by Connie Oswald Stofko Yes, Western New York has seen winter weather already, but the calendar says it’s still autumn. With a few days of milder weather in the forecast, get outside and do those late-season tasks while you can. Harvest herbs & cold weather veggies If you have any herbs or cold-weather vegetables, such as parsley, onions and peas, still growing, don’t let them go to waste. Harvest them now while they’re not hidden under a blanket of snow….
by Connie Oswald Stofko “What a crazy thing this was!” said David Clark, who got about 80 inches of snow at his Hamburg home during the recent snow storm. The amount of snow dropped in Western New York varied. Buffalo’s Southtowns area was hit hardest while areas in the Northtowns got a foot or two. The snowfall varied in other WNY counties as well, with some parts getting just a few inches. If your landscape felt the brunt of the…
by Connie Oswald Stofko I didn’t see many brown marmorated stinkbugs in October, which is the time when they are usually trying to get into our houses. Other Western New York gardeners have told me they have seen fewer–or even none–this fall. Could the population of brown marmorated stinkbugs be declining in Western New York? “It does seem to be that way,” said Liam Somers, state entomologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Brown marmorated stinkbugs in…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Now that it’s autumn, have you turned your back on your gardens, or will your landscape give you pleasure even throughout winter? Keep your autumn and winter gardens appealing with these two tips from Jay Jinge Hu, who shared his Williamsville landscape on Open Gardens for the first time this year. Keep ceramic & cement pots from breaking in winter I have always advised gardeners to bring their concrete or ceramic pots inside for the winter….
by Connie Oswald Stofko Thanksgiving is coming up next week, with more winter celebrations to follow. You may be cooking a lot–and cleaning up a lot. What should you do with the grease on the pots and pans? Let’s look at the choices. You may be surprised. Compost It’s generally recommended not to use fats, oils and grease in your compost because they can create odor problems and attract rodents. Some people say you can add small amounts of fats,…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Last week, I was trying to get some exercise, walking around my neighborhood, but I just had to stop. The autumn leaves were so beautiful I had to photograph them! As I was meandering, two different strangers stopped to comment on how beautiful the trees were. But now the leaves are dropping. Yay! We gardeners love autumn leaves on the trees and in our gardens! Here’s a previous article that lists many of the ways you…
You should compost your pumpkins, but if you can’t, don’t plunk them in your garbage can! They will end up in a landfill, and that’s not good. Instead, drop them off during the first annual Pumpkin Drop-Off at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. Large bins will be located at the far entrance of the Botanical Gardens parking lot. You can drop off your pumpkins from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday,…
by Connie Oswald Stofko In general, gardeners in Western New York are encouraged to keep perennial leaves and stalks in place to create winter interest, but one plant you should cut down is the iris. “We encourage folks to cut the iris leaves down after the first heavy frost,” said Marilee Farry, president of the Western New York Iris Society. “What is important is not to throw those leaves into the compost pile but to either burn them or put…
by Connie Oswald Stofko You may have enjoyed the information on carnivorous plants that Kenny Coogan, co-founder of the Western New York Carnivorous Plant Club, shared with us back in 2012. Coogan has moved to Florida, but he’ll be back in Buffalo to talk about his book– just released Oct. 1– called Florida’s Carnivorous Plants: Understanding, Identifying, and Cultivating the State’s Native Species. While the title focuses on Florida, Coogan includes information that WNY gardeners will like, such as how the plants digest insects and…
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s a lot easier to start a garden bed in autumn than in spring. Why? Because time is on your side. In spring, you would have to rush to get a new garden bed ready. When could you start? In April, when the ground is soggy or still frozen? Maybe in May, if the weather is nice on a day when you have off from work. If you prepare your garden bed now, there’s no rush–and…
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