A gallery of plants and art…

Towards the end of summer I finally made it to Connie Kreuger’s garden in Williamsville, a suburb of Buffalo. I’ve been promising for ears to get out there and I finally made along with my friend and co-author, Sally Cunningham.

Sally was taken by Connie’s plant collection, spewing out Latin names, marveling at one plant after another. She could have been speaking tongues for all I knew. Connie seemed excited someone actually appreciated her unique plant collections.

I do know she’s well covered in the hosta side of things, has plenty of ornamental grasses, has beauty berry, witch hazel, black elderberry, and viburnum shrubs, wisteria, and larch, contorted filbert, and a Harry Lauder’s walking stick as far as trees go.

Sally and Connie, swingers.

I was more taken by the overall effect of the garden – meandering paths leading to areas of art and unexpected combination of plants. And the art. Always the art. Her garden art is as much blended in the garden, more so than set apart and featured. Quite often you were right up upon a piece before you even notice it. She’s got a knack for combining plants and art echoed color and scale.

Connie paints these herself!

The collections include butterflies in many different mediums, and some Wright sprites, a large number of beautiful planters with well-crafted plant combos–and these great painted mandala plates she paints herself.

The plates, and decorated solar lights, Connie sells at art and craft fairs, like the one I help organize, the Buffalo-style Garden Art Sale the last weekend of June each year. her company name is Different by Design.

You can visit Connie’s garden yourself during Gardens Buffalo Niagara‘s Tours of Open Gardens each July. It’s a great garden to visit to get an idea of what trees and shrubs like like at mature sizes, the range of colors they come in and what cultural needs they require.

I’m glad I finally made it out there.

I love the circle pavers in her patio (and the circular mandalas, and circular planter to the right). Check out these circles below…

I loved this idea – that, I believe, is just a shower curtain – hanging, looking lovely and hiding a collection of tools and other garden necessities she wnated quick access to but ot for visitors to see.

REpurposed art. A necessity in a Buffalo garden.

More hand-painted mandalas.

Frank lloyd Wright Sprites.

Butterflies fluttering by.

Copper sculpture looked great next to that copper Japanese Maple.

A forest in teh middle of Williamsville.

Bear’s Breeches. That’s on p;ant I do know, bewcause I have one. Mine looks nothing like this though.

Great plant combos. She’s got teh eye of an artist and teh heart of a horticulturalist.

Connie also paints solar lights you can purchase an place in your own garden. I have one!

Connie sells these at art and craft sales.