by Connie Oswald Stofko
It’s the season for homegrown produce, and here’s another local crop you’ll love: homegrown floral arrangements.
The flowers are picked daily at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville.
“We pick them every day and make sure they’re at the right bud stage,” said Mark Yadon, vice president at Mischler’s. “We don’t want them to open all the way, or to open all at once.”
To ensure there’s a continuous supply, new flowers are planted weekly.
Lilies and calla lilies are grown inside a greenhouse. Other flowers, including delphinium, zinnia, black-eyed Susan, dianthus and snapdragons, are grown outside. Yadon expects to be able to harvest flowers from outdoors through October, even when there has been a frost. The plants in the greenhouse should produce through Valentine’s Day.
Once harvested, the flowers are handed over to Mischler’s professional floral designers to create the arrangements.
One arrangement is “Mischler’s Magic.” The flowers in the photo include delphinium, zinnia, black-eyed Susan and snapdragons, but each arrangement will be unique, depending on what flowers are fresh that day.
“We’re challenging our designers to incorporate lilies and calla lilies,” Yadon said.
In addition to being able to offer a wonderful locally grown product, Yadon noted that growing their own flowers for arrangements helps keep people employed during this time of year when garden center business decreases.
You can order “Mischler’s Magic” on Mischler’s website. Local delivery is available.
