Did your morning glories wait until autumn to bloom? The Master Gardeners in Erie County received calls from people wondering why their morning glories didn’t bloom earlier, said Carol Ann Harlos in “Lessons from the Hotline” in WNY Gardening Matters. One reason the morning glories didn’t bloom earlier might be the soil. The plant likes poor soil. If the soil is rich in nutrients, the plant tends to put energy into leaf growth instead of making flowers. This article also…...
Get scientific know-how through the Pollinator Steward Certification from Pollinator.org. This course is ideal for home gardeners, land managers (large and small), farmers and anyone that wants to do more to support pollinators. Topics include an introduction to the world of pollinators, how they live and thrive, and how we all can help. Details will be provided on habitat creation for pollinators in many landscapes, including parks, rights-of-way, urban gardens and farms. Additional information on pollinator identification and how to…...
Our climate is changing, and it’s changing in many different ways, said Stephen Vermette, professor of geography at SUNY Buffalo State University. Some changes are beneficial to gardens in Western New York, but other changes cause problems. Here are some takeaways: a by Stephen Vermette Warming temperatures The air temperatures have been getting warmer since 1965. The graph below shows average annual air temperatures, as reported at the National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Greater Buffalo International Airport in…...
Did you know: These are a few takeaways from a talk by Julie R. Kikkert, team leader of the Cornell Vegetable Program. You’ll find much more information, including the interesting way beet seeds germinate, in her talk on this video…....
Two talks will be held on native plants this week. Wild Ones WNY will hear Kyle Thompson talk about his farm in Lockport where they grow pawpaws, the largest fruit native to North America. Buffalo Audubon will host Seneca Elder Marvin Jacobs, who will show and discuss dried samples of native medicinal plants. Pawpaws Wild Ones WNY will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 14 at Christ United Methodist Church, 350 Saratoga Dr., Amherst. There is ample parking in the adjacent lot. They…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A couple weeks ago, I let you know that I decided to begin charging for subscriptions. The response was overwhelmingly positive! The paid subscriptions will start Jan. 14, 2025. If you subscribe now for a one-year subscription, you will get one month free! Three levels to choose from Level 1: Three-month Trial Subscription You will receive three months of great gardening information for Western New York. You also have access to our previous articles! The price…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s November, but there is still plenty to do in your garden in Western New York. Compost pumpkins Are your jack-o’-lanterns drooping? It’s time to compost them. Don’t compost pumpkins that were painted, bleached or glittered. The pumpkins will decompose more quickly if they’re in smaller pieces. This is the fun part! Just hold the pumpkin as high as you can and throw it on the ground. It works best if you smash it on concrete,…...
The Niagara Frontier Orchid Society will present “Orchids Under Glass” this weekend at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. The show is included with admission…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko “One of the craziest things people do is to rake up leaves and put them in a bag,” said Tom Kerr, senior naturalist at Buffalo Audubon Society. “Leaf litter is important, but some people scoop it up and throw it away!” Why you should leave the leaves Remember the food chain in science class? A plant is food for a certain insect, and that insect is food for a bird, and so on. If you took…...
Two hands-on classes are being held now at Henry’s Gardens, 7884 Sisson Hwy., Eden. The first is a floral class, where you can arrange dried flowers in a pumpkin. The second is a gardening class where you can plant three kinds of spring bulbs, all in one pot. Mark your calendar: Henry’s will hold its Christmas open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 at Henry’s. Santa will be there from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The…...