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…....
Tag: Weather
With rainy weather, watch for slugs, plant diseases in Western New York
With all this rain in Western New York, it looks more like April than June. John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County, said some gardeners have water ponding in their yards, and yesterday he saw someone’s riding lawn mower stuck in the mud. We had a dry spring in Western New York, but so far this month we’ve had about twice the average amount of rain we would get during that period. This weather poses some…...
Spring is dry and summer may be worse– Water your trees
by Connie Oswald Stofko The arborvitaes above have been damaged by drought, but don’t wait until your trees look like that to take action. Our spring has been dry enough that you should already be watering your trees, especially young trees and old trees, said Jeremy P. Sayers, president of the Tree Doctor and a board-certified master arborist. Conditions in 2013 are already dry We all remember last summer’s drought, but you may not realize that we’ve been experiencing dry…...
Free plant material available from Plantasia, & more great news
Get free plant material by volunteering at Plantasia; sign up now The Western New York State Nursery & Landscape Association (WNYSNLA) is seeking not-for-profit organizations to participate in a green exchange program. Plant material, such as annuals, trees, shrubs and mulch that is left over from Plantasia will be given to not-for-profit organizations in exchange for a donation of volunteer time at Plantasia, its annual landscape and garden show, which takes place March 21-24 at the Fairgrounds Event Center and…...
Wild weather– Should we worry about our Buffalo gardens?
Last week the temperatures were in the single digits. This week it may be in the 50s or even 60s. Should we Western New York gardeners be worried? “I’m probably more concerned that folks don’t have much snow cover,” said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Snow is a good insulator and can protect plants against damage that can come from these wild fluctuations in temperature. This is the second year in a row that…...
Is there a purpose to fall leaf color? Plus read more tips too good to miss
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…...
New garden walk debuts in West Seneca, watering tips & more
Brand new garden walk begins this year in West Seneca The West Seneca Garden Walk will take place for the first time from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 21 and 22. Get the map right here, and maps will also be available on the Burchfield Nature & Art Center website. You can pick up paper maps at Ebenezer Greenhouse, 1347 Union Rd., West Seneca. The West Seneca Garden Walk is being organized by Sharon and Dave…...
Sweet corn is early this year & sign up now for bus tours of gardens
Sweet corn and bus tours have nothing to do with each other except that you should hurry to take advantage of both while they’re available! Get sweet corn now Sweet corn is already available at Goodman’s Farm Market, 2227 Cayuga Dr. Ext., Niagara Falls, NY. Normally, the market wouldn’t have any sweet corn until between July 4 and 10, said Ray Crawley, manager at Goodman’s, and that would be just one or two growers. It’s not even Independence Day yet…...
Army worms reach epidemic levels; wacky weather spurs other damage
Wheat and hay crops in Western New York are being damaged by an epidemic of armyworms, but unless your yard backs up to a wheat field, your lawn probably won’t be affected. That’s according to John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Cooperative Extension is also fielding calls from gardeners concerning problems with aphids brought on by mild weather as well as continuing problems with plants that were damaged by frost this spring. Armyworms damage feed…...
Caring for trees in Western New York’s changing climate
by Jeremy Sayers of The Tree Doctor Our trees and shrubs are suffering and changing as a result of climate changes, and as a Board Certified Master Arborist, that concerns me. What also concerns me is that many professional arborists insist on denying scientific consensus on the reality of global warming. Scientific consensus on climate change Emission of greenhouse gasses caused by humans is the leading factor contributing to climate change. In 2001 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the…...