by Connie Oswald Stofko Creating a theme for the Fourth of July in your garden isn’t as easy as it might seem. While there are many red and white flowers to choose from, finding true blue flowers is difficult. “Blue flowers are never blue, even if they’re named as such,” said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. “They tend more to purple.” If you want flowers that are closer to blue, try these plants…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s that time of year when gardeners in Western New York are happily buying plants. Here are some tips to guide you while shopping. Plan what to look for Do you want to grow food, have a pretty yard, help the environment, or a bit of all of those? Do you want plants that are easy to maintain? New and different? Fragrant? Tall? Even if you don’t know exactly what plants you want, have an idea…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “Plugs are a soil-filled fabric tube planted with one or more cuttings,” explained Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. The fabric acts as the container for the plant. Regular plugs have one plant. Combo plugs have three types of plants together in one plug. “The combos are great if you have trouble getting inspiration or aren’t sure what color combinations work well,” she said. Buying plant plugs has…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko There seems to be confusion over which home gardeners can legally plant cannabis in Western New York. Right now only people that have their medical cannabis card from their practitioner can grow cannabis, said Melissa Moore, co-coordinator of the Horticulture Program and instructor of Cannabis at Niagara County Community College (NCCC). Those people can grow up to six plants per person, and a total of 12 plants per residence. People without a medical card are not…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko For gardeners, one of the joys of winter is planning for spring! Start your planning now with the Great Plant Sale from the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Not only can you browse through the selections now, you can order now before anything is sold out. Pick up your plants on May 19 or 20. (The sale will be online only this year.) Joe Mannion, director of horticulture, noted that the Botanical Gardens has contracted…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Landscapes are constantly changing. What you did last year may not be what will work for you this year. Trees and shrubs get bigger, making your landscape shadier. Or trees and large shrubs are damaged or destroyed during storms such as this year’s November storm or the Snowvember Storm of 2014. The effects may last for years. I had an arborvitae that was damaged during the 2006 October Storm when a maple tree fell into our…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Freshen up your landscape with autumn annuals. From traditional mums to a newer variety of ornamental peppers, Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses has plants to brighten up your autumn landscape. Let’s start with mums. There are early-season, mid-season and late-season mums. They bloom at different times, depending on the variety. Early-season mums are available now. When I took these photos last week, the flowers were just opening. Some people like to choose a plant whose flowers aren’t…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Gardening season in Western New York is longer than many people think–it doesn’t start and end on Memorial Day weekend. There’s still time to plant perennials, including ones that are blooming now. And you can freshen up your garden with summer annuals as well as autumn annuals. And some of these plants may be on sale! Planting perennials in late summer You can safely plant perennials now through mid-September, said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Sometimes we get plants that just show up in our gardens. If we want to keep those plants, we call them volunteers. If we don’t want those plants in our garden, they’re weeds. An interesting plant arrived in one of my garden beds this spring. I didn’t know what it was and wasn’t sure whether it was going to be a volunteer or a weed. It grew about five feet tall and got pretty little daisy-like…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You’re at a garden center and you have found the variety of plant you want. There are several specimens to choose from. You pick up a pot. Is the plant you hold in your hand healthy? If it has something wrong with it, how would you even know? Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca, explains what you should look for when buying garden plants. Perennials and shrubs…...
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