growth tip and leaf joint on a jade plant in Amherst NY

Reminder: Bring houseplants inside before weather gets too cold

If your houseplants have been vacationing outside, don’t let them stay out too long. When should you bring them in? Before you turn on your furnace, said David R. Clark, CNLP. That’s just one of many tips he shares in this previous article, “Houseplants on summer vacation? Time to bring them back inside.” Clark also discusses pests in depth: how to keep pests from coming into your house and what to do if you find your houseplant is infested…....

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
dianthus gratianopollitanus or 'Firewitch Cheddar Pink' at Mischler's Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville NY

Talks, sales & more: Learn at Mischler’s back-to-school event

It’s the time to go back to school–even for gardeners! You can learn a lot at the Back-to-School event at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. It will take place from Friday, Sept. 5 to Saturday, Sept. 13. Times are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. There will be talks, a tour of Mischler’s cutting gardens (gardens where flowers are grown to be cut and placed in a vase), people to…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
soil with trowel in Amherst NY

Moving into autumn: tips from Master Gardeners in Orleans County

As autumn settles in, it’s tempting to focus solely on the checklist—deadheading, mulching, putting beds to rest. But before we rush into end-of-season tasks, consider taking a different approach this month. Step into your garden not as a worker, but as an observer. Notice the subtle shift in light, the way seeds have scattered in unexpected places, the quiet persistence of late bloomers. Your garden has been telling stories all season long. This month, let’s slow down enough to listen. —From…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
metal benches at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market

Create a special garden space with benches & fountains

by Connie Oswald Stofko Take a moment to click on the video below. Relax for seven seconds and enjoy the fountain, the water, the plants and the birds at Urban Roots Collaborative Garden Market. a Wasn’t that soothing? Those fountains and others are available at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. Add a bench for a seating area to create a comfortable outdoor space in your landscape, said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager of Urban Roots. Enjoy the…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
tree in yard in Eggertsville NY

Have you been sweltering this summer? Plant a tree this autumn!

Was your house roasting during the 80- and 90-degree days? Did your energy bill go sky high? Take this tip from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Plant a tree. Once it grows tall enough, a tree placed on the west or northwest side of a house can provide critical shade during the hottest times of day. This lowers the temperature inside the house and can reduce your cooling bill by up to 35 percent! To bring energy savings…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
daylily, daisies going to seed, black-eyed Susans in Amherst NY

Your garden now: It’s not a failure, it’s just August

These articles come from the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. by Lydia Fernandez and Julia Bender August gardens can feel overwhelming. Everything’s either thriving or dying, weeds are winning battles you thought you’d won, and half your plans have gone sideways. The tomatoes are finally coming in, but the lettuce bolted weeks ago, and don’t even mention the aphids. This late-summer fatigue is real, and it hits most of us. But it’s not failure—it’s just August…....

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
lisianthus in vase

Lisianthus: great cut flowers that last

by Connie Oswald Stofko At first glance, you may think you’re looking at roses, but the bouquet in the photo above is made up entirely of lisianthus. (See a pronunciation here.) Not only is this flower beautiful, but lisianthus is one of the longest-lasting flowers that you can have in a vase, said Barb Henry, who founded Henry’s Gardens with her husband Martin. They grow and sell lisianthus and other flowers as well as vegetables. Here are tips from Barb…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
asters in bloom with butterfly in Amherst NY

Fill the blank spaces in your garden

July is the time to take inventory of the blank spaces in your garden, according to Peggy Koppmann in “This Month in the Garden.” That’s one of the articles in the most recent edition of WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. “Perhaps a plant has died, or (gasp!), you killed it,” Koppmann said. “Maybe it got eaten by rabbits or it was overwatered or was in the wrong place. Maybe it was…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
delphinium flowers at Mischler's Florist and Greenhouse

Color your garden with perennials from Mischler’s

by Connie Oswald Stofko Four reasons why you should buy perennials now: Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville has a great selection of perennials now. Below are just a few. Delphinium: tall The delphinium is a grand perennial that can grow three or four feet high. It makes a good cut flower, said Jessica Limardi, a staff member at Mischler’s. The plant has a huge flower spike, and it also has side shoots coming out of the stem. The side…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
Japanese beetle in Buffalo NY area

Summer tips from Orleans County Master Gardeners

Here are just three of the many tips in the garden checklist for July from the Master Gardeners of Orleans County. Find lots of details within those tips–and more!–here. Do you have gardening questions? Contact the Master Gardeners in Orleans County here. If you live in a different county and have questions, find your Cornell Cooperative Extension office here…....

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here