BUFFALO                        REGULAR CLUB MEETINGS African Violet & Gesneriad Society of WNY meets the third Tuesday of the month, September–August, at 7 p.m., Greenfield Health & Rehab Facility, 5949 Broadway, Lancaster. av*****@gm***.com .  Alden Garden Club meets the second Wednesday of the month (except July and August) at 7 p.m., Alden Community Center, West Main St., Alden. New members and guests welcome.…
8.07.2026
Dandelion (Taraxacum spp.) are known as a weed nowadays, but this member of the Asteraceae family has been used as an herb and for food throughout much of history. For detailed information about dandelions, see the May-June 2025 issue of Upstate Gardeners’ Journal. A few notes for this recipe: – Make sure you are using true dandelions—for instance, cat's ear…
8.07.2026
Male house Sparrow; photo courtesy Wikicommons CCSA 4.0: Rhododendrites Common Grackle at feeder; photo courtesy Wikicommons CCSA 3.0: Geoff Clarke One common question I receive is how to keep “bully” birds out of feeders and birdhouses. What makes a bird a “bully” tends to be in the eye of the beholder, but usually people are talking about Starlings, Grackles, and…
8.07.2026
Here are two of three cottages tucked away behind the “Disney-esque” quaint cottages of Little Summer Street. Back in 1995, no one knew that Garden Walk Buffalo would take on a life of its own. Jim Charlier, a Buffalo art director and designer who has been involved since the event’s humble beginnings, took an out-of-town friend on the walk that…
8.07.2026
Agastache foeniculum (anise hyssop) is a heat-loving perennial herb that brings in the pollinators. Persian Carpet (Mexican) zinnias (Zinnia haageana), a delightful mini-size zinnia that looks terrific in summer bouquets. It’s gearing up to be another steamy summer day, and in temperatures more than seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit, my ambitions far exceed my energy for gardening. I find my habits in…
8.07.2026
Aerial view of the Floating Garden on the Erie Canal in Medina, NY. Photo by Amanda Reis STANDS BY ME APP The idea for the Stands By Me app took root during a bike ride through the back roads of the Finger Lakes. Many farm stands have wonderful things for sale, says app creator Brent Bivona, but often they only…
5.07.2026
Christine Green at the Isabella Stewart Gardener museum in Boston. Photo by Kelly Myers My garden is doing wonderfully this summer. The flowers are stunning due to the extra sun they get since we removed a large diseased maple tree. I made a small little container pond that I cannot get enough of—having coffee in the garden listening to the…
5.07.2026
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July/August, 2018 – Upstate Gardeners’ Journal

Scotland 2019!

Join us as we hop across the pond to Scotland—where the unicorn is the national animal and the thistle is the national flower! Read more about the trip here.   Want to learn some facsinating history and facts about the thistle? Visit visitscotland.com.  

Address Upgrade

This house number planter will bump up the curb appeal of your homestead without breaking the bank, or taking too much time away from gardening. Some planning is required to customize it for your house number. MATERIALS 1 x 6 Dimensional lumber, 4 or 6 feet long (see Step 1 to detemine length needed) House numbers with hardware …

From a New Generation of Farmers

On the farm with Denis Lepel of Lakestone Family Farm Story and photos by Donna De Palma unless noted Denis Lepel never suspected that tending a garden would lead to a life of farming. Lepel, and his wife, Trish, picked up roots in Rochester and moved to Queens when Trish’s father fell ill with Parkinson’s.  Lepel’s …

Upstate Pairing: July-August 2018

Spring Lake Winery at Varallo Vinyards, located in Lockport, NY, is a winery and caf. specializing in Italian hospitality and light fare. Operated by the Varallo family, the winery grounds include the vineyard, cafe, nature trails, a timber lodge and a private eight-acre lake with Adirondack chairs. springlakewinery.com Fresh Summer Bruschetta Pair with Spring Lake SpritzerServes 4-61 baguette4 tomatoes from …

Adding Kid-Pizzazz to Your Garden

by Valerie Shaw If your garden is anything like mine, things are finally starting to kick in, some seeds need to be replanted, and there are a few last-minute plants to pick up at the nursery. The flowers are beginning to fill out, the tomatoes are getting unruly, and the children are eyeing the ripening …

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