by Connie Oswald Stofko The first day of spring occurs on Wednesday, but where in Western New York will it really seem like spring? At Plantasia! Plantasia, the premier garden and landscape show for Western New York, will be held inside the Fairgrounds Event Center & Artisan Hall, 5820 South Park, Hamburg. You can stroll through gardens filled with real trees, shrubs and flowers, as well as water features, patios, paths and seating areas. You’ll be able to get ideas…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “Mandalas go with gardening,” said artist Caroline North of Collins. “They’re centering and meditative–and that’s what plants do for us.” See her mandalas on display in the Nature’s Kaleidoscope exhibit through Sunday, Aug. 19 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. This event is proudly sponsored by Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. See a short video of the exhibit here. The exhibit is included with Botanical Gardens admission. Admission is $11 for…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Nature’s Kaleidoscope is a new exhibit at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens that aims to give you a new way to look at nature– through shapes and patterns, said Kristin Pochopin, director of Horticulture at the Botanical Gardens. Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, the online gardening magazine for Western New York, is proud to be the sponsor of this summer event. Start off your visit by looking through a giant kaleidoscope located in the main dome. Then look for…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You can now get mature bonsai, bonsai starter kits and bonsai supplies at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. As we learned a few years ago, bonsai (pronounced bone-SIGH) is created by pruning and training a tree over a period of years to keep it small while giving it the form and shape of a mature tree. If you’re a beginner, you may enjoy the starter kits. If you’re already in the process…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko How would you like a wall of hydrangeas? This display intrigued me at the annual conference of GWA: The Association of Garden Communicators held right here in Buffalo from Friday to yesterday. At the trade show, this wall of blooms was used by Bailey Nurseries, a grower, to show off its brand of reblooming hydrangeas called Endless Summer hydrangeas. You could create a blooming wall like this for a special occasion. The hydrangea plants are in…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Plantasia, the premier garden and landscape show for Western New York is coming up soon at the Fairgrounds, 5820 South Park Ave., Hamburg, with vendors and talks and great gardens right inside the building, as well as activities for kids. But you should also make a point to walk from the Events Center, which is the main building, to the Artisan Hall to make sure you see the flower show held every year by the Eighth…...
Whether you’re looking for a decoration for your home or a gift for a friend, think of fresh flowers. The centerpiece pictured uses oriental lilies grown in the greenhouses at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Even the pine cones are sourced locally. Other flower and plant suggestions include miniature gardens, snowball hydrangeas, and poinsettias. You can order online or call Mischler’s at 632-1290. Save…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s not a comfortable topic: Ordering flowers when someone you know has died. But Maggie Wittmer, floral designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, gives us some guidelines in this video that may relieve your anxiety. If a close family member has died, the flowers you choose will depend on the kind of services that will be held, she explains. Flowers for services where a casket will be on display differ from those at a memorial or…...
You can take college horticulture classes without being a full-time student or earning a degree, and the tuition is less. Niagara County Community College (NCCC) is opening a limited number of seats in horticulture classes through its community education department. “We were constantly getting requests from folks who want to be able to take our classes, but don’t want to earn a degree,” said Carolyn A. Stanko, an NCCC assistant professor who coordinates the college’s horticulture program. She is also a…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I’m always astounded by the creativity that I see at flower shows. Not only do the garden club members have to evoke the given theme, they have to do it while abiding by strict guidelines. The results are consistently amazing. You can be amazed when you visit the flower show that will be held at Plantasia by the Judges Council of Eighth District Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, the local group of garden clubs…....
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