hostas in wooded lot in Lewiston NY

Wooded backyard & flower gardens make this large area appealing

by Connie Oswald Stofko Large trees tower over the front lawn of John Dyster and his wife Lyn in Lewiston: a river birch, a redbud and two maples. But that’s nothing compared to the back of the house, which looks like a forest. “It’s always been wooded,” Dyster said, noting that the area has been like that ever since the house was built in 1950. The entire lot size is .62 of an acre, about 116 feet wide and 232…...

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hyacinths and daffodils in Amherst New York

March brings hope to gardeners; see tips

“It’s March! There’s hope in this month’s calendar,” said Peggy Koppmann, Master Gardener. “Hope for sunshine, warming temperatures, a hint of green and growing things, and the official start of spring. Pour your beverage of choice at 10:45 a.m. on March 20 and toast the beginning of the season.” Here are some things you can do in March: You can find more uplifting and useful ideas from Koppmann in the article “This Month in the Garden.” Also see the article…...

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Butterfly Pea seeds at Photo courtesy Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market

Add these seeds to your spring list

by Connie Oswald Stofko Snow is on the ground–still!–but you can make your list of seeds now. Check out Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, which is now carrying two especially delightful offerings. “We are excited about these seeds,” said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots, 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. And don’t forget about seeds for cool weather vegetables. Seed shakers for flowers These seeds “are a mix of annuals, biennials and perennials,” said Jablonski-Dopkin. “Each mix has a…...

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rose in bloom in autumn in Amherst NY

Are your roses still blooming? Enjoy!

by Connie Oswald Stofko On a gloomy day in autumn, it’s wonderful to see a colorful rose in your garden. But if you have already pruned your roses, you’re missing something beautiful. On top of that, autumn isn’t the best time for pruning. You’re better off cutting roses in spring. See more in the article “Should you cut back roses in autumn?”…...

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drawings of garden tools and leaves

Diggin In: Clean your tools & more

Here is the newest edition of Diggin In, the newsletter published by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. Articles for November Clean Up in the Toolroom by Nancy Walker, Master Gardener Volunteer November Garden Checklist: A Little More Time to Plant, by Lydia Fernandez, Master Gardener Volunteer You can have a mission, too by Lydia Fernandez, Master Gardener Volunteer When Julia Bender decided to join the Master Gardener Program in 2024, she came with the specific…...

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backyard garden in Tonawanda NY

Terry Brummett, winner in Celebrity Level drawing, shows her garden

by Connie Oswald Stofko Although this garden isn’t particularly large, it appears spacious because of the many plants and decorative items throughout the area. I had the pleasure to visit the landscape of Terry and Mike Brummett in July. Terry was one of the two winners in our Celebrity Level drawing earlier this year, and I enjoyed what they have created. Tip: If you want a chance of being featured in Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com next year, sign up for the Celebrity Level…....

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Joe pye weed in autumn by Connie Oswald Stofko

Diggin In newsletter: resilience

The October edition of Diggin In newsletter includes an essay on resilience in gardening, an introduction into galls and a garden checklist. Diggin In is published by the Master Gardeners in Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. by Lydia Fernandez, Master Gardener Volunteer As gardeners, one of the most important things we grow is resilience. Season after season, we learn, we adapt and we try again. Whether we see ourselves as optimists or pessimists in life, we are hopeful in…...

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species tulips

It’s time to choose new spring bulbs–and new autumn bulbs!

by Connie Oswald Stofko This is just a sample of the bulbs you can find at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. If you’ve never planted bulbs, keep reading–there’s a list of previous articles that you’ll find helpful. But if you’re still stumped, stop in to Urban Roots to get the gardening advice you need. Tulip wildflower mixture (species) These wild tulips (also called species tulips) are shorter than the hybrid tulips you usually see, but…...

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dianthus gratianopollitanus or 'Firewitch Cheddar Pink' at Mischler's Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville NY

Talks, sales & more: Learn at Mischler’s back-to-school event

It’s the time to go back to school–even for gardeners! You can learn a lot at the Back-to-School event at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. It will take place from Friday, Sept. 5 to Saturday, Sept. 13. Times are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. There will be talks, a tour of Mischler’s cutting gardens (gardens where flowers are grown to be cut and placed in a vase), people to…...

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