by Connie Oswald Stofko “I don’t have to get down on my hands and knees to water the Christmas tree anymore,” said Rick Martinez of Niagara Falls. If you have a real Christmas tree, you know you have to keep it watered. Here’s a great tip from Martinez that makes watering your Christmas tree a little bit easier. You need a small funnel and four feet of half-inch tubing. Insert the funnel into the tubing. Use zip ties to attach…
by Connie Oswald Stofko One way to make Christmas last a little longer is by buying a living Christmas tree. You can decorate it, enjoy it inside, then plant it outside where it will grow for years to come. Living Christmas trees are available now at at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, 428 Rhode Island St. Buffalo. “We have three or four families who come in every year,” said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager of Urban Roots. “You’d think kids would want…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Thanksgiving is this Thursday, and from there we rush headlong into any number of holiday celebrations. Here are four ideas for thoughtful gifts to give gardeners and non-gardeners alike. ‘Snowball’ hydrangea We’re starting off with the ‘Snowball’ hydrangea because it can serve as a festive accent in your home from Thanksgiving through all the winter holidays. This potted plant will last probably a couple months, according to Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville….
by Connie Oswald Stofko We know that it’s easy to care for poinsettia plants. They can last through January and into spring without much effort, and many gardeners successfully nurture their poinsettias through summer. So why can’t we get poinsettias to rebloom the following year? And since poinsettias are so easy to care for, why do we buy the plants? Why don’t we start from scratch and grow poinsettia plants ourselves? “It’s difficult,” said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses,…
Here’s an outdoor arrangement to welcome visitors to your home. This idea comes from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Greens are placed upright in a plastic pot and decorated with a big red bow and pine cones. The greens are fresh-cut and locally grown. There’s soil in the pot to hold the branches in place. Rain will keep the soil wet, adding more weight and helping keep the pot stable. The arrangement looks charming in the…
Looking for a festive backdrop for your holiday greeting card? Pose with a backdrop of hundreds of colorful poinsettias at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. It’s free! Take your camera and pose your family or friends anytime from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 2. The family pet is welcome, too. This opportunity is part of the Holiday in the Village of Williamsville celebration presented by the Williamsville Business Association. While you’re there, enjoy…
Whether you’re looking for a decoration for your home or a gift for a friend, think of fresh flowers. The centerpiece pictured uses oriental lilies grown in the greenhouses at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Even the pine cones are sourced locally. Other flower and plant suggestions include miniature gardens, snowball hydrangeas, and poinsettias. You can order online or call Mischler’s at 632-1290. Save…
by Connie Oswald Stofko “Aren’t they the cutest thing you’ve seen?” said Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. We were looking at two new varieties of poinsettia: mini pink ‘Princettia’ and mini white ‘Princettia’. Even the name ‘Princettia’ is darling– a blend of princess and poinsettia. The mini ‘Princettias’ are unusual because they are miniatures; the plants are only about eight inches high and will stay small. This is the first time Lockwood’s, which grows…
by Connie Oswald Stofko For Halloween and other autumn holidays, it’s fun to decorate with pumpkins, and you can do more than carve a jack-o’-lantern. Here are a couple other ideas for decorating with pumpkins, along with a tip for cooking pumpkin seeds. Make an outdoor display Instead of just setting a single pumpkin on a patio table, make a still life. This idea is from Goodman’s Farm Market, 2227 Cayuga Drive Extension, Niagara Falls. You could start with a…
Add a new dimension to your Halloween decorating with a spooky miniature garden during a workshop at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. The same workshop will be held at 10 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Choose from a variety of succulent plants along with bits of nature to create a unique centerpiece for your holiday celebration. Take your child or grandchild, friend or neighbor to share in this unique gardening experience of…
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