Three plant sales set at Botanical Gardens: orchids, bulbs & Great Plant Sale

by Connie Oswald Stofko

Three different plant sales are set at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo.

First is the orchid sale, which will take place from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, March 7 in the Administration Building. The sale will include all types of orchids from the the recent orchid exhibit as well as orchids from the Botanical Gardens’ collection. You may want to get there early; the sale will continue only until supplies last.

Next is the Black Friday Bulb Sale, which will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, April 24 in the garage behind the Botanical Gardens.

Buyers line up around 7 a.m. and bulbs will be gone by 10 a.m. Doors open at 9 a.m. sharp.

Thousands of bulbs will be pulled from exhibits and they all must go. You will be provided with a bag and you fill it – limit three bags per person.  The cost per bag is $10.

Then comes the Great Plant Sale, which will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17 in the Administration Building. Note: If you’re a volunteer or member, you can attend a day earlier than the general public, from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 15. This is one of the perks you get when you volunteer or become a member!

Everyone can pre-order now for pick-up at the Botanical Gardens on the days of the sale; no plants will be shipped. The deadline to order is April 8. Another perk for members: Members get 10 percent off. Enter Coupon Code MEM2015.

One of the unusual plants that you can pre-order is clematis ‘Serious Black’.  This is one of their hot picks and may sell quickly, so act fast.

‘Serious Black’ is a bush type clematis that will stand up on its own. It is easily grown in a decorative patio container as well as in a border. Its newer foliage is an extraordinarily dark purple that matures to a deep green. In late spring to early summer, ivory-colored blossoms about the size of a nickel appear in clusters reminiscent of ‘Sweet Autumn’ clematis, and silvery seed heads follow in the fall.

It needs full sun and grows four to six feet high and spreads two to three feet wide.

You can see photos and descriptions of all the plants online. Some plants sell out, so order early.

You can also buy plants at the sale without pre-ordering. Offerings include hanging baskets, ornamental trees & shrubs, Japanese maples, rare and unusual plants, unusual ornamentals, native plants, tropical plants, annuals and perennials.

Admission to the sale is free.

I’ll have a table there, too, so stop by and say hello!