Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

lettuce and climate change and tomato illustration in Western New York

Impact of wildfire smoke on veggies should be minor; tips on climate change

by Connie Oswald Stofko Gardeners worried about how the smoke from the recent Canadian wildfires would affect vegetable plants in Western New York, but “The good news is the impact will be minimal at worst,” according to Steve Reiners, professor in Horticulture at Cornell University, Cornell AgriTech. Smoke-filled skies decrease sunlight and reduce photosynthesis, but only to a small degree and temporarily, Reiners said. Despite the shade, there was still enough diffused light penetrating the smoke to maintain growth. Smoke…

Jun 13, 2023

Buy ladybugs & let them feast on your aphids

Ladybugs can take care of aphids for you–if the ladybugs are in your garden. If your aphid-filled plants are waiting for ladybugs, wait no longer. Buy ladybugs at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. The ladybugs are in stock now. Urban Roots also sells beneficial nematodes. Read this previous article to learn more about releasing ladybugs. For more information, stop in to Urban Roots or contact them directly at (716) 362-8982 or info@urbanroots.org….

Jun 13, 2023

New layout for WNY gardening Events

by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s not completely finished, but I am using a new app for the Events Page on Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. The previous app wasn’t working correctly and some events weren’t showing up at all. Yikes! This new app has all the events showing up where they should be–whew! In addition, you can view the events as a one-month calendar or as a list. There are some small glitches right now: Please be patient with me as I work with…

Jun 13, 2023

baptisia flowers at Graycliff in Derby NY

Get a passport to Botanical Gardens, Graycliff & more; you could win prize

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff and three more southtowns cultural sites have teamed up to encourage visitation this summer with a brand-new Southtowns Cultural Passport. This free passport is available at all five locations. With regular admission or a tour, visitors can collect a stamp at each stop in their passport. At their final destination, they will turn the passport in be entered to win a special prize pack valued at over $450; it includes a one-year family membership…

Jun 6, 2023

maple seeds or helicopters in grass in Amherst NY

Maple seed ‘helicopters’ in WNY: sprinkle or downpour?

by Connie Oswald Stofko “That tree looks dead,” my neighbor said. She pointed to maple tree with what looked like a lot of brown, dead leaves. But the tree is actually thriving and producing lots of seeds–what many of us call helicopters. It looks like our neighborhood may be getting a bumper crop again this year. This happens in cycles. See more here. Are you getting just a few or many maple helicopters this year?…

Jun 6, 2023

Judges evaluate the roses at the Rose Show held by Western New York Rose Society. You can admire the flowers and talk to society members to get tips for your own rose plants. Photo courtesy Western New York Rose Society

Rose Show set by WNY Rose Society at Botanical Gardens on June 11

The Western New York Rose Society will hold its annual Rose Show from 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Sunday, June 11. For the first time, the show will be held at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. (Go to the Administration Building.) You will be able to see the Rose Show and tour the Botanical Gardens; the show is included with admission. Get tickets here. The society members will display the best roses grown in their own…

Jun 6, 2023

Nurture your new plants during this hot & dry weather in WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko Don’t let this happen to you! My husband and I were out of town this past week. We weren’t away long, just a few days. We took a taxi from the airport, and as we pulled up to our house, the driver pointed to my hanging basket of calibrachoa. “I just bought one of those,” he said. “How long do they live?” “They will flower all summer,” I said, then glanced up, horrified to see my…

May 30, 2023

Invasive Species Week: learn & help in WNY

WNY PRISM is marking New York Invasive Species Awareness Week with a series of events. Want a chance to win a prize? After attending an event, fill out the New York Invasive Species Awareness Week survey. To see the statewide webinar series, check out the 2023 NYISAW Statewide Website and Calendar. __________ Saturday, June 3 Walk and Talk 10 a.m. – 12p.m. Pfeiffer Nature Center’s Eshelman Property, 1420 Yubadam Rd., Portville WNY PRISM will be guiding folks on a leisurely…

May 30, 2023

Get maps ahead of time for Garden Walk Buffalo & East Side Garden Walk

Are you the kind of person who likes to make sure you get to garden walks early so you can pick up a map, decide which gardens you want to see most, and still have plenty of time to visit the gardens? When you make a donation by Thursday, June 15, you can get the map for both Garden Walk Buffalo and the East Side Garden Walk mailed to you before the tours! Your donation supports not only these tours,…

May 30, 2023

flowers and grass to illustrate how to start new garden in Western New York

Basics: Start a garden & keep it going in Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you want to create a brand new garden bed? Extend a garden bed? Make changes to your perennial garden? Start growing vegetables–or grow them better? You’ll find lots of great gardening tips in these articles: Would you like to find out more on various gardening topics, such as deer, water features and pests & weeds? Browse all our Gardening Topics for Western New York here….

May 23, 2023

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