by Connie Oswald Stofko This has been one bitterly cold winter. On the plus side, it has been snowy. You may think the cold and snow combine to create a double whammy, but when it comes to our gardens in Western New York, it would have been worse without the snow. “If you see snow, you should be happy,” said Carol Ann Harlos, Master Gardener coordinator for the Erie County Cornell Cooperative Extension. The air temperature and soil temperature can…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko When we want to grow food, we generally think of smallish plants that we would categorize as “vegetables” or “herbs,” such as tomatoes or zucchini or parsley. Today we’re going to challenge you to think bigger. When you think of food, think of trees and shrubs. The concept is called edible landscapes, said Fred Safford, who is in charge of trees and shrubs at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg. It’s a way to work with…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko People often ask me how I can offer weekly subscriptions to Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com for free. The answer, of course, is that this great online magazine is supported by local businesses and organizations who want to connect with gardeners. That means that when you’re looking for gardening products and services, this website is a great place to start. Not only can you find wonderful merchandise and services, but these folks are right here in Western New York! Start…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko When I was at the recent meeting of the Garden Friends of Clarence, Linda Klimczak, one of the members, told me about the mystery of her empty bird feeder and sent me the video that you can see below. Klimczak had gotten a squirrel-proof bird feeder and set it out on her back patio. Although the bird feeder holds quite a lot of seed, the next day it was empty. The mystery of the empty bird…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko I will present “45 Gardening Tips in 45 Minutes” at the meeting of the Garden Friends of Clarence at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Clarence Town Park Clubhouse, 10405 Main St., Clarence. Like all the events we list on Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, this event is open to the public. I’ll share some of the best tips I discovered as I interviewed home gardeners and gardening experts for the online gardening magazine for Western New York. See…
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you’re looking for a blooming flower in winter, especially for Valentine’s Day, check out cyclamen. Some attentive gardeners may find cyclamen tricky to care for, but that’s because cyclamen don’t need much care. “They don’t want to be overloved,” said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Cyclamen like it a little on the dry side, so you shouldn’t overwater them, he said. They also like to dry…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “Just because something is good for the environment, it doesn’t mean you have to spend more money for it,” said Albert J. Gilewicz. “Sometimes you end up paying less.” Gilewicz, who describes himself as a pragmatic environmentalist with a background in engineering and business, will present “The Garden Revolution: A Call to Trowels” at the meeting of the Ken-Sheriton Garden Club at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 576 Delaware Road, Kenmore…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko I know most of you are dreaming of spring right now. You can’t wait to get outside and arrange perennials in a garden bed or mix annuals in a container. Don’t just pout and wait for spring. Here’s a gardening project you can do right now: Create a container garden of succulents that you can grow inside. A project like this allows you to use your creativity, but if you’re a beginning gardener (or a lazy…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You know what they say about Western New York: If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes. You may think we’ve had nothing but snow and cold this winter, but I can assure you we’ve had thaws. I know because the arrangement of frozen spheres that I told you about in mid-December melted before Christmas. Luckily, just before New Year’s Day we got more cold weather (hey, I’m looking for the silver lining), so I…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko The amaryllis is a favorite flower for Western New York gardeners to grow indoors at this time of year because there’s not much going on bloom-wise outdoors. Amaryllis bulbs are popular holiday gifts. My niece, Carrie Hoffman of Cheektowaga, got one and started charting its amazing growth. The plant can grow 1 1/2 inches a day! Amaryllis gets tall and has huge, trumpet-shaped flowers. It’s quite a spectacular plant. Find out how to care for your…...
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