Tag: Garden tips

dew on blades grass in lawn in Western New York

Reminder: Don’t use fertilizers containing phosphorus on your lawn

In order to help protect our waterways, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is reminding gardeners not to use lawn fertilizers that contain phosphorus. The 2012 Dishwasher Detergent and Nutrient Runoff Law prohibits the use of phosphorus fertilizers unless a new lawn is being established or a soil test shows that the lawn does not have enough phosphorus. “Too much phosphorus is harmful to the state’s water resources,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. “Rain and snow runoff…...

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Sep 2, 2014
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cut tulips in Amherst NY

Get tips on spring-flowering bulbs and more at Lockwood’s Fall Garden Fair Sept. 6 & 7

by Connie Oswald Stofko “Winter is too long,” said David Clark, horticulturist and national garden speaker.”With our Western New York winters, it’s nice to have something pop up in mid- to late winter.” That’s why he recommends planting spring bulbs– The first ones can come up when there’s still snow on the ground. “I like to have a big show in spring,” Clark said. “And if you plan it correctly, you can have flowers from mid-winter through July when you…...

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Aug 26, 2014
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big planter on deck in Buffalo NY

Create a no-bending, no-kneeling garden like this one in Buffalo

  by Connie Oswald Stofko JoAnn Yager has a small garden along the fence in her backyard, but the plants there struggle. “They never grew,” she said, “and it was too hard bending and weeding.” This year she tried something new. Her reward is that she is surrounded by flowers and herbs and vegetables, plus she eliminated all that bending and kneeling. Her trick? She used containers on her back deck. Yager shared her tips during the Black Rock &…...

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Aug 5, 2014
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Trellis can support vines & shade lettuce; see 3 examples from Lockwood’s community garden

You can provide support for vining vegetables such as squash or cucumbers, while at the same time providing shade for lettuce, which likes cooler temperatures, with a simple trellis. I saw three different examples built by clever gardeners earlier this summer at the community garden at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Anyone can rent a parcel in the community garden, which is a wonderfully sunny area. Parcels are $85 for 4 feet by 50 feet (200 square feet) and…...

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Aug 5, 2014
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A lot of garden is packed into small Buffalo yard– ponds, falls, hot tub & many plants

by Connie Oswald Stofko The description of this yard on the Garden Walk Buffalo map summed it up perfectly: A lot of garden crammed into a tiny space. Bruce and Renée Adams of 533 Auburn, Buffalo, have a backyard that is about 36 feet wide but only 20 feet deep, yet they manage to squeeze in two ponds, a stream, a patio table and chairs, a hot tub and lots and lots of plants. I visited their home during the…...

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Jul 29, 2014
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slow-growing low-maintenance garden

Slow-growing shrubs create low-maintenance garden; backyard is full of perennials

by Connie Oswald Stofko Barb Ciesla and her husband Henry had a front yard with a line of yew bushes straight across the front. She wanted something more interesting and decided to redo the entire front. “I’m 60 years old and I don’t want to do it all again,” Ciesla said. “I don’t want to have to redo it in five years because things got too big. I wanted things that grow very slowly.” She spent the entire winter researching…...

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Jul 22, 2014
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Help a reader: Can you prolong the bloom of a spiderwort?

by Connie Oswald Stofko I received this question from a reader: I have several spiderwort (transcandentia) in a variety of colors. I love the plants, however, their bloom only lasts until late afternoon, then they close up. Is there anything I can do to extend their bloom time or is this just typical of the plant? Also, can they be cut back to bring another full blooming young plant at a certain time during the summer?   Thanks, Dawn Brennan I…...

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Jul 22, 2014
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dog by garden in South Buffalo NY

South Buffalo gardener uses simple fence to keep peace with her puppy

by Connie Oswald Stofko Shiloh, not quite two years old, is still a puppy. She’s well behaved, but she has one puppy behavior that could be maddening to a gardener. She likes to dig holes and bury bones– in the garden! Her owner, Justine Tutuska, came up with a creative way to keep her garden beds intact. She made simple fences by tying together bamboo sticks. She sets these across the garden beds to keep Shiloh out. You can see…...

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Jul 15, 2014
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lush gardens and paths in West Seneca NY backyard

West Seneca gardener creates a getaway in her own backyard

by Connie Oswald Stofko “It’s serene,” said Mary Anne Bach as she gazed around her backyard. “I love coming here.” Sometimes if friends ask her if she wants to go out, her real answer is no. She’d rather spend her time off in her garden. You’ll be able to see why she enjoys her landscape so much when you visit the home she shares with her husband Jim at 52 Tim Tam Terrace during the West Seneca Tour of Gardens…...

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Jul 15, 2014
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title for video on Snyder-CleveHill Garden View

Clay, tree roots & shade: Get tips in this video

by Connie Oswald Stofko I love Western New York gardeners. I tried waiting out the rain Sunday, but it just kept getting worse, so around 1 p.m. I made my way out to the Snyder-CleveHill Garden View, a garden walk that covers parts of Amherst and Cheektowaga. I stopped at the home of Terrie and Jerry Newman at 194 Lamarck Dr. The description on the map said they had struggled with clay soil, something that a lot of Western New…...

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Jul 14, 2014
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