You don’t need a plot of 40 acres in order to grow food; there’s an increasing number of vegetable varieties that can be grown in containers. Find out more in “This Month in the Garden,” one of the articles in this edition of Gardening Matters, the publication of Master Gardeners in Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. Some of the benefits of gardening in a container are: See more about gardening in containers and other gardening tips in “This Month…...
Growing seeds indoors can be complicated. That’s why you should see the great information on the page “From Seed to Seedling: What Every Indoor Grower Should Know,” published by the Master Gardeners in Orleans County. For example, you should build a custom planting schedule based on your own location. That means knowing your average last frost date, factoring in how long each variety needs to grow indoors before transplanting, and leaving time for hardening off. It also means considering your…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Snow is on the ground–still!–but you can make your list of seeds now. Check out Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, which is now carrying two especially delightful offerings. “We are excited about these seeds,” said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots, 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. And don’t forget about seeds for cool weather vegetables. Seed shakers for flowers These seeds “are a mix of annuals, biennials and perennials,” said Jablonski-Dopkin. “Each mix has a…...
by Peggy Koppmann, Master Gardener at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County Forget all that hearts-and-flower stuff in February. Even chocolate can’t erase the fact that February is a cruel month. The snow and gray skies go on forever, snow piles are dirty and ugly, and the groundhog is really not much of a weather forecaster. So cherish those little peeks of sunshine, watch for the snowdrops and hellebores, and remember that what is hidden by the gloom of February…...
Here is the newest edition of Diggin In, the newsletter published by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. Articles for November Clean Up in the Toolroom by Nancy Walker, Master Gardener Volunteer November Garden Checklist: A Little More Time to Plant, by Lydia Fernandez, Master Gardener Volunteer You can have a mission, too by Lydia Fernandez, Master Gardener Volunteer When Julia Bender decided to join the Master Gardener Program in 2024, she came with the specific…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you think Halloween monsters are horrible? Here’s something more horrible: throwing a jack-‘o-lantern into the trash! When you’re done with your pumpkin, compost it. You can smash it, too. It’s quite entertaining! Before you place your rotting pumpkin in your compost bin, you need to get it into smaller parts so it will decompose more quickly. You could use a knife, but smashing it on a hard surface is faster, easier and more fun. Remember…...
It’s time to plant garlic, and you can learn more in WNY Gardening Matters, the publication of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. October planting generally results in bigger and more flavorful bulbs, said Peggy Koppmann in the article “This Month in the Garden.” Garlic needs a long period of cold temperatures, so fall planting gives cloves time to sprout and develop established roots. Read about winter watering, a bird buffet and more in “This Month in the Garden.” Other articles…...
The October edition of Diggin In newsletter includes an essay on resilience in gardening, an introduction into galls and a garden checklist. Diggin In is published by the Master Gardeners in Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County. by Lydia Fernandez, Master Gardener Volunteer As gardeners, one of the most important things we grow is resilience. Season after season, we learn, we adapt and we try again. Whether we see ourselves as optimists or pessimists in life, we are hopeful in…...
As autumn settles in, it’s tempting to focus solely on the checklist—deadheading, mulching, putting beds to rest. But before we rush into end-of-season tasks, consider taking a different approach this month. Step into your garden not as a worker, but as an observer. Notice the subtle shift in light, the way seeds have scattered in unexpected places, the quiet persistence of late bloomers. Your garden has been telling stories all season long. This month, let’s slow down enough to listen. —From…...
Cornell Cooperative Extension in Cattaraugus County will offer a three-day Master Food Preservation workshop on Tuesday through Thursday, October 7-9. It will take place at the Seneca Allegany Community Center, 3677 Administration Dr., Salamanca, NY 14799. This training is for those who would like to go beyond the basics of home food preservation in their home. Topics include the science of food preservation, hands-on experience with boiling water canning, pressure canning, atmospheric steam canning, observation and participation with fermentation, freezing and dehydrating/drying. The…...
© 2026 Buffalo-Niagara Gardening. All rights reserved.