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Gardening

GC Master Gardeners host free lunchtime 'Garden Talk' on first Tuesdays

By Billie Owens

Join the Genesee County Master Gardeners for their lunchtime garden series called “Garden Talk.”

On the first Tuesday of each month from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., the Master Gardeners hold an informational workshop focusing on a specific gardening topic. Bring your lunch to the CCE office (420 E. Main St., Batavia) and think spring!

The next session will take place on March 3rd and the topic will be “New Plants for 2015.” We will take a look at a sampling of the new annuals, perennials, vegetables and shrubs that will be hitting the market this year.

This program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Contact Brandie at 585-343-3040, ext. 101, for more information.

Future topics and other Master Gardener events will be posted on the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County Web site at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/ and also on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee

Master Gardener Training

By Jan Beglinger

 Beginning September 10, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County will begin training a new class of Master Gardeners through our “Principles of Gardening” program.  Classes will be held at the CCE office at 420 East Main Street, Batavia on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 pm through November 19.  (There will also be a full day session on Saturday, November 8.)  Pre-registration by August 25 is required as the class size is limited.

Participants will enjoy learning about a variety of horticulture topics including: botany, plant pathology, entomology, soils & fertilizers, lawn care, vegetable gardening, weed identification, woody ornamentals, fruit, perennials and annuals.  Each class will focus on a different topic throughout the training.

Anyone interested in learning more about gardening may attend the course.  The fee for training is $225 per person.

This training is the first requirement to becoming a Genesee County Master Gardener.  Genesee county residents who complete the course are then eligible to apply to the Genesee County Master Gardener program.  (Other county residents should contact their local Master Gardener program.)  A Master Gardener volunteer should have a willingness to give back to the community and help put into practice what they learned at training.  Enthusiasm for sharing their skills and knowledge is a must.

For an application or to register contact Brandie Schultz at 585-343-3040, ext. 101 or stop by the Extension office at 420 East Main Street in Batavia.

Principles of Gardening course offered this fall by Cornell extension, deadline to register is Aug. 25

By Billie Owens

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County will be offering “Principles of Gardening” training on Wednesday evenings, starting Sept. 10 and running through Nov. 19, from 6 to 9 pm. Classes will be held at the CCE office at 420 E. Main St., Batavia.

Participants will enjoy training in horticulture topics, including botany, plant pathology, entomology, soils & fertilizers, lawn care, vegetable gardening, weed identification, woody ornamentals, fruit, perennials and annuals. Each class will focus on a different topic throughout training.

Pre-registration and payment by Aug. 25 is required. Class size will be limited. No walk-ins will be allowed. The fee for training is $225 per person.

This training is also the first requirement to becoming a Genesee County Master Gardener.

Graduates of the program (Genesee county residents) are then eligible to apply to the Genesee County Master Gardener program. (Other county residents should contact their local Master Gardener program.) A Master Gardener volunteer should have a willingness to give back to the community and help put into practice what they learned at training. Enthusiasm for sharing their skills and knowledge is a must.

For an application or to register contact Brandie Schultz at 585-343-3040, ext. 101, or stop by the Extension office located at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

Using native plants in your garden - registration required

By Trisha Riggi

Wednesday, May 28, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Jon Ehrmentraut, of Landscape Concepts, LeRoy, will present a program on identifying and growing native plants in this area.

Registration is required and can be done online at www.woodwardmemoriallibrary,org or by calling 585-768-8300.

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Fruit Trees- Easy to Grow!

By Trisha Riggi

Tuesday, May 13, 7:00-8-00 p.m. Mary Margaret Ripley will present a program based on her experience growing fruit trees in her backyard.

Registration is required and can be done online at www.woodwardmemoriallibrary.org or by calling 585-768-8300.

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Local Gardeners Give Tips- Part 1, registration required

By Trisha Riggi

Wednesday, May 7,  6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Three local gardeners will each talk briefly, based on a suggested list of topics related to their gardening experience.  Questions and answers with discussion to follow.  Presented by:  Barbara Tinney, Frank Davis, and Sandy Brady.

Participants may come to Part 1 and/or Part 2 (Part 2 is on Thursday, May 8, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.. 

Registration is required. You may register online at www.woodwardmemoriallibrary.org or by calling 585-768-8300.

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Master Gardeners class on 'Square Foot & Container Gardening' - RSVP by April 15

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Join the Genesee County Master Gardeners on April 16th for “Square Foot & Container Gardening.”

Would you like to grow nutritious, great tasting vegetables but always come up with the same excuses? Too much work – too many weeds – takes too much space – bad soil…

Square Foot Gardening solves all these problems in a simple, easy and logical manner. Let us show you how it is done. Still not sure? Try growing your veggies in a container. We will share with you the basics of container gardening.

Fee for the class is $10. It will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 E. Main St., Batavia. Pre-register by April 15 by calling Brandie at 585-343-3040, ext 101.

This program is part of the Genesee County Master Gardeners popular Coffee and Dessert Series. Participants enjoy a variety of gardening topics taught by Master Gardeners along with coffee, tea and dessert.

For more information visit our Web site at: www.genesee.shutterfly.com <http://www.genesee.shutterfly.com

Photos: Hosta planting downtown, next to City Centre

By Howard B. Owens

Two flower beds that in recent years haven't looked like much got a hosta makeover by city staff Monday afternoon.

City Manager Jason Molino, himself an avid gardener, organized the effort and convinced several local businesses, including Genesee Dental, Hawley Insurance, the Bank of Castile and WBTA, to pay for the hostas.

City staff from several different departments turned out today and got the 21 plants in the ground in about 30 minutes.

The plants were selected by Molino, who also drew up the plans on where each should be planted, and purchased from Pudgie's Lawn and Garden.

Asked, why hostas, Molino said, "Partially, because I’m a big fan of hostas myself. Hostas don’t need a lot of care. They’re pretty hardy. They’re a good no-brainer in terms of maintenance and something that will come back every year. As they come back and fill out more, you’ll see more and more the hostas themselves and less of the dirt."

Photos: Above, Molino and Sally Kuzon. Below, Sgt. John Peck, Batavia PD, and bottom photo, most of the staff (and Sgt. Peck's wife) who participated in the planting.

Trees, shrubs, wildflowers and more offered by soil and water conservation district

By Billie Owens

Attention plant lovers, gardeners and landscapers -- the Genesee County Soil and Water Conservation District is offering a wide selection of trees, shrubs, wildflowers and habitat supplies for sale in its 2012 brochure.

Deadline to order is April 1.

The full-color brochure / order form is available for viewing and printing online at:

<http://geneseeny.org/departments/soilandwater/TreeBrochure2012.pdf>

There are plenty of choices and a variety of quantities available for purchase. They include:

  • Evergreen seedlings: NEW this year are Tamarack American larch and Dawn redwood
  • Shrubs: NEW -- American plum, common lilac
  • Deciduous tree seedlings: NEW -- pin cherry, sour cherry, Northern apricot, Eastern redbud
  • NEW Category -- Evergreen transplants such as blue spruce and Douglas fir

Wildflowers seeds offered include the white water lily, purple coneflower and pickerel weed.

Plus there are variety packs, ferns, edible berry bushes, groundcovers, planting and garden supplies, signs, bat houses and Eastern bluebird nesting boxes.

To get a printed brochure / order form you can also contact:

Genesee County SWCD, 29 Liberty St., Suite 3, Batavia, NY, 14020

Phone is 343-2362. Fax is 345-1815

Checks should be made out to: Genesee County SWCD

Batavia's Fix family marvels at unexpectedly long zucchini

By Howard B. Owens

Apparently, Nate Fix got his hands on some magic zucchini beans seeds this spring.

It's not like he has Beanstalks reaching up to the clouds above, but Sicilian zucchini typically grows to about 10 inches in length. What Nate is harvesting this summer are zucchinis that exceed 3 1/2 feet in length.

Nate and his wife Kayte plant a garden every year, but they've never had zucchini grow taller than daughter Hannah, who is 3 1/2.

Nate said they used organic fertilizer and did nothing out of the ordinary. He said perhaps a reader knows why this year's zucchini grew so massive.

Photos courtesy Nate Fix.

Photo: Tulips

By Howard B. Owens

Not too many people in California grow tulips. In Western New York, they're everywhere, and one of my favorite parts of spring. These are tulips in my own garden. Happy gardening!

Photos: Tree and plant sale

By Howard B. Owens

The Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District is holding a tree and native plant sale at the fairgrounds today and tomorrow.

Most of the plants were pre-sold, but there are seedlings still available as well as flower seeds, bird feeders and bird houses.

The sale runs until 6 p.m. today and from 8:30 a.m. to noon tomorrow.

Above, George Squires, left, helps Charles Bartlett of Darien with his pine tree order. Below, Cindy Smith arranges some of the native plants that have been sold.

Still time to order plants from GC Soil & Water district

By Billie Owens

Attention plant lovers!

The Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District is still accepting
pre-orders for tree and shrub seedlings and native plants and perennials.

Our brochure is on the Genesee County website:
http://geneseeny.org/dpt/soilandwater/treebrochure2011.pdf.

The seedlings and plants will be distributed at Genesee County Fairgrounds
on the following dates:

Thursday, April 21 – 8:30 to 4:30

Friday, April 22 -- 8:30 to 6:00

Saturday, April 23 -- 8:30 to Noon

Also, a Cash & Carry Sale of excess inventory of seedlings and plants will be held at the fairgrounds during seedling distribution on April 21-23.

Master gardeners announce spring Coffee and Dessert Series

By Billie Owens

Genesee County Master Gardeners will be offering their Coffee and Dessert Series this spring, along with the ever-popular container gardening class.

Participants enjoy a variety of gardening topics taught by certified Master Gardeners along with coffee and dessert. Cost is $10 per person per class.

Pre-registration is required as class size is limited.

All programs are from 6 to 8 p.m. at Genesee County Cornell Cooperative Extension at 420 E. Main St., Batavia, unless otherwise noted.

April 13 – “Plan for Autumn Awesomeness." Is your garden smashing in the springtime but looking worn out by mid-August? Spent by September? Start planning and planting now for a garden overflowing with Autumn Awesomeness! Peek in on six, local fall gardens to discover amazing autumn plants and combinations to try in your garden this year. Registration deadline: April 8.

April 20 – “Landscaping Difficult Sites." Do you have shade, slopes or other challenging areas in your garden? Let us show you how to deal with these difficult situations. Learn how to add garden “bling” to those tricky backyard places. Registration deadline: April 15.

April 27 – “Backyard Birds." Spring is the time to adjust your bird-feeding system to accommodate springtime migrants, as well as the permanent resident birds that have been visiting your feeders all winter. Learn about some of the interesting birds that may show up in your backyard this spring and summer. Registration deadline: April 22.

May 11 – “Creative Container Gardening!”. When it comes to choosing containers for plants, why opt for the typical terra cotta pot? A wealth of more intriguing objects is just waiting to be transformed into creative container gardens. Join us for some inspiration, so you can learn to fashion container gardens from unexpected sources this season. Registration deadline: May 6.

May 25 – Hands on Program – "Container Gardening." Select from traditional and unusual plant materials to create your own unique container garden. Bring your own container (no bigger than 12 inches across), hand trowel and gloves. Potting soil, fertilizer and flowers will be provided. (Excessively large containers will be charged extra.) This class will be held at the Kennedy Building at the Genesee County Fairgrounds, Route 5 in Batavia. Pre-registration is required by May 20. Cost is $20.00 per person.

To register, contact Amy at 343-3040, ext. 101, or stop by our office at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia to register. For more information visit our Web site at: www.genesee.shutterfly.com.

Planting for Fall Colors

By Elizabeth Krenzer

Stafford Garden Club is presenting a program on “Planting for Fall Color” for its April meeting. 

Speaker is Pam Conklin.  

Anyone interested please come.

Attention:  Program starts at 6:30 pm. 

Date:  April 20, 2011

Place:  Stafford Town Hall, Rt 237, Stafford, NY

Time:  6:30 pm

If you have any questions about the program, call Sue at 344-0834.

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Stafford Garden Club

By Elizabeth Krenzer

Stafford Garden Club meetting, Stafford Town Hall, Rt. 237, Stafford, NY

September 15, 2010 at 7 PM.

We will have a guest speaker,  Pietro Furqiuele, Landscaper and Horticulturist at Waterford Tilling, Penfield, NY.  Mr Furqiuele will be talking on an array of subjects like landscape design, planting a garden in the shade and other topics related to landscaping.

If you have any questions please contact Sue at 585.344.0834.

 

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Cornell extension to offer Master Gardner Training series

By Billie Owens

BATAVIA – Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County will be offering the popular Master Gardener Training series from 5:45 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday evenings, Sept. 8 through Nov. 17.

Participants will also be required to attend an additional session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30.

Pre-registration by Aug. 27 is required. No walk-ins are allowed. The fee for the series is $200 per person and includes a NYS Master Gardener Manual on a CD.

Sessions will be held at the Kennedy Building located on the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Route 5 in Batavia.

Master Gardener Training teaches participants about: garden botany; growing fruit at home; herbs; insects; perennials and annuals; organic gardening; pruning; soils and fertilizers; turf grass; vegetable gardening; weed identification; woody plant materials; and how to diagnose plant diseases/problems.

Graduates of the program are eligible to become “Certified” Master Gardeners by completing volunteer work at their local Extension Office.

More information can be found on the extension website at <http://genesee.shutterfly.com/gardening>.

To register, contact Amy Berry at (585) 343-3040, ext. 106, or stop by the extension office located at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

Stafford Garden Club July's Garden Tour

By Elizabeth Krenzer

The Garden Club will be touring Jim Ecker’s garden at 26 Sutters Run, Chili, NY.  Mr. Ecker’s garden specializes in ferns and hostas.  To Car pool, meet at the Stafford Town Hall by 6 PM.  Garden tour begins at 6:30 PM.   Any questions please contact Sue at 344-0834.

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