Garden Walk Buffalo, America’s largest garden tour, is looking for submissions of original artwork to promote the 2022 event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 30 & 31. Entries are due Friday, Jan. 31. 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. Submission guidelines: You may enter any form of painting (any medium, any…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s time for me to take a short break over the holidays. Since this is the last edition of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com for 2021, let’s take a look back at the year in gardening. The pandemic was in the background of everything we did this year. At the beginning of the year, some events were canceled, such as garden club meetings and Plantasia, the premier garden show in Western New York. (We are optimistically looking forward to Plantasia…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Keep your garden in mind as you celebrate the holidays with these four fun tips. What tips do you have? Please share by leaving a comment below…....
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens donated 692 pounds of fresh, organic produce to Gerard Place‘s Community Kitchen, noting that the need was three times greater this year because of the pandemic. The food was grown at the Botanical Gardens in the Eco Garden, a 100-percent community-funded organic garden. The Eco Garden was established in 2019 with funding and support from the Josephine Goodyear Foundation, PLANT WNY, the Western New York Foundation and private donors. Gerard Place provides housing for homeless, single parents…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Monarchs should be on the endangered species list, said Jay Burney, executive director of the Pollinator Conservation Association (PCA), based in Western New York. For years there has been a massive decline in monarch butterflies, but last year the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) declined to add the monarch to the endangered species list, Burney said. The FWS said there will be a yearly review and the monarch will stay in the running for…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Your lawn is dormant now, so there’s no need to fertilize. And in New York State, you’re not permitted to use any kind of chemical fertilizer on your lawn from Dec. 1 to April 1. By prohibiting fertilizer application in winter, the New York State Nutrient Runoff Law aims to keep these chemicals from running off your lawn and polluting our waterways. Get some tips on green practices for your lawn and garden here from the…...
Beautification grants for gardening projects in the City of Buffalo are available through Gardens Buffalo Niagara. This year, previously separate funding programs have been merged into one: the Marvin Lunenfeld Grants (previously the Lunenfeld and Vibrant Buffalo grants). Awards of up to $1,000 will be based on the overall project cost and matching funds from government, private contributions or volunteer sweat equity. Projects can include community gardens, street-side planters, historical garden restoration, annuals for baskets—pretty much any garden-related project. Grant…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A wooden fence used to separate this backyard from a parking lot. Unfortunately, plows clearing the lot shoved snow against the fence, and the snow won. Matt and Tashia Tribo of Kenmore replaced the collapsed fence with a cinder block wall and coated it with a veneer of stucco. The wall, which is as beautiful as it is functional, is part of a charming outdoor room. The Tribos’ garage and their neighbors’ garage act as the…...
An annual favorite, the Poinsettia & Railway Exhibit will be again be held at the Buffalo and Erie County Botancial Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. A magnificent display of poinsettias sets the festive tone. See deep reds, magentas, pinks, yellows, oranges and apricots accented by silver and white foliage. A special feature is the Garden Railway display, made possible by the Western New York Garden Railway Society. In addition to daytime viewings, you can also see special nighttime showings. This is a…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko To show my appreciation to my Super Readers, I offer thank-you gifts at various levels, and I have something new. At the Sunny Sky level, I will feature your garden in Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com! What’s new is that I have changed that level to just $100! In the past, I have written about gardens that are on garden walks or Open Gardens. You may have been part of one of the programs, but I haven’t visited your yard…...