The yearly 49-cent perennial sale at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses is so popular, the folks at Mischler’s have created a short guide with tips on how to get the most out of this awesome event. The event will be held from Friday, April 25 to Saturday, May 3 at Mischler’s, 118 South Forest Road, Williamsville. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The plants…...
Tag: Garden tips
Help a reader: What is this awful plant?
by Connie Oswald Stofko A reader sent me this question: “I have what I assume is a weed every year in one garden bed. I cannot get rid of it no matter what I try. It is green leafed and grows on a stem that snakes under ground. The stem is reddish purple under ground and the leaves come up from that as it spreads all over. It can get very tall. It’s coming up already. It twists through my…...
It feels like summer, then winter– What you can do in your garden now
by Connie Oswald Stofko How do we know it’s spring in Western New York? One day it feels like summer and the next day it feels like winter. On Sunday I opened my doors and windows and it got up to 74 degrees Fahrenheit in the house. Today? Snow. Sigh. If I get nervous that winter is making a comeback, I remember that I have seen robins and crocuses in my neighborhood. I know spring is here to stay. But…...
It’s warmer out, but use restraint so you don’t compact your garden soil
by Connie Oswald Stofko We had a bit of warm sunshine this weekend and it was wonderful to do some outside chores. My husband raked the autumn leaves off the front lawn and I yanked a few early weeds from garden beds near a sidewalk. But there still isn’t a lot you can do in your garden yet, said Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. “I would tell people to use care in their gardens…
Flowers for outside right now? Pansies. More cool-weather flowers available next week
by Connie Oswald Stofko In other years you might have been able to work the soil and plant some cool-weather annuals in your flower beds at the beginning of April, but not this year, said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. “It’s crazy,” he said.”It’s been too cold. “My advice for this year is to do your early plantings in containers.” Even if this past weekend’s snow has melted from your yard,…...
Hands-on workshops, presentations set at Lockwood’s
Presentations on gardening as well as hands-on floral workshops will be among this season’s classes to be offered at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Registration is necessary for all classes. You can register for most of the classes online now (some of the classes aren’t posted on the Lockwood’s site yet– check back soon), at the store or by calling 649-4684. Coming up first are two classes this Saturday, April 5, where you can learn how to integrate food…...
Got clay or rocks in your soil? Use pallets to create a raised bed– It’s simple!
by Connie Oswald Stofko You may be reluctant to start a new garden bed if you have a site that’s less than ideal. Maybe it’s full of stones that you would have to sift out or pick out by hand. Or maybe the soil is compacted or riddled with clay, so you face the prospect of having to work in lots and lots of compost to break it up. An easier solution is to create raised beds using pallets. This idea…...
Miniature gardens tell a story with plants– Make them as gifts!
by Connie Oswald Stofko A cat is curled up in one of the Adirondack chairs at the koi pond. On the table rests a goblet filled with Merlot, and the glass dome has been removed from a plate of cheese. “It’s a miniature fantasy,” said Dan Meyer, greenhouse associate at Mischler’sFlorist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. “It’s a comfortable setting that makes you feel good. And you’re telling a story with plants.” The miniature garden above has many…...
Get a sneak peek of ‘Innuendo: The Secret Sex Life of Plants,’ then see it live!
by Connie Oswald Stofko Birds do it. Bees do it. And birds and bees help plants do it. In the video below, we bring you a sneak peek of “Innuendo: The Secret Sex Life of Plants,” the kick-off presentation of Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens’ 2014 Science Café Series. In this entertaining video, David Clark, horticulture instructor at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, shows us some of the strange ways plants create more of themselves. Clark is…...
It’s time to start seeds for cool weather veggies in Western New York
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s time to start seeds inside for cool weather vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, said Julie Emerling, a grower at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Wait until the end of March to start lettuce and spinach, she said. They’re cold tolerant, but they can’t take frost the way that vegetables like cabbage can. Find out more about when to plant cool weather vegetable plants outside in this article from last year. It’s still…...