We’ve had snow and cold, yet this perennial container that was planted up in the spring is still going strong. Mark Yadon of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville, designed this creation called “Winter Green.” He planted it up as a demonstration at the Lewiston GardenFest in the third week of June this year. As we told you in September, there are two tricks to this planter. First, Yadon chose perennial plants that keep their color after…...
UPDATE APRIL 13, 2023 To see the guide on native plants, go here: https://bnwaterkeeper.org/nativeplantguide/ by Connie Oswald Stofko There are lots of reasons to use native plants in your garden. I like them because they’re low maintenance. Because they have adapted to our climate, they can survive hot, dry summers without me having to get out the hose. They can take cold, snowy winters without any fuss, too. Native plants attract birds and insects, which can help pollinate our plants…....
by Connie Oswald Stofko Everybody in Western New York is supposed to get some snow today, and some of us may get a lot of snow. The temperatures are bitter. Is your garden ready for winter? John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County, shares some last-minute autumn tasks for your garden. Drain your hoses and bring them inside. It wasn’t until I started typing this that I realized I hadn’t done that. I could picture the…...
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…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you know that there are people who essentially throw their leaves away? They rake them out to the curb and wait for someone to haul them away. I find that amazing because those autumn leaves are a valuable commodity for your garden– yet they’re free! Here are five tips on making the most of autumn leaves. Tip #1: Use leaves as mulch around your perennials to help them survive the winter. If we have a…...
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…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Are mums perennials? For almost all the varieties that you will find for sale in Western New York, the answer is no. Local growers will call them fall mums or garden mums, but they won’t call them hardy because they’re not. And they definitely won’t call them perennials. There are two reasons that mums aren’t considered perennials, according to staff at Lockwood’s Greenhouses in Hamburg and Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses in Williamsville. The first reason is…...
Here’s a great container called “Winter Green” created by Mark Yadon of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. You can plant up a container like this in spring and enjoy it throughout summer, autumn and even into winter. “It will stay nice probably until Christmas, even if it gets snowed on,” Yadon said. “More people have to do this.” Of course, the gardening season doesn’t end with Labor Day, and you can still plant up a container…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “Winter is too long,” said David Clark, horticulturist and national garden speaker.”With our Western New York winters, it’s nice to have something pop up in mid- to late winter.” That’s why he recommends planting spring bulbs– The first ones can come up when there’s still snow on the ground. “I like to have a big show in spring,” Clark said. “And if you plan it correctly, you can have flowers from mid-winter through July when you…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko The gardening season is still under way in Western New York. You can plant flowering perennials, cool-weather vegetables and fruit trees and shrubs now. Perennials You can safely plant perennials now through mid-September, said Mark Yadon, vice president of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Some landscapers and other gardening folks may say you can plant perennials well into October, he said, but he doesn’t recommend waiting that long because you want to…...
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