We need to protect peat bogs. Learn more about that in the article “Peat Moss and Sustainability” by Kathy Contrino, Master Gardener in Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Peat moss, which is used to help soil retain moisture, is grown in peat bogs. However, peat moss grows slowly and it grows only if the conditions are perfect. Peat bogs are also an environment for native carnivorous plants, so harvesting peat moss can disrupt that ecosystem. There are alternatives to peat…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko You may already have some milkweed and other native plants in your summer garden. Can you try for a loftier goal? Here’s a suggestion from Kim Eierman, an environmental horticulturist and ecological landscape designer: Have three native plants blooming in your garden at any time throughout our entire growing season. “Pollinators don’t all wake up on the same day,” Eierman said. “What if all you had in your garden was milkweed?” In early spring, when we…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko In order to protect monarch butterflies, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed listing the monarch under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “This is good news for conservationists and nature lovers,” said Jay Burney, a local conservation activist. The monarch would be listed as threatened, which means it is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. (Endangered means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.) By…...
Master Gardeners in Erie and Orleans counties share tips on moth gardens, what to do in your gardens now, a reminder about hardiness zones and more. Moth gardens Here’s a review on the book Gardening for Moths, a regional guide. The spectacular photos drew her in, but the text is attention grabbing, too, said Lyn Chimera, Master Gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. Moths are responsible for a tremendous amount of pollination. We think about butterfly gardens, but…...
UPDATE FEB. 3, 2025: Some readers wanted to hear more about this topic, but couldn’t attend the talk when it occurred. You can see a summary of the main points of Ken Parker’s presentation here. by Connie Oswald Stofko Are black-eyed Susans native plants? To North America, yes. But to Western New York, they’re not native, said Ken Parker, membership chair of Wild Ones Western New York. And it’s important for “native plants” to be native to where we live…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko Now is the time to start making plans for next season. What worked well in your garden this year, and what didn’t? Here are some ideas that may help. Consider trees and shrubs Too often, when we think about “garden plants,” we think only about perennials and annuals, but shrubs and trees are important elements of your landscape. New York state and most counties in Western New York will have sales of tree and shrub seedlings…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko When I think of permaculture, I picture an apple tree in a backyard. If you move away, the apple tree still produces fruit, even though you’re not there. “Permaculture” is permanent agriculture. Learn how permaculture can provide you with food—and help the environment—with talks on “Introduction to Permaculture and Native Plant Communities.” The talks will be presented by Kathy Contrino, a Master Garden in Orleans County and owner of CW Native Plant Farm. She is also…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you want to help conserve 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030? Learn more and offer your comments on a proposed strategy for New York State. A virtual meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 15 where you can offer your input. Here are the details: See the draft New York State 30×30 Methodology and Strategies document. You can offer your comments until Aug. 30. See more here. 30 x 30…...
Free, self-guided tours of a native plant farm will be part of the next meeting of the Western New York Native Plants Collaborative. Anyone may attend. The WNY Native Plants Collaborative will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 10 at the Gardens at Murder Creek and CW Native Plant Farm, 12288 Tonawanda Creek Rd., Akron. The hosts are Kathy Contrino and Ron Winkelman. The event will include a potluck dinner (bringing food to share is optional). Native plant farm and…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko A reader contacted me regarding a previous article on zinnias. The reader wanted native zinnias, and the zinnias described in the article were all cultivars, not native plants. No one around here sells native zinnias because zinnias aren’t native to Western New York. In the United States, zinnias are native only to the Southwest. Their range stretches all the way to South America. My reader replied: “I understand this, but they are at least native to…...
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