drawing held by Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. They are: Elizabeth Girome of Angola Kathleen M. Bielec of Hamburg Shannon Feely of Buffalo The names were drawn at random. Everyone who was subscribed to Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com by March 22 was entered into the drawing. Even readers who subscribed years ago were included in the drawing. I love my loyal readers, too! I want to thank all my new subscribers– and my…...