by Connie Oswald Stofko For years, I have enjoyed growing sage. The plants are reliable. No surprises. This year my sage did something new: it got blossoms. I thought maybe that happened because we had a hot day and it bolted. For answers, I turned to Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. They have a full line of 91 herbs. No, the sage plant didn’t bolt; it flowered, she said. The flowers…...
The outdoor Peace Garden at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens will be the location of a new “Anniversary Alley,” commemorating the 120th anniversary of the Botanical Gardens. This is an opportunity for you to have a brick placed there in honor of someone special to you. Instead of the usual price of $150 per brick, you can participate in the anniversary price of $120. The sale runs through the end of July. The bricks can be inscribed in…...
If you are going to share your landscape on any of our local garden walks, you can pick up a free sign to let visitors know that you use native plants in your landscape. And if you don’t use native plants, read on to see why you might want to add a few. Signs for gardens with native plants Native plants will be highlighted on garden walks this summer in a project organized by Gardens Buffalo Niagara and the WNY…...
Earlier this month, a black bear was spotted in Cheektowaga, and before that, in Lancaster. “We have recently begun to see a rise in reported sightings of black bears in suburban and urban areas,” said Basil Seggos, commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). There are steps gardeners can take to help make sure they’re not inviting bears into their gardens. Background on bears In June, black bear movement increases as the breeding season begins and yearlings…...
Be a citizen scientist by participating in the NY iMapInvasives team’s 5th Annual Invasive Species Mapping Challenge from June 24 – July 8. Four species will be the focus of this year’s challenge: Jumping worm Tree of heaven Water chestnut European frogbit You can help map the distributions of these species. An introductory webinar will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 24. The webinar will cover the identification of these species and how you can participate. Visit iMap’s website for more information…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Cindy and Peter Loomis moved into their Cottage District home 19 years ago without seeing the front of the house. The tiny front yard was filled with a large hedge and two tall pine trees, which hid the house from the street. It wasn’t a neighborhood where people wanted to sit out front. The area was beginning to turn around, but there were still drug deals and prostitution, Cindy said. But Cindy likes light, so she…...
If you weren’t able to make it to the 59-cent Perennial Sale at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses when it was launched in April, you’re in luck. Rows and rows of those perennials are still available! And the plants are still the same price! Here are the advantages to buying the sale perennials now: The plants are bigger than they were in April. They are healthy and look great. In June, you don’t have to worry about protecting the plants from…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I will give an online talk on “Garden Trends” at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 18. It’s part of the series of Garden Fence Chats from the Master Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. What’s great about these talks is that anyone can attend– even from a different county– without a long drive. And they’re free! There’s a different topic each weekday, and you can get your gardening questions answered on Wednesdays. Check our Events…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s like visiting a home out in the country–depending on what side of the house you’re on. In front, the home of Denise and Don Freedman has a typical suburban landscape. In back, it’s more natural, with fruit trees, a rain garden and trees that were there when they bought the land. They’ve been using permaculture techniques before they ever heard that word. What does permaculture mean to them? “It’s using your land to your advantage,”…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I was one of the gardeners who experienced hail last week– it was the size of fat M&Ms! That wasn’t the only setback weather brought to Western New York gardeners in the past few weeks. “Some of us got hit with a five-day period of frost and freeze in mid-May,” said Kathy Guest Shadrack, board member and communication liaison with the Western New York Hosta Society. “Sadly, this came after a long period of abnormally warm…...