by Connie Oswald Stofko
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is again holding its Great Plant Sale online, and you can order now.
The deadline to order is May 4, but don’t wait–many plants sell out well before then.
I am highlighting just three here:
- A phlox that is fragrant and attracts pollinators. It has been designated 2024 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.
- An impatiens that is highly resistant to downy mildew.
- A hosta with frilly leaves that add color and texture to shady areas.
I’m proud that Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com is a sponsor of the Great Plant Sale again this year!
About the Great Plant Sale
Last year, “A lot of people were amazed by the quality of the plants” they received in the Great Plant Sale, said Joe Mannion, director of Horticulture & Operations at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens.
The plants were raised by Amos Zittel & Sons farm in Eden, who are professional growers and can spend all their time on growing, Mannion said. That’s what the Botanical Gardens needed for the sale.
At the Botanical Gardens, the gardeners have lots of other tasks, such as taking care of the unique plants in the Gardens’ collection and maintaining outside gardens. Plus, the Botanical Gardens doesn’t have enough space to grow the quantity of plants needed for the sale. The space they have is being used to nurture new plants to add to their collections and exhibit, such as ‘Buddha Hand’.
Something new this year in the Great Plant Sale is Supplies and Surprises, where you can buy things such Zoo Poo, local honey and more.
See details on the Great Plant Sale, including how to order and when to pick up your plants.
Award-winning phlox
A new variety of phlox, Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’, has been named the 2024 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association, and it’s easy to see why. There is so much to like in this plant.
“‘Jeana’ is an exceptional garden phlox renowned for its impressive flower show, tall sturdy habit, and pollinator-friendliness,” according to the Perennial Plant Association. Its bright green leaves are highly resistant to powdery mildew.
‘Jeana’ blooms mid- to late summer with colorful pink-lavender clusters of fragrant flowers.
It can grow three or four feet tall and 24 inches wide. It likes full sun.
Impatiens resistant to downy mildew
Impatiens used to be the go-to, showy annual for shade, but starting in 2012, these usually reliable plants were dying from downy mildew. Some gardeners were happy if their impatiens lasted until August before succumbing while other gardeners gave up on impatiens altogether.
Hybridizers have been looking for cultivars that could withstand the blight, and now we have Impatiens walleriana ‘Glimmer™ Hot Pink’. This cultivar that is highly resistant to Plasmopara destructor, the cause of downy mildew in impatiens.
“I would try it,” Mannion said, “definitely. But don’t overwater; if you water too much, the roots can suffocate and you get root rot. If the plant is drooping a little, give it some water.”
Tip: Don’t spray water on the top of the plant; that will create a hole in the plant, he said Instead, take off the sprinkler attachment and let water from the hose run onto the soil rather than the leaves. “That goes for every kind of plant,” Mannion said.
‘Glimmer Hot Pink’ is a double impatiens with beautiful rose-like blooms. No deadheading is needed.
Also offered in the sale is Fiesta™ Appleblossom Double Impatiens.
‘Dancing with Dragons’ for shade
Hostas are a great perennial for shady gardens. They’re easy to care for and the leaves come in many colors and shapes.
‘Dancing with Dragons’ has blue leaves that hold their color all season. Frilly edges on the leaves give the hosta an overall wavy appearance.
It also gets white flowers in late summer.
