Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Don’t worry– no ‘murder hornets’ in Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko “I hope people aren’t afraid,” said Kathleen Goodman, a Master Gardener volunteer with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. She was wrapping up her presentation on Asian giant hornets, which have gotten the nickname “murder hornets.” That nickname grabs people’s attention, but it stirs up fear, too. “I just want people to know what’s going on,” Goodman said. Goodman gave the presentation on Asian giant hornets last week as part of Garden Fence Chats, an online…...

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Jun 2, 2020

Could these simple tricks keep away red lily leaf beetles?

by Connie Oswald Stofko Recently a couple of readers have shared ways to keep red lily leaf beetles from eating their plants. Could these things really work? I asked John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County, what he thought of the suggestions. Bottom line: there are no studies on whether these methods work, but they shouldn’t hurt, either. Diatomaceous earth for red lily leaf beetles Susan Baker said that last year she had lily leaf beetles on…...

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Jun 2, 2020

Vote for this local garden in national contest; deadline is June 5

by Connie Oswald Stofko The front yard garden of John Taylor of Lockport is in the running for the title of America’s Best Front Yard in an annual competition by Better Homes and Gardens. His garden was submitted by his wife, Mary Brennan-Taylor. “Much to my surprise and delight, John is one of the top 10 finalists from an enormous field of candidates,” she said. You can vote for your favorite garden here. Taylor’s garden is Number 7. Voting is…...

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Jun 2, 2020

decorative fence with trellis and gate in Hamburg NY

See great landscapes like this on Open Gardens, garden walks starting in July!

by Connie Oswald Stofko Here’s something to look forward to: Open Gardens and some garden walks this summer! You can see a list of which gardening events are open and which are canceled at the end of this article. There may still be changes, so to get the most up-to-date information, go to the calendar page of Gardens Buffalo Niagara. One of the garden walks that has been canceled is the The Hamburg Garden Walk, but organizers plan to offer…...

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May 26, 2020

Advantages of willows that don’t weep, plus more from Master Gardeners

When you think of a willow, you probably think of a weeping willow (Salix babylonica), which originated in China. But if you want butterflies in your garden, you might want to choose native varieties of willow– they support at least 455 species of butterfly larva. Find out more reasons to plant native willows in the article Willows That Don’t Weep by Lynn Chimera. It’s one of the latest articles published in WNY Gardening Matters by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative…...

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May 26, 2020

Garden clubs & organizations: Let me know when you will hold events again

by Connie Oswald Stofko I know how much you depend on our Events page, so I work hard to post events as soon as I get them. I’m so efficient that I have posted events for some groups through the end of 2020. Now I’m not sure which events are actually taking place! Please help me out. If your event already appears on our Events page If your event is already on our Events page, please email me the week…...

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May 26, 2020

Flowers at Great Plant Sale at Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens

Don’t miss out on the Great Plant Sale from Botanical Gardens

Exciting and unusual plants will again be offered in The Great Plant Sale at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. This year it is being held online with curbside pickup. Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com is proud to once again be a sponsor for this wonderful event! Cool plants As always, the sale features some plants propagated from the Botanical Gardens’ extensive collection. You can see all the plants that are available in The Great Plant Sale here. Items include: Exotic Japanese maples Ginkgo trees…...

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May 19, 2020

basket of vegetables in Western New York by Stofko

How to choose best vegetables to grow in your garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko Many beginning gardeners wonder what vegetables are the best to plant. That’s a difficult question to answer. What I like to plant may not be what you should plant. Here are some ideas on how you can choose what vegetables are best for you to plant. Right plant for the right spot The first thing you always have to think of are your growing conditions. Many of the vegetable plants that gardeners like to grow need…...

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May 19, 2020

Don’t panic– there will still be plants to buy after Memorial Day

by Connie Oswald Stofko Many gardeners are in the habit of buying all their plants on Memorial Day weekend. Garden centers have always been packed. Because of the pandemic, this year garden centers have to limit the number of people they can let in at one time. There won’t be crowds to deal with (yay!), but not everyone will be able to stock up this weekend. Don’t worry. There will still be plenty of plants to buy next week. “You…...

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May 19, 2020

Mow, snow, grow: wild spring weather in Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko We had a mild winter and last month it seemed that spring had arrived in Western New York. There was a lot of rain, but every so often the rain took a break and people mowed their lawns. But there were stretches when it seemed like it was constantly cloudy. We yearned for sunshine! But this past week really made us shake our heads. The mowing days alternated with snowing days. Big, fat snowflakes floated in…...

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May 12, 2020