Get ideas for holiday decorations with materials that you already have in your garden. Nancy Walker, Master Gardener trainee with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, has compiled tips on using natural materials. Some of the materials she lists are: Read her article here. Tip: You can get the Master Gardens Journal and updates from the Master Gardeners in Orleans County by signing up here. See more holiday ideas here:…
Holiday fun at Botanical Gardens
Stroll through holiday plants and sparkling lights now at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. There is a lot to see and do!…
Which is your favorite: traditional poinsettia or Princettia?
by Connie Oswald Stofko Traditional poinsettias are still a welcome sight, but “the Princettia variety is becoming more and more popular,” said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. “Princettias are compact, mounded plants,” Yadon said. “The flowers are smaller, but more abundant.” A traditional poinsettia has larger flowers, but there are fewer of them. An aside about poinsettia flowers: What we call flower petals on poinsettias aren’t really petals. They’re bracts, which…
So cute! Poinsettia ‘petals’ shaped like mouse ears at Mischler’s
by Connie Oswald Stofko We gardeners tend to look for color when we choose plants, but shape can add interest, too. Let’s take a look at three varieties of poinsettias at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, located at 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. All three are red, but each has “petals” with different shapes. Tip: What we think of as flower petals on poinsettias aren’t really petals. They’re bracts, a kind of leaf. Technically, the flower isn’t the colorful part; it’s…
Buy locally in WNY: Christmas trees & more
by Connie Oswald Stofko I just received this reminder: You can buy Christmas trees grown right here in Western New York. “Purchasing a local tree is easy and affordable, and it helps support our local agriculture industry,” said Cassandra Skal, Agriculture Program coordinator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. You can also purchase meat, including hams, turkeys and lamb, from local producers. For details on where you can get farm products, check out the Chautauqua Grown directory here. See…
Make gift bags you can compost in WNY
by Connie Oswald Stofko Have you accumulated extra paper bags since the ban on plastic bags at stores went into effect in New York State? I have. And I’ve done it on purpose. The other day I stopped into a store and bought one small item. It wasn’t raining out; I could have easily carried the item to my car with no help from a bag. But when the cashier asked me if I wanted a bag for just a…
Twice-as-tall poinsettias now available at Mischler’s
by Connie Oswald Stofko Most poinsettias are 18 inches tall, but Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses offers poinsettias that are about three feet tall–twice as tall as other poinsettias. One recent shopper called them “magnificent,” said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s. While they’re unusual, these poinsettias are, oddly enough, traditional, too. They aren’t a different variety of poinsettia; they’re just grown differently. Typically, poinsettias are pinched back (which means cutting back some stems), Yadon explained. That encourages the plant to branch…
4 holiday tips for gardeners in WNY
by Connie Oswald Stofko Keep your garden in mind as you celebrate the holidays with these four fun tips. What tips do you have? Please share by leaving a comment below….
Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, poinsettias help you celebrate!
by Connie Oswald Stofko Poinsettias are wonderful for all the winter holidays, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. You can use them to decorate your home or give them as gifts. The colorful part of the poinsettia that looks like a flower petal is actually a bract, a kind of leaf. Poinsettias come in many different colors. Here are just three from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville: ‘Autumn Leaves’, which has bracts in autumny orange tones ‘Princettia’, the whitest poinsettia…
Water your Christmas tree without bending using clever trick from reader
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…