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 April 2007 Back to Table of Contents Back to Archives Main Page Section: Home & Garden Celebrate Spring at the Botanical Gardens By Elizabeth Licata Gardening season does not begin in earnest for almost a month, but you can whet your appetite for spring flowers and anticipate the arrival of your own bulbs through April 15 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, which is now hosting their annual spring flower show. On a recent visit, I noticed purple, white, and yellow crocuses and hyacinths; a wide variety of daffodils; and impressive arrays of primrose and ranunculous. The tulips were still to bloom; I can imagine that their display will probably last well through April, beyond the technical end of the show. Unlike most exhibitions, which largely depend on inanimate objects, a flower show follows its own timetable — although the staff at the Gardens do their best to “force” these plants into flower in time for the show. Spring flowers are actually only a small portion of the display at the Gardens. You’d never know that the orchid show is technically over; a wide selection of orchids are still in flower throughout one of the side greenhouses. Other highlights include bougainvillea; citrus trees; a huge selection of scented geraniums (technically, pelargonium); and an American agave, whose flower stalk is so tall a pane of greenhouse glass had to be removed. This plant, also known as “Century Plant,” typically dies after blooming, but not before creating offspring. The blooming stalk can get over 30 feet tall, though at that height, it’s hard to imagine a desert plant will survive our April temps. Other cactus are in flower through the desert display; spring must be their time. Since 2001, the Gardens has been implementing a new master plan, which, when completed, will circumnavigate the globe vertically, with specific stops along the way to display specific Asian, Australian, African, South American, Mediterranean and North American “biomes.” Some of these environments will contain living creatures: frogs, lizards, and other small animals will join the large koi currently in residence at the Gardens.
Elizabeth Licata is editor of Buffalo Spree and an avid gardener who blogs at www.allentowngardener.com and www.gardenrant.com. back to top back to table of contents Current Issue | About Forever Young | Where to Find | Advertise | Our Advertisers | Community Calendar | Contest | Clubs | Contact Us | Archives | Home |
