by Connie Oswald Stofko John Jankowski of Batavia sent me a photo that he wanted me to identify, then asked, “Is it a weed or a plant?” Now, usually I’m no help when people want a plant identified. I’m not a gardening expert, so I almost always have to tell people to contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in their county. However, I happened to know this one because I have it in my yard. It’s mullein (pronounced mull-en). Is…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s an Irish pub. It’s an outdoor living room. And it has gardens. That’s what you encounter when you visit Michael Ryan’s backyard on Englewood Ave., Tonawanda. It’s the party place for his family and friends. Visitors are amazed and assume he must spend lots of time maintaining his landscape, but he insists that he’s a lazy gardener who uses lots of short cuts. “It’s two weeks of work at the beginning of the season, then…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A steep hill that some people might see as an obstacle has become the focal point of Paul Sabato’s backyard. He shared his garden on South Buffalo Alive, a garden walk that took place Sunday, July 17. When he moved in 23 years ago, the staircase to the right was already there, but Sabato put in the rest, including an above-ground swimming pool. The soil was full of rocks. “You put a shovel in the ground…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Have you gotten any rain lately? If so, lucky you! I’ve been hearing forecasts of thunderstorms, and I happily anticipated having my rain barrels refilled. But we got only lightning. There was barely enough rain to dampen the porch– and the areas under the plastic lawn chairs stayed dry! We’re significantly below average for precipitation, said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. The last summer that was comparable to this was…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Here’s a question from a reader: “My Asiatic lilies were attacked by the lily beetles last year. “This year they (the red lily leaf beetles) are back in my garden. I literally pulled about 6-8 of my lilies and just tossed them out because they were so bad and distressing me– I even tossed out the soil around them. I still have some beetles and twice daily, I go out and look for them and catch…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Peter Kurtzworth is the fourth generation of his family to live in the home at 491 Morgan St., City of Tonawanda. When he married Judy four years ago, she brought pieces of her heritage to his homestead: plants from her former home, from her aunt’s cottage and from her mother’s garden. The Kurtzworths shared their gardens on the City of Tonawanda Garden Walk, which featured a nighttime tour on Friday, July 15 and a daytime tour…
by Connie Oswald Stofko “My favorite flowers are phlox and oriental lilies because they’re fragrant,” said Ed Dinki, “and I love the color. Asiatic lilies are nice, but they’re not too fragrant.” You can get tips like that and see some amazing gardens when you dare to stray from the clusters of gardens at the center of a garden walk map and take a few minutes to visit some of the outliers. The Amherst Garden Walk, which took place July…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “It looks pretty peaceful out here,” Joyce Heath said, surveying her yard on the Snyder-CleveHill Garden View on July 10. With so much happening in the world, especially in recent weeks, it’s a feeling she tries to convey in her gardens. Rocks in a side garden were inscribed with “Tranquility” and “Peace Love Joy.” A flag emblazoned with “Peace: Back by popular demand” found a prominent spot elsewhere in her yard. “It’s a happy place,” exclaimed…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “It’s not meant to look perfect or manicured,” Dr. Kenton Bruce Anderson said of his front yard at 44 Montrose Ave., Buffalo. “It’s meant to be carefree, but look as if somebody takes care of it.” You can see this fun garden on the Samuel P. Capen Garden Walk from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, July 16. The walk will also feature a night tour called Capen by Night from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko Can you get garden mums to come back year after year? Yes, you can, said Ethan Waterman, manager of Waterman’s Greenhouse, 12316 Vaughn St. (Route 240), East Concord (Springville.) “Planting them now is the trick,” Waterman said. “You can’t take a mum out of the pot in October and shove it in the ground and think it will come next year. You have to plant them now to get them established so they make it through…...
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