We need to protect peat bogs. Learn more about that in the article “Peat Moss and Sustainability” by Kathy Contrino, Master Gardener in Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Peat moss, which is used to help soil retain moisture, is grown in peat bogs. However, peat moss grows slowly and it grows only if the conditions are perfect. Peat bogs are also an environment for native carnivorous plants, so harvesting peat moss can disrupt that ecosystem. There are alternatives to peat…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You may already have some milkweed and other native plants in your summer garden. Can you try for a loftier goal? Here’s a suggestion from Kim Eierman, an environmental horticulturist and ecological landscape designer: Have three native plants blooming in your garden at any time throughout our entire growing season. “Pollinators don’t all wake up on the same day,” Eierman said. “What if all you had in your garden was milkweed?” In early spring, when we…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “It was just a makeshift thing,” said Kim Kaiser, talking about the wooden stakes that her husband Seth set up to try to keep deer out. “It was kind of ugly,” she said. “But the fence is too low, so I had to think of something. I could put up a better fence, but I don’t want to disturb the clematis on the fence.” Wooden stakes, the kind you would buy to stake trees, were set…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko There’s snow on the ground and more snow to come. As I write this, the temperature might reach a high of 16 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill as low as -5. Brrr! That’s the forecast in the Buffalo area, but the weather is pretty much the same in the rest of Western New York. Yet despite the weather, the beginning of gardening season is here! Now is the time to get your supplies, equipment and…...
Sedges are as close to a carefree perennial as you can find, according to Lyn Chimera in the article “Sedges: Amazing and Hardy Perennials.” Native sedges have all the interesting features of grasses for your garden and much easier to care for. Other articles in this issue: WNY Gardening Matters is produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County…....
Engaging a Community to Support a Neighborhood Conservation Program Online Free event. Gwen Alegre, NY Master Naturalist, will share challenges, successes, and lessons learned when implementing a community volunteer conservation program. The Craneridge Homeowners Association, located in Glenwood in Erie County, is starting its fifth year of a multi-year initiative that includes education, communication, partnering with local experts, and energizing neighbors to care about and DO something to plant native and protect our natural community. Register here. The talk is…
by Connie Oswald Stofko In order to protect monarch butterflies, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed listing the monarch under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “This is good news for conservationists and nature lovers,” said Jay Burney, a local conservation activist. The monarch would be listed as threatened, which means it is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. (Endangered means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.) By…...
If you have a sick tree in your yard, you can get help through the Forest Health Research Lab, part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. While it talks about “forest health,” you don’t need a forest; a single tree is fine. But this lab is just for trees, not other kinds of plants. The Forest Health Research Lab is available year-round to help you diagnose tree diseases and potentially invasive insects–at no cost. They will also…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you’re like me, anytime you see tracks in the snow, especially if they are near a plant that has been nibbled on, you assume it’s rabbits. But sometimes I get surprised—we occasionally have deer, too. Or the random skunk. How can you tell what has been in your garden? You can get help with these Winter Tracks from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. In addition to drawings, there’s helpful text, too. For…...
Master Gardeners in Erie and Orleans counties share tips on moth gardens, what to do in your gardens now, a reminder about hardiness zones and more. Moth gardens Here’s a review on the book Gardening for Moths, a regional guide. The spectacular photos drew her in, but the text is attention grabbing, too, said Lyn Chimera, Master Gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. Moths are responsible for a tremendous amount of pollination. We think about butterfly gardens, but…...
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