“I haven’t bought canna lilies in years because they multiply,” said Kristen Suto of Busti Avenue, Buffalo. We visited her lush front yard, which has a view of the Niagara River, during Garden Walk Buffalo in July. Suto has canna lilies in pots and in beds throughout her gardens. The yellow flower in the photo below is another canna lily. If you haven’t already brought in your canna lily bulbs for the winter, do it now. When Suto brings her…...
We used to have a dog named Cookie who liked to sit out front and bark at pedestrians. Her favorite spot was the garden by the front porch steps. In the summer, she would dig down a bit to find some cool soil to nestle in. If it rained or even snowed, she would snuggle in a dry spot under the overhang. Even when the weather seemed unpleasant to me, Cookie liked being out there. Cookie kept the rabbits away…...
2013 has been named the Year of the Wildflower by the National Garden Bureau, the non-profit organization promoting gardening on behalf of the horticulture industry. Each year, the National Garden Bureau showcases a plant in each of three categories: vegetable/edible, annual and perennial. The showcased plants are supposed to be popular, easy-to-grow, widely adaptable, genetically diverse and versatile. The wildflower (though it’s more of a category than a plant) certainly meets those criteria. We talked to representatives of Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko In the Buffalo area, when we talk about creating year-round garden interest, what we really mean is: How do I make my garden look good in autumn and winter? From May to August, it’s easy to have beautiful landscaping, flowers and lots of color. All the garden walks are scheduled during that period, so we can find plenty of inspiration for summer gardens. But what if we’d like our gardens to be pretty now and throughout the…...
You’ve probably never heard of the spuria iris, but it may be a good alternative to the tall bearded iris– the spuria iris doesn’t need to be moved every few years. If you want to avoid heavy digging, this might be a good choice for you. Learn more about this plant when the Western New York Iris Society hosts the annual meeting of the affiliated clubs of the American Iris Society Region 2. Jim Hedgecock, a renowned hybridizer and president…...
Is there a purpose to fall leaf color? The crimson color of autumn leaves is astonishingly beautiful, but it may serve a purpose for the tree, too, according to Leaflets, an online newsletter produced by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The red and violet colors in leaves come from a group of pigments called anthocyanins, which are created by the leaf to act as a sunblock. As the levels of chlorophyll are depleted, the leaf cannot use all…...
Last week Colleen Morrissey of Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses showed us how to make a super simple fall planter as well as a hanging fall planter in nontraditional colors. Today she demonstrates a more complex project: how to plant a very large container garden using a whiskey barrel planter. Morrissey packs in a large number of plants, which is a key to making the planter look full and lush. Here’s a tip: It’s nice to have a large variety of…...
Keep deer, rabbits, squirrels and mice away with Bounce dryer sheets Use Bounce dryer sheets to keep deer away, says Bob Bracikowski of Opportunities Unlimited in Niagara, who showed us recently how to create a succulent garden. In the vegetable garden at Opportunities Unlimited, everything was being eaten, week after week. “During my lunch hour I could watch the deer eat the cabbage right in front of me,” he said. Then he tried a tip he got from a farmer:…...
Add some autumn color to a porch, patio or other spot in your yard with a fall container. This video demonstration is presented by Colleen Morrissey, herb manager and container designer at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd. Williamsville. Morrissey starts out by giving suggestions for plants that are frost resistant and should take you into the middle of November. They include annuals, perennials, herbs and grasses. Plants are available now at Mischler’s. She shows you how to…...
Let me start out by saying that the gardening season isn’t over. You can have flowers and color in your Western New York garden in autumn. If your garden isn’t all you’d like it to be, you can plant things now! (Find out why fall is a great time to start a garden or add to your garden.) In this article, Sally Cunningham, CNLP, a well known gardening expert and consultant for Lockwood’s Greenhouses in Hamburg, shares suggestions for perennials,…...
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