Looking for a particular type of plant? Wondering where excellent off-the-beaten-path garden centers are hiding? Curious about the rumors of a treasure chest of compost brewing on the East Side? Wondering where to find a wide variety of hardscape at a reasonable price? Interested in learning more about micro-greens? Need something unusual and fun to do outdoors with the kids? You’ll find, in no particular order, 2016’s garden center highlights here, as well as other places to find the answers to these pressing gardening questions!

•  BONSAI:  Wide variety to be found at Menne’s Nursery. Bonsai class on Saturday, June 18 (purchase required). 3100 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14228. 693-4444. Sign up at mennenursery.com.
    
•  HEIRLOOM TOMATOES & PEPPERS:  Hundreds of delicious varieties of heirloom veggies and more at Gardenville Blooms.  2723 Clinton St, Buffalo, NY 14224. 826-3025. 
    
•  CITRUS TREES, SUCCULENTS, ANNUALS, AND MORE:  Angle Acres is probably the grooviest off-the-beaten-path garden center the region. Don’t be fooled by their quaint roadside display, the treasure chest lay in the greenhouses in the back. Say hello to Boomer the dog when you arrive. 2855 Angle Rd, Orchard Park, NY 14127. 674-8754.
    
•  GROUND COVER: Thinking about adding some hardscape? Need some decorative weed control? Mike Weber’s Greenhouses has a great variety of ground cover for both sun and shade. 42 French Rd, West Seneca, NY 14224. 822-8887.
    
•  COMPOST:  Freshest local compost you can find, and now that they have contracted with Wegmans to take their produce for composting, they need our help in getting it used up. Fantastic veggie garden compost by the truckload (about 1 yard per load), available beginning Fall 2016. Contact Dan at Farmer Pirates for your share at 0 Gittere St, Buffalo, NY 14211. 
    
•  SUCCULENT PLANTERS:  Probably the most adorable succulent planters in the region are at Earsings Greenhouse. 3065 Clinton St, West Seneca, NY 14224. 826-5025.
    
•  NATIVES, POLLINATORS, APIARY SUPPLIES:  Who knew that Masterson’s Garden Center offered so much more than water garden supplies? Looking for a queen? Check them out at 725 Olean Rd, East Aurora, NY 14052. 888-359-7648.
    
•  HARDSCAPE:  The best selection of landscaping stone, and at reasonable prices, too! Lud’s Landscaping. 320 Rhode Island St, Buffalo, NY 14213. 885-2285. 
    
•  MICRO-GREENS:  Vertical Fresh Farms is a local go-to for micro-greens. Are you a grocer or restaurateur? Young chef looking for inspiration? Contact Vertical Fresh at 1526 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14209. 445-2008.
    
•  HERITAGE APPLES AND HARD CIDER:  LynOaken Farms is the place to enjoy the art of heritage apple farming, and if you time it right, you can also enjoy their sixth-annual first-press Steampunk Cider Festival on August 27. LynOaken offers apple-lovers more than 200 varieties of heritage apples to savor. Learn a little history, take a wagon ride, sample some apples (among them Thomas Jefferson’s favorite). 
    
•  POP-UP PARKS:  Looking for something fun and different for the kids to do in the city? Landscape architect Joy Keubler’s brain-child, the Buffalo Pop-Up Park, provides kids a day to explore the world of construction as they literally build their very own park to play in.