by Connie Oswald Stofko “Contrary to popular belief, goldenrod does not cause hay fever!” said Lyn Chimera, the author of “Goldenrod Gets a Bad Rap,” one of three articles in this month’s edition of WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County. Although many gardeners think of goldenrod as a weed, it’s one of Chimera’s favorite garden plants. It’s beautiful in the garden, it’s great as a cut flower and it provides food…
Ideal time to plant grass: mid-August to mid-September
by Connie Oswald Stofko The best time to plant grass is from mid-August to mid-September, said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. By the time the seeds sprout, the cooler, wetter autumn weather will be here and you won’t have to water as much. Don’t plant grass seed in late September or in October because the seed will sprout, but then die in cold winter temperatures. If you miss the late summer/early fall window…
Visit Nature’s Kaleidoscope & get inspired to make your own mandalas
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…
It’s time to plant your second vegetable garden of the year
by M.L. Wells, Master Gardener Volunteer of Allegany County Here it is, the early part of August. You’ve already planted your Garden 101; now it’s time to plant Garden 102. By now, the peas, lettuce, spinach, carrots, early green beans, broccoli and early potatoes are done in the garden. Don’t let the empty space go to waste, or worse yet, go to seed. Any vegetable that matures in 60-75 days will do well in late summer. The hardy ones will grow…
Deer eating your garden? See 20 plants deer hate
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you get discouraged when deer chomp away at your garden, know that growers and garden centers have the same problems. “Deer are a battle for us,” said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. In back of Mischler’s, there are fields filled with deer, eyeing the tasty plants set outside for sale. “I swear by the repellents,” Yadon said. “If I didn’t have repellents, we wouldn’t be in business.”…
Don’t create flat spots when you water containers
by Connie Oswald Stofko When you have a mixed container of annuals that includes flowers such as petunias, the plants are supposed to be in a tall, rounded mound with no flat spots. If yours don’t look like that, you’re probably watering wrong, said Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. To water prevent holes and flat spots, use a watering can and water slowly. If you have a spikey flower in the center…
Have fun with containers & accept failures, says Buffalo gardener
by Connie Oswald Stofko Martha and Dan Meegan have many gorgeous container plantings in their yard at 35 Montrose Ave., Buffalo, which they shared this month on the Samuel Capen Garden Walk. But not every gardening project works out the way you plan. “You’re going to fail at some,” Martha said, pointing to a small group of sad pots. “I left those out for people to see.” I loved that demonstration of encouragement to her visitors! I always…
Get more flowers by deadheading
by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you know how to deadhead? Deadheading is removing the spent flower from a plant to encourage more flowers to grow. In this short video, learn how to deadhead the correct way with Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. They grow Gardener’s Own™ brand plants. Mike Weber Greenhouses is one of the wonderful sponsors of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com…
How to water wisely, plus more tips from Master Gardeners
by Connie Oswald Stofko Make sure you keep your plant watered enough to get through dry weather, and do it without wasting a lot of time. Carol Ann Harlos, Master Gardener, shares tips on how to accomplish that in “Wise Watering,” part of this month’s issue of WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. The articles aren’t yet posted on the WNY Gardening Matters site, but you can read them by clicking on the links in my article…
2 tips on buying & planting perennials– Yes, you can plant them now!
by Connie Oswald Stofko First: Yes, you can still buy and plant perennials! You can even plant them in autumn. Today we get a couple of tips from Jen Weber, vice president and manager of Mike Weber Greenhouses, 42 French Rd., West Seneca. They grow Gardener’s Own™ brand plants. When you’re buying perennials, don’t be afraid to buy a rootbound plant. Weber explains why buying a plant with roots sticking out of the pot is actually a good thing. But what…
