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…...
Tag: Perennials
Winter has been bitter, but all that snow should help WNY gardens
by Connie Oswald Stofko This has been one bitterly cold winter. On the plus side, it has been snowy. You may think the cold and snow combine to create a double whammy, but when it comes to our gardens in Western New York, it would have been worse without the snow. “If you see snow, you should be happy,” said Carol Ann Harlos, Master Gardener coordinator for the Erie County Cornell Cooperative Extension. The air temperature and soil temperature can…...
April 1 is deadline to pre-order in Botanical Gardens Great Plant Sale
Tuesday, April 1 is the pre-order deadline for the Great Plant Sale taking place at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. All pre-orders placed for the Great Plant Sale can be picked up at the sale Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18. Order online by clicking here, or call for an order form at (716) 827-1584, ext. 204. Plants will not be shipped and are only available for pick-up at the Great Plant…...
Make food a permanent part of your Western New York yard with edible landscapes
by Connie Oswald Stofko When we want to grow food, we generally think of smallish plants that we would categorize as “vegetables” or “herbs,” such as tomatoes or zucchini or parsley. Today we’re going to challenge you to think bigger. When you think of food, think of trees and shrubs. The concept is called edible landscapes, said Fred Safford, who is in charge of trees and shrubs at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg. It’s a way to work with…...
Indoor gardening: Create a container of succulents during WNY winter
by Connie Oswald Stofko I know most of you are dreaming of spring right now. You can’t wait to get outside and arrange perennials in a garden bed or mix annuals in a container. Don’t just pout and wait for spring. Here’s a gardening project you can do right now: Create a container garden of succulents that you can grow inside. A project like this allows you to use your creativity, but if you’re a beginning gardener (or a lazy…...
Is it too late to plant perennials in Western New York?
I got this question from a reader: I bought some perennials that I didn’t get a chance to plant: leopard’s bane, hardy aster, cone flowers and Munstead lavender. It has already frosted once I believe. Is it to late too plant outside? If so, can I store them indoors in the same containers that they came in? Thanks, Deborah In the two days since I received this question, Western New York has had snow as well as frost…....
Learn the story of hosta ‘Niagara Falls’ from world-renowned hosta hybridizer
by Connie Oswald Stofko How the hosta ‘Niagara Falls’ was created is the fascinating story of an artist with a love for family and her country. Olga Petryszyn, the world renowned hosta hybridizer who bred ‘Niagara Falls’, will speak at the meeting of the Western New York Hosta Society on Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St. near Oakwood, East Aurora. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 2 p.m. The event…...
Want an indoor flowering plant that’s really different? Grow tea!
by Connie Oswald Stofko If you want a really different kind of plant to grow indoors this fall and winter, grow tea. Yes, tea. The stuff you steep in hot water and drink. You can buy Sochi tea, a tea plant from the Sochi area of Russia, at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg. Our climate is almost, but not quite, mild enough to grow tea outside all year long in our gardens, said Fred Safford, who is in charge…...
Question: How should a Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ tree be pruned?
Here’s a question from a reader: I bought a Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ tree in the fall of 2012. I pruned it a tiny bit as my goal is to have it grow taller. They say to prune it in late fall or late winter. This year I had a ton of big, heavy blooms, and many of the branches drooped over. I am wondering 2 things: 1) Should I prune back the thinner branches…and, if so, by how much? Will…...
Grow rose bush from wedding bouquet– or use any roses you get from the florist
by Connie Oswald Stofko A reader came across the story we did awhile back on starting plants from cuttings and left a question in the comments section. “How do I root roses from the florist?” asked Tina Strength. “How do I start them rooting and growing?” This question intrigued me. It never even occurred to me that you might be able to grow a plant from a rose you get in a bouquet from the florist. I turned to David…...