by Connie Oswald Stofko “We don’t do the usual; we do the unusual. We pride ourselves on that,” said Brian Olinski. That’s why so many people visit him and and his husband, Gordon Ballard, during Open Gardens. You will find plants in their landscape that no one else in Western New York has. And their “Bird Avenue Gardens” are big, situated on a double lot in Buffalo, with plants everywhere you look. But you don’t need a gigantic garden or…
Get ready to plant spring bulbs in WNY
by Connie Oswald Stofko Autumn is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs, but planting them too early could damage or even kill them. When you plant bulbs that flower in the spring, the soil needs to be cool; around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market in Buffalo. Cool soil tells the bulb to grow roots, which is what you want. The bulb is getting established for spring, when it will send out leaves…
Reminder: Keep watering, weeding & harvesting
by Connie Oswald Stofko I was shocked when I saw the pitiful state of my impatiens. The flowers were limp, the leaves were sagging and the plant looked miserable. I don’t know when I had watered them last, but, obviously, it was too long. I felt bad. Luckily, impatiens spring back fast. I checked back a few hours later and they were perky and happy again. But don’t wait until your plants start wilting to let you know that they…
See the bigger picture of native plants & permaculture
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…
Cottage garden in Lancaster is colorful in three seasons
by Connie Oswald Stofko “My garden has color from spring to fall,” said Elaine Bialecki, founder of the original Elaine’s Flower Shoppe in Depew. What does it look like at this time of the year? Watch the video below, made by Jay Jinge Hu of Williamsville at this time last year. Hu has shared many of his videos with us, and you can see them here. He has also welcomed visitors to his own wonderful garden on Open Gardens. While…
What does this hot summer mean for WNY gardens?
by Connie Oswald Stofko “This year seems to have been running ahead of schedule from the beginning,” said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. “We had a mild winter, early spring and and early summer.” And summer has been hot! What does this mean for our gardens now? Tomatoes and other food plants With the higher temperatures we’ve had, your tomato plants and other vegetable plants may have started fruiting earlier than usual, Farfaglia said….
The big finale: Garden Walk Buffalo!
by Connie Oswald Stofko This is the last week to visit gardens in Western New York, and there are so many to see! First, don’t forget about Open Gardens this Thursday and Friday, your last chance to tour about 100 select gardens this year. You’ll also be able to see Artists in Open Gardens, where visual artists will be creating art in gardens in Alden, Buffalo, Cheektowaga, East Aurora, Eden, Grand Island, Hamburg, Lockport, Tonawanda, West Falls, West Seneca and…
White stones instead of lawn: see it on South Buffalo Garden Walk
by Connie Oswald Stofko “I hated mowing,” said Peter Nightengale, “and I wanted my yard to look like nobody else’s.” That’s why he got rid of all the lawn in his South Buffalo property. In the front yard, white stones cover an area that used to be grass. There isn’t any lawn in the backyard, either. Even the hellstrip (the area between the sidewalk and street) has no grass—it’s all flowers. You can see this landscape and many others on…
What do I smell? Roses! Visit show June 15 at Botanical Gardens
If you want fragrant roses in your garden, what variety should you choose? Find out at the annual Rose Show to be held by the Western New York Rose Society from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The Rose Show is included in admission. Enter the front doors of the conservatory to pay, then exit through the back door and walk to the Administration Building…
Nothing like an outdoor wedding to jumpstart a backyard makeover
by Connie Oswald Stofko Jen and Joe Weber moved their family into their new home three years ago. When they got there, they found that the previous owners had planted bishop’s weed (also called goutweed), a nasty, very aggressive plant that spreads easily and is hard to get rid of. The bishop’s weed is still there, stretching 66 feet along one side of the house. Other projects, such as fixing “the path to nowhere,” haven’t been started yet, either, and…