Update: You can watch a recording of the talk here. Tony Hiss, one of the most important conservation writers working today, will discuss his seminal book Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth. The talk will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 25 at the Montante Cultural Center at Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo. The event is being held by the Western New York Land Conservancy. Hiss is a world-renowned author and one of the strongest advocates…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A month ago, I published Lesser celandine is back: What to do if it’s already out of control, but I still keep getting questions from readers. I also have gotten comments on that article and previous lesser celandine articles about how bad the situation has become on their property. Let’s address some of these issues. You can’t apply herbicide once the plant has flowered. Why? Here’s the answer from Andrea Locke, coordinator of WNY PRISM (Partnership for Regional…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko We talked about No Mow May in an article last year. The idea is to take a break from mowing your lawn until the end of May. That way, you’re allowing plants in your lawn to flower, providing early food for bees and other pollinators. “But it’s just a starting point,” said Matthew Shepherd, director of Outreach & Education at the Xerces Society. “We want to see landscapes transformed. We want lawns that are less manicured, where…...
Did you ever wish there was a program like Master Gardener Volunteers, but for climate? There is now! The new Cornell Climate Stewards program will train volunteers, who then work on local climate change projects. The statewide program provides intensive education on climate science, communications, and potential local solutions. Volunteers can support ongoing initiatives and local conservation projects as well as create their own project. Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County and Erie County will hold trainings for Cornell Climate…...
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County Master Gardener Program will host its Education Day from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 11 at Classics V Banquet Center, 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst. Speakers and topics are: The event includes a hot buffet lunch, beverages and snacks. The day begins with registration from 8:30 – 9 a.m. The first of two morning sessions start at 9 a.m. The full hot buffet lunch will be followed by an afternoon presentation…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko The numbers and letters on a bag of fertilizer can be confusing. Let’s take a moment to learn what all this means to our Western New York gardens. Letters on fertilizer bag The letters on the fertilizer bag represent primary nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The abbreviations come from the periodic table of elements: N is nitrogen, P is phosphorus and K is potassium. The standard label displays the nutrients in the same order, according to…...
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 Sales of tree and shrub seedlings are again being held in Western New York through counties and through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Here are 5 reasons why you should consider buying tree or shrub seedlings: Tree & shrub seedling sales The sales have different ordering deadlines. The organizers suggest you order early to make sure the items you want are still in stock. The county sales generally have you pick up…...
The Genesee County Master Gardeners will hold monthly Garden Talks starting in February. Garden Talk programs start at noon and can be 30 to 60 minutes long, depending on the topic. They will be held on Thursdays. This free series is open to all, but registration is required. You can attend in person at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office, 420 East Main St., Batavia, or online via Zoom. To attend in person, contact Mandy at 585-343-3040, ext. 101 or amm532@cornell.edu. For a Zoom…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Surprise! Tomorrow is the first day of winter. Yes, Western New York has snow on the ground, and parts of Western New York got 80 inches of snow in November, but that’s just weather. We’re talking about how close–or far away– Western New York is to the sun. As the Earth spins on its axis, the Northern Hemisphere gets closer or farther away from the sun. When the Northern Hemisphere is at its farthest point, we…...
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