If your houseplants have been vacationing outside, don’t let them stay out too long. When should you bring them in? Before you turn on your furnace, said David R. Clark, CNLP. That’s just one of many tips he shares in this previous article, “Houseplants on summer vacation? Time to bring them back inside.” Clark also discusses pests in depth: how to keep pests from coming into your house and what to do if you find your houseplant is infested…....
As autumn settles in, it’s tempting to focus solely on the checklist—deadheading, mulching, putting beds to rest. But before we rush into end-of-season tasks, consider taking a different approach this month. Step into your garden not as a worker, but as an observer. Notice the subtle shift in light, the way seeds have scattered in unexpected places, the quiet persistence of late bloomers. Your garden has been telling stories all season long. This month, let’s slow down enough to listen. —From…...
The Orchid Fest by Niagara Frontier Orchid Society will be the big finale of the Orchid Exhibit at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Orchid Fest runs from Friday, Feb. 28 to Sunday, March 2. See it during Orchids After Dark on Friday and Saturday or during the day on Saturday and Sunday. This event features award-winning orchids, special displays and showcases, and orchid experts. Vendors are:…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko To keep at least some of your potted poinsettias looking pretty longer, try this tip from my sister, Sharon Moriarity of Cheektowaga. She was able to start out with many potted poinsettias. On Jan. 6, the end of the Christmas season, her church was taking down the poinsettias, but no one else wanted them. Moriarity was glad to take them home. After a while, some of the “flowers” weren’t doing well. (What we think of as…...
“Let me tell you that growing mushrooms from a kit is the easiest thing going,” said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market in Buffalo. “I grew lion’s mane mushrooms last year and got three harvests out of the kit.” You can buy mushroom kits now at Urban Roots, 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. (Closed on Mondays.) Urban Roots carries two mushroom grow kits from the Nature…...
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…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Just when your outdoor gardens are waning, indoor succulents and cactuses are adding color through flowers. Autumn is the time for these plants to bloom, said Elle Kreuzer, who manages that department at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Many varieties are blooming or budding now. Here are just a few. Lifesaver plant It’s easy to see why Huernia zebrina got the name of the Lifesaver plant. In the center of the flower…...
by David R. Clark, CNLP If your houseplants have been outside this summer, start preparing now to move them indoors. Here are some of my tips to get them ready for the move. When to move houseplants inside Move your houseplants to a shady place outside for one to two weeks to get them acclimated to the lower indoor lighting conditions. Bring your houseplants inside before you turn on your furnace. If the plants are outside in cool daytime temperatures,…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko On June 29, it will be legal for adults, age 21 and older, to grow cannabis at home in New York State. Right now, only medical cannabis can be grown by private individuals in New York State. The patient must get authorization from a certified health care provider to grow cannabis. The rules that are in place now for growing medical cannabis will be the rules for home cultivation of cannabis starting June 29. A person…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Colorful orchids are displayed in a way you’ve never seen before during a new Orchid Exhibit that will open Wednesday, Jan. 24 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The opening of the exhibit was postponed because of the weather, but it’s worth the wait. Enter through arches adorned with orchids. See orchids hanging from orbs and enjoy the masses of orchids in pots. Make sure you look up to…...
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