Shade

Impatiens are dying; choose alternative shade plants instead

April 9, 2013
Impatiens are dying; choose alternative shade plants instead

For decades, impatiens has been the go-to flower for the shade. But now that a blight is wiping out these wonderful flowers, you’ll have to rethink your plant choices for shady gardens. Some garden centers won’t sell impatiens at all this year, while others will grow a limited supply but will sell them without...
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Perennial for 2013 is ‘wildflower,’ says National Garden Bureau

October 30, 2012
Northeast native flowers from National Garden Bureau

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...
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Disease that’s killing impatiens may return for years; no treatment exists

September 4, 2012
impatiens early signs downy mildew disease Margery Daughtrey

If you had problems with your impatiens this year, the good news is that you probably didn’t do anything wrong. The bad news is that your impatiens were probably killed by a fungus-like disease called downy mildew. The disease remains in the soil, so you should plan on planting something different in that spot...
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Small backyard in Buffalo goes vertical to add gardening space

July 31, 2012
Small backyard in Buffalo goes vertical to add gardening space

Kathy and Ed Burke moved to their home on Argyle Park in Buffalo about eight years ago. “We moved from a home with a huge garden, but it had become more of a chore than a joy,” Kathy said. Their current backyard is small, but flowering perennials in the sunny beds and colorful foliage...
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Too shady for grass, Hamburg yard is filled with gardens, paths & curios

July 17, 2012
sunny garden bed with bed frame in Hamburg NY

An iron headboard and foot board give another meaning to the term “garden bed” in this yard at 224 East Prospect Ave., Hamburg, where Kathleen Winter shared her gardens during Buzz Around Hambug on Saturday and Sunday, July 14 and 15. This part of Winter’s front yard is one of the few sunny spots...
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Gardens surround hand-built log home in Grand Island

July 17, 2012
log home in Grand Island NY

In German, “garten” means “garden.” “It’s fate, I guess,” said Evelyn Garten. “I married a garden.” Her gardens surround a log home she and her husband built themselves, log by log, 54 years ago. She shared her gardens with the public  during the Grand Island Garden Tour on July 14. The event benefitted the...
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Williamsville yard that has sun & shade makes good use of containers

July 3, 2012
Williamsville yard that has sun & shade makes good use of containers

Container plantings add color to the garden surrounding the backyard patio of Mary Murrett, who shared her gardens at 178 Hirschfield, Williamsville, during the Village of Williamsville Garden Walk on June 30. She has fun designing her containers as she goes along. “I go nuts at the nursery,” Murrett said. “I take one of...
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Lewiston resident loves her shady gardens and grassless yards

June 26, 2012
grassless front yard in Lewiston NY

“I hate lawns,” said Gina Camodeca of Lewiston. “They’re unnatural. They can’t look good without the help of pesticides. You have to mow it, so it’s labor- and resource-intensive.” Camodeca has created grassless yards in both the front and back of her home at 360 N. 4th St., which she shared on the garden...
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Waves of spring flowers bring beauty to Hamburg garden

May 8, 2012
spring flowers in garden in Hamburg NY

Spring is an overlooked time for gardens in the Buffalo area. It seems we spend our time waiting and preparing for the end of May, the traditional time to plant tender annuals, and we forget to pause and enjoy the beauty of spring gardens. With perennials, you can have successive waves of blooms in...
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Potpourri: Gardening tips and news too good to miss

May 1, 2012
old ladder holds garden plants in Buffalo NY

Sometimes I have bits of information that I think will interest readers, but each bit is too short for a whole article. I save them up until I have enough to offer you a potpourri of news. I hope you find something that interests you. Add height to your garden with an old ladder...
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