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
Back to Archive

November/December, 2020 – Upstate Gardeners’ Journal

2021 Winter Photo Contest has begun!

Enter today!

From the Publisher: November-December 2020

Dear friends,  With this issue, we close out our 25th year of publication—wow! I’d like to thank all our readers, advertisers, and allied organizations for making it possible. I’m very proud of each issue we publish, and I love to hear your feedback when I’m out in the world. It’s usually complimentary, but then our …

What to do in the garden in November & December

OUTDOORS It seems that gardening is never finished, but would we want it to be any different?  Protect carrots and other root crops, such as parsnips. with straw to keep the ground around them from freezing. After mowing your lawn for the last time, have blades cleaned and sharpened now for a head start on …

Specialist in many things: Artist, arborist, and horticulturist Noreen Riordan

Noreen Riordan lives in Henrietta and serves a greater Rochester territory as an arborist representative for Bartlett Tree Experts. Her territory includes Greece, Henrietta, Irondequoit, Webster, and some of Penfield and Brighton. Noreen is an ISA-Certified Arborist and Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional who has extensive experience with, among other things, Emerald Ash Borer. Noreen’s …

Fall and winter bird feeding

As the temperatures get cooler and the days grow shorter, birds are adjusting their behaviors to adapt to the conditions, which means an increased need for shelter, food, and a reliable source of water. While these needs can be hard for wildlife to come by, you can offer them easily in your yard to make …

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter