Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Orchard Park gardener shares tips on annuals in sun, shade

by Connie Oswald Stofko There’s a lot to see in Pat Gurney’s large Orchard Park landscape, but what surprises many people when they visit during Open Gardens is her use of annuals. Gurney uses annuals to add color to shady areas, to fill in areas when perennials are done blooming and to add height or interest in an area. She uses a lot of containers, setting them wherever they are needed. Though she uses annuals, trees and perennials are the…...

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Feb 8, 2022

Join Winter Mapping Challenge for hemlock woolly adelgid

Winter is the best time to spot the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid, and you can help monitor them from Feb. 12 through March 12 in New York’s first statewide Winter Mapping Challenge. You could win a prize! The challenge is being hosted by NY iMapInvasives and the NYS Hemlock Initiative. To participate: Get outside, find some hemlock trees and check for white “fuzz balls” on the undersides of twigs– these are the egg masses. Report your findings to iMap. Even if you don’t…...

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Feb 8, 2022

Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale 2019 by Stofko

Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale accepting applications for vendors

The Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale is accepting applications for artists to exhibit. The application deadline is March 26. This popular summer craft sale is a high point of the summer for Buffalo Niagara’s ever-growing and enthusiastic gardening community. Items for sale, in any medium, have to be garden- or nature-themed, or works that can be displayed in a garden setting. Sculpture, planters, metalwork, paintings, lighting, vintage signs, woodwork, architectural remnants, fountains, found art, jewelry, ceramics – anything that relates back…...

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Feb 8, 2022

statues of face, dragon and Chinese warrior in Amherst NY garden

Statues & negative space can add a lot to your garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko “I find a statue, then think, ‘What can I plant around it to accent it?’” said Jim Bardot. The statue that was the inspiration for this garden is the Chinese head, situated in the very center. “It sat by itself in the backyard for years,” Bardot said. “I placed it here, I placed it there, then I brought it out front and found other things to go with it.” This Asian garden is one of the…...

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Feb 1, 2022

Native wintergreen, plus more from WNY Gardening Matters

American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), a native plant, is an appealing evergreen groundcover, according to this article in the most recent edition of WNY Gardening Matters. Its glossy leaves emit a pleasant teaberry scent when crushed. Its white flowers are tinged with pink in summer and develop attractive red berries. There’s another evergreen groundcover with the common name of wintergreen, but it’s in an entirely different family. Learn more about spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) in this article, too. Also in this…...

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Feb 1, 2022

illustration of tree with leaves and acorns in background

Order tree & shrub seedlings now through counties & DEC

by Connie Oswald Stofko Sales of tree and shrub seedlings are being held in Western New York. You can order from your county or through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The sales have different ordering deadlines. The organizers suggest you order early to make sure the items you want are still in stock. Some of the sales offer additional items, such as wildflower mixes. Tree seedling sales by county Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Erie County Genesee…...

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Feb 1, 2022

Want to add variety to your houseplants? Take a look at aroids

by Connie Oswald Stofko “Aroids are great for collectors,” said Luke Schiavone, houseplant specialist at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville. “It’s a big family with lots of variety for a plant connoisseur.” Get a glimpse of that variety with just a few examples of aroids in this article. You can see aroids in person—and get a discount on houseplants—during Houseplant Week at Mischler’s from Friday, Jan. 28 to Saturday, Feb. 5. Find out more about aroids during a talk…...

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Jan 25, 2022

mini-greenhouse made from recycled plastic milk jug in Buffalo NY

Reminder: you can plant seeds outside now using winter sowing

by Connie Oswald Stofko Yes, I know there’s snow on the ground and temperatures have been in the single digits here in Western New York. But here’s a gardening task you can do outside now: plant seeds. It’s called winter sowing. You do it by making a mini-greenhouse and using seeds that take cold temperatures. Plant the seeds in your mini-greenhouse, set it in a sheltered area (such as against a fence) and wait for spring. When the temperatures get…...

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Jan 25, 2022

Get your garden club meetings & more on our Events page

by Connie Oswald Stofko Does your nonprofit group have meetings or other events that are open to the public? Reach the gardening community through the Events page on Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. It’s free for nonprofit groups. Here’s what you need to know I publish on Tuesdays. Your event must be listed for the issue of the Tuesday before your event (or sooner). That means I need your information on the Friday before that issue (or sooner). The information you send should include…...

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Jan 25, 2022

seven gardens in front yard in Amherst NY

Why hide your gardens? Amherst gardener has seven in front yard

by Connie Oswald Stofko Jim Bardot used to relegate gardening to his backyard until he realized: “I’m the only one who sees it. What’s the fun of that?” Now his gardens—seven of them—are displayed in his large front yard for the world to enjoy. “Why hide it?” said Bardot, who lives on busy French Road in Amherst. “It’s a thrill when somebody stops because they see me out there. One person said, ‘Thank you. For years I’ve been watching it…...

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Jan 18, 2022