Buffalo’s sunny skies and warm temperatures greeted gardeners from across the nation and around the world as they arrived last week for the 83rd national convention of the National Garden Clubs Inc. There was plenty to do at the convention, called “Explore the Wonders.” Internationally renowned speakers, seminars, tours and a flower show were all part of the convention. In future articles I’ll share some of the things I learned at the convention, and today I’ll give you a glimpse…
by Colleen Morrissey, herb manager and container designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses If you love salad and enjoy gardening, plant a “lettuce bowl” container garden. It’s a quick and easy project. You don’t need much space, so you can have a “lettuce bowl” container garden on a sunny balcony, front stoop or just outside your kitchen door. Setting the container on a picnic table or other tabletop may discourage rabbits, slugs and other pests. This is also a…
You’ll see marvelous examples of bonsai, the miniature gardening art form, at the upcoming Bonsai Show, but there is lots more to do at the show, too. You can also watch demonstrations on how to start a bonsai tree. There will be a table where you can get advice on tending bonsai trees, and you can even bring your own bonsai and get technical help. Bonsai supplies and trees will be sold. If you want to start a bonsai, you…
Vertical gardens are a great way to add color to a fence or wall. They’re terrific if you don’t have much space for gardening. With vertical gardening, you could install an herb garden right outside your kitchen door, and vertical gardens can be used inside, too. The trick to the vertical garden is the container. It’s basically a shallow box divided into smaller cells. Each cell has a slanted bottom that keeps the soil and plant in place.You can buy…
There’s nothing like a freshly picked tomato, and tomatoes are easy to grow everywhere in the Buffalo area. You don’t even need a garden– a very simple container will do. Thomas Mitchell, a horticulture teacher at Niagara County Community College, shared tips on growing vegetables during a presentation at Plantasia, Western New York’s premier garden and landscape show held in March. Mitchell’s number one point was that you have to have good soil. I demoted that tip to number two…
Fairy gardens have such a wide appeal, it’s easy to see why they’ve become such a hot new trend in the Buffalo area. Fairy gardens are great for people with limited space, for people who want to share gardening with a child, or for people who just like being creative. “Basically, a fairy garden is a miniature garden planted in a container or in the landscape,” explained Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd.,…
In a previous article, we told you that using annuals in your Buffalo area garden can help give you constant bloom. Today we’ll tell you about three more great annuals that work well in containers. These suggestions were provided by the staff at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg, NY 14075. Mandevilla “These are some of the best plants you can have,” said Jill Kisker, grower at Lockwood’s. The flowers of the mandevilla have a lovely shape and come in…
I often hear people say that they don’t have room to garden. They live in an apartment, they explain, and have only a small patio area. Or worse, they’re not even on the ground floor. Those things didn’t bother the folks with these second-floor balconies that I happened to spot in Buffalo this year. At left, this balcony on Niagara St. near Hudson has more flowers than your average suburban yard! The folks here could have settled for a single…
Yes, Labor Day is over, but there are still new flowers to plant! If you forgot to water this summer and your flowers are fried, or if you just need a spot of color here or there for fall, look for winter pansies. Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Amherst, has them in a four-packs, 6 1/2-inch pots and combined containers. The winter pansies, grown right at Mischler’s, are frost tolerant. They’re capable of withstanding our unpredictable fall weather….
You’ll be impressed by grand show pieces at the first ever Succulent Show at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, and you’ll come away with ideas that you can use on a smaller scale in your garden or inside your home. The show opens this Saturday, Sept. 10, and runs through Oct. 2 at the Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors & students,…
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