vegetable garden with fencing to keep out rabbits in Cheektowaga NY

Random tip: keep rabbits out of veggies

by Connie Oswald Stofko We’re not ready to plant vegetables outside yet, but this is a good time to plan for spring. Here’s an idea for keeping rabbits out of your vegetable garden. I saw these raised beds in the yard of Beth and Brian Kreutzer in Cheektowaga. I think these garden beds are genius: simple, fairly easy to build and a solid defense against pesky rabbits. You can tell the fencing works by the healthy vegetables! The Kreutzers’ patch…...

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Tropical Orchard to open at Botanical Gardens; get a sneak peek here!

by Connie Oswald Stofko A completely renovated greenhouse, the Tropical Orchard, will open this Thursday, Jan. 23 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. I was given a sneak peek yesterday to share with you! The Tropical Orchard features a collection of edible plants from around the world. Some of the plants you’ll see are starfruits, bananas, Australian finger limes, pineapples, chocolate tree, ponderosa lemon, strawberry guava tree and coconut palm. More common plants include peanuts, a peach tree,…...

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garlic sprouts in autumn in Amherst NY

What to do when the easiest crop—garlic—fizzles

by Connie Oswald Stofko I had a poor garlic crop this year. Instead of large bulbs with separate cloves, I got small bulbs without any separate cloves. I don’t know what I did wrong. For years I have planted garlic with no problems. I think it’s the easiest food plant you can grow. John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County, concurred. “It’s hard to go wrong with garlic,” he said. Though garlic is usually easy to grow,…...

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red table beets and beet juice

Table beets are getting trendy

Did you know: These are a few takeaways from a talk by Julie R. Kikkert, team leader of the Cornell Vegetable Program. You’ll find much more information, including the interesting way beet seeds germinate, in her talk on this video…....

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plastic bag protecting a tomato plant in autumn in Amherst NY

3 tips to protect tomatoes from cold weather

by Connie Oswald Stofko Tomatoes like warm weather. They don’t do well with the cool days and cold nights that most of Western New York has been experiencing recently. But don’t worry; there are steps you can take to keep on harvesting! Tip 1: Make a mini-greenhouse This will work whether your tomato plant is a container or in the ground. Get a clear or translucent plastic bag that is slightly bigger than your plant. Slip the bag over your…...

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seeds in a person's hand

Learn about seed saving in the Optimistic Gardener

Seed saving is just one of the topics in the newest edition of The Optimistic Gardener. Dianne Hovey, Master Gardener, discusses saving dry fruited seeds, such as beans and lettuce, and wet fruited seeds, such as winter squash and melons. The seeds of tomatoes and cucumbers should undergo a fermentation process. You’ll also find information on garden tool maintenance, planting garlic, what to do about the invasive spotted lanternfly, food preservation and a recipe for peach apple salsa. The publication…...

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impatiens in pot after watering

Reminder: Keep watering, weeding & harvesting

by Connie Oswald Stofko I was shocked when I saw the pitiful state of my impatiens. The flowers were limp, the leaves were sagging and the plant looked miserable. I don’t know when I had watered them last, but, obviously, it was too long. I felt bad. Luckily, impatiens spring back fast. I checked back a few hours later and they were perky and happy again. But don’t wait until your plants start wilting to let you know that they…...

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elderberries, New Jersey tea and black chokeberries

See the bigger picture of native plants & permaculture

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…...

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rabbits on Rader Farm in Grand Island NY

Urban Farm Day: shop, tour & learn

– Visit markets. Learn how growers work in an urban (or suburban) setting. Get tips for your own garden. There’s something for everyone at Urban Farm Day to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, August 17. It’s free, self-guided, and no tickets are required.  There will be 17 local growers. Download a map in advance or use the Google map. Highlights include: Special ticketed events are: For more information, visit UrbanFarmDay.com…...

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