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WNY Gardening collects and organizes gardening information from readers, nurseries, magazines, etc., and makes the information accessible and useful for you. Please share with fellow gardeners your news, event listings and tips. Thank you for visiting and sharing.
Happy gardening,
Donna


Next year's garlic crop starts now

Take an hour from planting your fall bulbs and start planting garlic.  Next summer you'll be glad you did!

Start your planting with local garlic found at farmer's markets, feed stores (Clyde's in Hamburg) and at local nurseries who sell fall bulbs (Menne Nursery).  Cornell Cooperative Extension has a garlic fact sheet and information on other crops. 

Pumpkin Patches and Bale Mazes in Erie County


Awald's Berry Farm - pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, pre-picked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand.
2195 Shirley Road, North Collins, NY 14111. Phone: 716 337 3162.  Email 
Open: Pumpkin Patch: 9am until dusk last weekend in September through Halloween. We grow just about every size of pumpkin, from the 6 oz. Jack-Be-Little’s all the way up to 400 lb. Atlantic Giant behemoths. 100 to 200 lb. Burpee prize winners. 

The Great Pumpkin Farm - pumpkins, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized hay bale maze, horse-drawn hay rides, tractor-pulled hay rides, produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, pony rides and petting zoo.             11199 Main Street, Clarence, NY 14031. Phone: 716-759-8483. Fax: 716-759-6351. Email

Kelkenberg Farm Of Clarence Center - pumpkins, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, straw or hay bale maze, horse-drawn hay rides, pre-picked produce, snacks and refreshment stand, picnic area, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours. 9300 Wolcott Road, Clarence Center, NY 14032. Phone: 716-741-4862. Email 
Open: the farm opens for the fall season on September 24, 2011. We are open Saturday, Sundays, and Columbus Day 10 - 6, and Fridays 1-5 without reservations through October 31, 2011. We are open weekdays 10 -1 and year round with reservations. 

Menne Garden Center - pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, Fall festival, straw or hay bale maze, Bounce house or pillow, concessions / refreshment stand, 3100 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Amherst, NY 14228. Phone: 716-693-4444. Email
Open: Pumpkin Patch and Maze: October 1 to October 31, Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 8 pm; Sundays from 9 am to 6 pm; Other events: Teddy Bear Halloween Party: Saturday, October 23, from 1 pm to 4 pm. 

Spoth's Farm Market - pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, pre-picked produce.
5757 Transit Road, East Amherst, NY 14051. Phone: 716-688-1110. Open: 7 days a week. Our famous Spoth's Sweet Corn and various homegrown vegetables in Summer, Pumpkins, gourds, apples, squash, cider and Halloween decorations in fall, Christmas trees, handmade wreaths and bows and poinsettias.

Fall Bulbs

I hope you have saved some space in your landscape for fall bulbs.  There are so many varieties of ruffled tulips, fragrant berry-colored hyacinths and daffodils with cream colored faces.  This year I will be adding to my lawn Orange Snow Crocus.   Fritillaria, both Lutea Yellow and Crown Imperial will be planted in our island.  If you can't find a good selection of bulbs at your local nursery, check out the following garden catalogs for ideas:  White Flower Farm, Wayside GardensVan Bourgondien, or John Scheeper's.

Find that bulb planter and get digging!




 

Don't give up on gardening just yet!


Don’t give up on gardening just yet!  Fall is the best time to …

Get inspired.  Come to the Fall Garden Fair at Lockwood’s on Saturday, September 10, 2011. In the past Lockwood’s had 25% off shrubs!

Plant trees and shrubs.  Soil temps and moisture conditions at this time of year help promote root growth needed to sustain plants through their critical first year.

Plant or transplant perennials.  Divide perennials such as peonies, grasses and bearded irises.

Dig up summer bulbs.  After the first frost, dig up dahlias, cannas, gladioli and store for winter.

Plant fall bulbs.  Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are nice but have you seen fritillaria?! Crocus are also neat when planted in the lawn.



Find out more events and tips buy picking up a free copy of Upstate Garden Journal at your local nursery, or download the current copy here.

Happy gardening!

Gardening Stretches


Welcome Lemon Daddy!

My friend Sally Cunningham is helping plan the Fall Garden Fair at Lockwood's Nursery on 9/10/11.  She asked me for help in finding a contact person who would be interested in talking about canning and basic food preservation.  As we talked, we walked through the luscious displays of plants and garden statuary at Lockwood's.   She told me of a recent addition to her garden, Lemon Daddy Hydrangea.  Lemon Daddy has  shiny lemon-yellow leaves and large pink/blue mop heads.  This strong-stemmed vigorous grower likes hot and humid conditions.  A very unique yellow hydrangea that just "pops" and brightens up the garden.  I bought the last one at Lockwood's.  Who could resist!  Oh, and I used my free Living Social voucher on the purchase.