by Connie Oswald Stofko Autumn leaves are beginning to change color across Western New York, according to the most recent Fall Foliage Report produced by ILoveNY.com. We’ve been getting a lot of rain lately, which we need to make up for our dry summer, but it can dim the colors of autumn leaves. For the most spectacular color displays, the best weather conditions are a succession of warm, sunny days, according to “Science of Fall Colors” from the US Forest Service. Cool but…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “Who doesn’t have Japanese anemones?” Margaret Raupp asked as we toured the flower gardens at her home in Eden. Me. I don’t have Japanese anemones, and I bet many of you don’t have then either. Why? Because we don’t visit gardens when they are blooming. That’s why I asked Raupp, who shares her landscape on Open Gardens, to show me some of the flowers that bloom in September. I visited her about 10 days ago, on…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know where all your perennials are–now. But what about next spring when all the plants–perennials and weeds alike– are tiny? You can take a guess on what’s in that spot. Or you can invest some time now so that, in spring, you’re not weeding out your beloved flowers. First, take photos of your gardens now while your perennials are still standing. See more here. Second, label your plants. Tip: I have used…...
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 “While the big box stores have bulbs available before Labor Day, bulbs should not be planted before the beginning of October,” said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market. “Our bulb suppliers won’t send them till the end of September. We usually have them in stock by the first week in October.” Autumn is the time to plant bulbs that flower in spring, but planting them too early could damage or even kill them. When…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko There’s a whole group of herbs and vegetables that you can grow now–from seed! These herbs and vegetables may take a month or two–even three months– to reach maturity. By then the weather will be cool, cold or freezing, but these plants like it that way. If you’ve never tried planting a crop of vegetables that you harvest in autumn or winter, try it this year. There are so many cool weather herbs and vegetables to…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I wasn’t sure whether to use “early winter” or “late autumn” in the headline. Technically, winter doesn’t start until Dec. 21. Yet we have already gotten snow and more is in the forecast, so I went with winter. Then again, the snow keeps melting, and many of us still have leaves on the trees. Maybe we should call this season “wintumn.” Whatever you call it, there are still tasks you can do in your garden. If…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You can have a lovely garden in all seasons of the year. To find out how it’s done, I visited Tom and Darcie Homme in Pendleton. I showed you their gardens in winter, in spring, in summer and now in autumn. Of course, what you see in these articles are just moments in the life of the gardens. The plants change continuously throughout the seasons. That seemed especially true in this season. In September I posted…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you want a new garden in spring, prepare it now. There’s no digging involved and it will be ready for you when it’s time to plant. This works even if you have weeds and clay soil. Use the lasagna gardening method. You lay out material in layers, like a lasagna. The first layer is cardboard or a thick layer of newspaper. Over the top of that, alternate layers of whole leaves, chopped leaves, manure, grass…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Those autumn leaves are gold for your garden. Here are some of the ways you can use them. Help your lawn When you mow your grass, chop up the leaves as you go. Those bits of chopped leaves are good for your lawn– they return nutrients to the soil. See this short video from Cornell School of Integrated Plant Science. Compost leaves Adding leaves to your compost pile will help your kitchen scraps break down more…...
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