by Connie Oswald Stofko Why is it so hard to keep squirrels away from your bird feeder? It’s because they’re amazing acrobats! Researchers compiled this video showing just how nimble squirrels are. It’s fascinating! There are a couple things you can try if you want to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder. BirdNotes from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers suggestions on the best spots to position the feeder in your yard. Special bird feeders and other equipment might…...
If you’re having a great harvest this year, consider canning some of that produce. Learn about canning and other preserving methods in the article “Canning is my Jam” by Shannon Rinow, Master Gardener coordinator. That’s just one of the articles in the newest edition of The Optimistic Gardener, the local horticulture newsletter produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties. Find the newsletter on the gardening page of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Chautauqua (on the lefthand…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Many years ago, I was visiting the grand Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua. I sat down on a bench and got a whiff of something nasty. It turned out to be a boxwood and I wondered why anyone would plant such a stinky shrub. It turns out that boxwood doesn’t affect everyone the way it affected me. Some people don’t notice a scent, and others actually think boxwood smells nice. On the other hand, I love the…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Slugs chomp on a variety of garden plants, and Western New York’s rainy weather means that some gardeners are battling with an increased population of slugs. What should you do if you have slugs? Well, keep things in perspective. You can reduce the numbers of slugs, but not get rid of them completely. To decrease the number of slugs, slug bait seems to be your best bet. There are two kinds of slug bait. The conventional…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s only August, so there is still a lot of gardening you can do in Western New York. Succession planting Succession planting is when you plant and harvest a second crop in one year. There is still time to squeeze in another crop of cool weather vegetables! If you missed planting them in early spring, take advantage of this second chance. In our previous article, Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market explains what to plant…...
by Lyn Chimera, owner of Lessons from Nature After a busy day, sitting down with a good cup of herbal tea from the garden is one of the joys of my life. I started growing a few mints and was hooked on the amazing taste of fresh mint tea. The freshness makes a huge difference. Every year my first cup of fresh tea is a cause for celebration. Technically, herbal teas are not teas. Tea comes from the tea plant…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A tall plant with huge leaves can become the focal point in your yard, and banana plants fit that bill. You can find them now –and on sale–at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. They include: They come in 6.5-inch pots. They were $19.99 each and are now on sale for $9.99. In addition, any plant in a 6.5-inch pot is now on sale at Mischler’s for $9.99. The sale continues while supplies…...
A virus new to the United States is striking tomatoes and peppers, according to this article by Beth Mattimore in the newest edition of WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is spread by tomato seeds. There are no current treatments or sprays that will cure infected plants. Tomato production worldwide is threatened. The virus has been seen in other parts of the world since 2015…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko I got this message from a reader: Is there an invasion of Japanese beetles? They are cleaning out all the leaves of my grapes and are now into the veggie garden, mainly on the climbing beans. Is this a bad year or am I one of the lucky ones? The beetle trap bag is pretty full. Thanks…Larry Larry, thanks for bringing up this topic. I guess you’re one of the “lucky” gardeners to have Japanese beetles…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Western New York again has a bushel of garden walks on the weekend, plus Open Gardens on Thursday and Friday. Three of the garden walks–Lockport, City of Tonawanda and Capen– have nighttime walks. One of the walks you can see this weekend is the East Aurora Garden Walk. At the home of Ellen Moomaw, you’ll be greeted with a lush garden in the hellstrip (the area between the sidewalk and the road). Many of the plants…...
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