sunchokes in pot in Amherst NY

Control sunchokes by planting them in pots; I’ll share sunchokes with you

What’s not to like about sunchokes? They grow dramatically in one season, reaching heights of 10 feet. In September, when other plants are losing steam, sunchokes are just starting to flower. They add a lot of interest to your garden. Plus you can eat them! Find out more about sunchokes  (also called Jerusalem artichokes) here. I have to admit there is one drawback with sunchokes– The roots do spread a lot. The root is the part you eat, and even…...

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herb garden at Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village

Get tips from history to deal with a combination of dry and wet conditions in your garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko A combination of gardening problems faces Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, the 35-acre historical interpretive center in Amherst that showcases 19th century buildings set up like a village. Much of the landscape is boggy, so gardens can be wet early in the season. In addition, there’s no irrigation system, and hoses can’t reach all the gardens, so there’s no easy way to water plants during the dry summer months. To deal with these conditions, Buffalo Niagara Heritage…...

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Learn more about invasive species during monthly teleconferences, videos

You can find information on invasive species through the 2014 New York State Invasive Species Speaker Series organized by Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). Selected recordings can be found at the  NY Invasives You Tube Channel. People who don’t feel tech savvy may feel most comfortable accessing the information there. If you’re a little more confident when it comes to technology, you may want to sit in on one of the monthly teleconferences. You’ll find information on how…...

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It’s time to plant sunchokes in WNY & I will share some with you

by Connie Oswald Stofko I’m beginning to harvest my sunchokes, which I think are the coolest plants ever, and I’ll give some to anyone who wants to plant them. You can plant them now in Western New York. The only catch is that I don’t want to mail them, so I ask you to arrange to pick them up. If you don’t live near me (I’m in the Eggertsville area of Amherst), you probably work with someone whose cousin lives…...

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Watch local cooking challenge & learn to cook with native plants

Sumac, a native plant, is pretty this time of year with its large red, cone-shaped flowers. You can see these small trees in parks or in the wild, and they make a great landscape plant. But did you know sumac is edible? There are quite a few native plants you might want to start growing for food– If you know how to cook with them. In this article we’ll tell you about two events where you can get ideas on…...

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Sept. 13 is deadline to enter veggies, flowers in Genesee Country Village fair

You can enter plants, flowers, heirloom vegetables and fruits in the Agricultural Fair to be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6 at the Genesee Country Village and Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Road, Mumford. The competitions include one for largest pumpkin. Prior registration is required. Entry forms must be received by Friday, Sept. 13. Find the entry form and rules here. Entrants will receive one day free admission to the fair. The competitions are…...

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Cooperative Extension in Erie County sets gardening classes

Three gardening classes will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 21 South Grove Street, East Aurora. The cost is $15 per class or all three classes for $40. Send a check made out to MG of Erie County to CUCE Erie County, ATTN: Carol Ann Harlos, 21 South Grove St., East Aurora NY 14052. The classes are: Sept. 10: Lyn Chimera will speak on “Why Native Plants?” Sept. 17:  Carol Ann Harlos will speak…...

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Land Conservancy gets $500,000 to create Stella Niagara Preserve

An ecologically important parcel of land in Lewiston that supports rare plants is several steps closer to being protected as the Stella Niagara Preserve, thanks to work by the Western New York Land Conservancy. The Niagara River Greenway Commission on July 16 voted unanimously that the proposed preserve was consistent with the Niagara River Greenway Plan. Less than a week later, the Greenway Ecological Standing Committee of the New York Power Authority approved a $500,000 funding request. This grant is…...

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See monarch butterflies up close, buy milkweed plants at festival

Monarchs in every stage of their life cycle can be seen during the Monarch Butterfly Festival to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Audubon Center and Sanctuary, 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, NY, and Warren, PA. The event will include a plant sale aimed at getting more milkweed, the only food of monarch caterpillars, into the community. “Despite a huge drop in the monarch population, we have…...

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Sunchokes are available now, update on celery & more

Surprise– I have sunchokes to share Normally I don’t share sunchokes until fall when the tubers are ready to harvest. But I happen to have a few plants popping up in a spot where I’ve decided to plant something else this year, so they all have to find new homes. I am offering the plants for free, but I don’t want to mail them. If you’d like one, you must arrange to pick it up at my house– I’m in…...

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