Has winter been tough or what?!  Snow, cold, snow, rain, snow...with a little dabble of sun now and then.  The optimism has returned, I know these winter days are numbered.  Here is the proof:

This little cup of sunshine is just enough to lift your spirits.  Crocus and Hamamelis have also begun to bloom, so do not fear - spring is almost here!



Winter Weather

If you haven't looked outside lately, Mother Nature dropped some snow on the WNY area. The fall/pre-winter had been nice, almost to nice up until that point. So, the snow is here and there are no signs of its departure.


So what to do? Hopefully you had a chance to prepare your gardens, trees, shrubs, etc for the elements. Shrub covers are a must, not just for deer protection, but snow protection as well. Some can handle the weight of the snow better than others - just take a look outside. Chances are, if a branch is normally upright and is bent to the ground under the weight of the snow, it might need a cover! It is also a good opportunity to evaluate your trees/shrubs for pruning needs for the upcoming spring.  More importantly, be aware of your power lines.  The plant material below is not only heavily drooping, but is also hanging over the power line to the house. 

Safety first people!

Summer Fun

July is flying by and August will be here before you know it. I love that there is so much to do in Buffalo and the surrounding areas. This weekend is another weekend with a lot going on...

The Buffalo Garden Walk is Saturday and Sunday from 10am - 4pm. This will be my first visit to the gardens, but all of the veteran visitors I talked to raved about the entire experience. If you need more info or want to download a map, take a look at their website - www.gardenwalkbuffalo.com

East Aurora has their Street Festival and Sidewalk Sale from 9am - 4pm, in conjunction with Raceday Reunion Weekend Activities.

I could go on and on.... Canal Fest in the Tonawandas, Wildlife & Renaissance Festival at Hawk Creek, free concerts....

So go out, get out and enjoy this time of fun and festivities!

Never Enough Time

I wish there was more time for me to stop and smell the roses or more time to pass along my garden adventures. When you work in the field of horticulture, you know, there is never enough time or energy. Ofcourse, there is also the farmer's tan, you know about that one too!

I hope you all are enjoying your garden, plants in bloom and the lovely weather. Take time to smell those roses, peonies or whatever is in bloom!

Happy Earth Day!

Happy 40th birthday Earth Day!

As another Earth Day comes and goes...please do what you can to better our planet. Every conscious decision, big and small, to not litter, use organics, recycle and etc makes a difference.

The frost free date is fast approaching us too. When you go into that garden center, nursery, grocery store or wherever you buy your plants, please think about what it took to make that plant as lovely as it is. Odds are (unless otherwise marked) chemicals were used to make that plant look that good. I have worked at a few places, both here and in PA and I can vouch that chemicals are not always used as they should be. So, as you contemplate that purchase just keep in mind the impact it might have made on our planet.

Grow Your Brain

What do you know? Everything? Well, I do not and always look forward to learning something new. This is the perfect time of year to grab a talk at a local garden center, botanical garden or anywhere else in between.

The Buffalo Botanical Gardens has a list of upcoming classes on their website - www.buffalogardens.com

Garden Walk Buffalo also has a list of upcoming happenings on their website - www.gardenwalkbuffalo.com

Urban Roots Community Garden Center has a workshop this weekend on square foot gardening - www.urbanroots.org

Go out and learn something new!

Goodmorning Heat!

I took my dogs for a walk this morning at 5:30.  Now, the sun was not out so there weren't newly blooming plants for me to discover.  However, the high temperatures were already up and in action.  69 degrees at that time of day was quite unexpected with 75 the high.  Yowza!

Incase you haven't noticed, there are more and more things in bloom every day.  Over the weekend I  spotted Forsythia, Magnolia stellata and Cornus mas in bloom.

Lenten Rose

Helleborus or Lenten Rose (aka Christmas Rose), is another late winter/early spring blooming perennial.  The flowers come in shades of white, rose and even dark purple/black.  They prefers a shadey spot and most varieties are 18" & under.

Pieris, a recent find blooming in the garden, has creamy white flowers.  Pieris japonica or Japanese Pieris, is a medium sized, evergreen shrub.  It prefers part to full shade and comes with options: variegated leaves, flower colors and sizes.

Keep the plants coming!

I have two dogs, both lab mixes, that are 5 years old.  When they are not chasing squirrels up trees, we enjoy walks around town.  For them it is an energy release, for me it is a plant scavenger hunt.  Today on our walk I saw a beautiful bed of hundreds of Crocus in bloom.  On the side of a building I noticed a little patch of Narcissus in flower.  The best find on the walk was when I came across Iris cristata in bloom. What a treat!

Welcome Spring!

Happy First Day of Spring!

I always referred to the first day of spring as the spring equinox, that is what I remember learning in school anyway. Well, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, it is called the Vernal Equinox and takes place at 1:32 PM, EDT today. This time signifies the moment that the Sun passes directly over the Earth's equator. Vernal means some variation of spring, youth, young, etc. Equinox means equal night, day and night are about equal in length all over the world.

Enjoy your fun fact for the day!

Let the Sunshine!

Can't beat these fantastic temperatures. Time to clean up the mess that winter left us. It is amazing the amount of branches, garbage and other surprises you find melted under the snow. Especially if you have dogs like I do!

I noticed these little guys when I was out in my brother's yard the other day. Now, he looked out of place all by himself, but planted en mass is another story. Eranthis hyemalis, also known as Winter Aconite, has small, yellow, buttercup flowers. This is a short one, growing no more than 6" from a bulb.

The Snow Has Melted! (or just about)

Sometimes the winters here in Buffalo feel like they last until summer. How wonderful it is to see little things popping out of the ground. Winter is on its way out! I have spotted little Galanthus nivalis, or Snowdrops, in bloom. This is a small plant that grows from a bulb with small white flowers.

Not commonly viewed, but just as much enjoyed, is a shrub that I spotted in flower. Hamamelis or Witchhazel is a woody shrub or small tree. Lovely, yellow flowers are a nice sight in this late winter/early spring time of year.