by Connie Oswald Stofko Snow is coming to Western New York, and heavy snow is expected in the Snow Belt, according to the National Weather Service. It’s time to protect your gardens from heavy snow—you never know if the winds will shift and surprise you. By the way, if heavy snow warnings are surprising you, it’s probably because most of us in Western New York haven’t gotten any snow yet this season. Buffalo has now set the record for the…
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s November, but there is still plenty to do in your garden in Western New York. Compost pumpkins Are your jack-o’-lanterns drooping? It’s time to compost them. Don’t compost pumpkins that were painted, bleached or glittered. The pumpkins will decompose more quickly if they’re in smaller pieces. This is the fun part! Just hold the pumpkin as high as you can and throw it on the ground. It works best if you smash it on concrete,…
Now through spring, you can help protect your trees by looking for and destroying spongy moth egg masses, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Egg masses appear as fuzzy, brown patches and can be found on trees, firewood, lawn furniture and other hard surfaces. Each egg mass contains 600-700 eggs. To get rid of the eggs, scrape them off into hot, soapy water. The spongy moth (formerly called gypsy moth) isn’t native; it came from France. Spongy…
Did you have tree damage during Western New York’s summer tornadoes or winter storms? Proper planning and good care can help keep trees healthy, which prevents expensive damage, according the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. September is National Preparedness Month, so this is a good time to review your emergency plans for storms. Tip: If your community is ready to get started with storm mitigation, see the new Storm Mitigation Workbook and Template available now. Trees Start right Plant the…
New York State boasts one of the longest and most colorful fall foliage seasons in the country, starting in September and ending in November. If you want to enjoy the wonderful colors of autumn, keep track with the fall foliage report from the I Love NY website. The reports signal when leaf color will be just changing, at the midpoint, at near peak, at peak and past peak. Volunteer field observers send in their findings, and reports are updated every Wednesday afternoon. The…
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…
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…
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…
by Connie Oswald Stofko This isn’t the end of the growing season—or the planting season—in Western New York. In fact, there are new offerings of fruit plants at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. You can plant them now and as long as you keep them watered, “They’ll do fine,” said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s. Tip: When planting these or any perennials, water them properly in the heat of summer, said Jessica Limardi, staff member…
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…
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