Daylily tripper by Bruce Adams A profusion of perennial varieties ensure that something is always blooming. Textured islands of dense, colored foliage define the garden. Thanks to Buffalo’s vacant-house demolition blitz, empty lots around town are becoming as common as missing teeth on a hockey team. But living next to one can have its advantages; just ask Wayne Gostomski and Thomas Flanigan. Nine years ago, the West Side residents watched in horror as two houses next to their Putnam Street property went up in flames. The city leveled the charred remains, burying everything including the kitchen sink. This might be another tale of urban blight—one more trash-strewn, overgrown vacant lot devaluing a struggling neighborhood—except that Gostomski and his partner Flanigan saw an opportunity. They purchased the adjoining property (a neighbor bought the other lot to build a garage) and merged it with their own. They brought in sixty cubic yards of topsoil and began laying out what was to become a garden sanctuary for their botanical collections. That was five years ago. Today, winding mulch-lined paths border densely textured islands of colored foliage. “We have a hosta collection with seventy varieties, we have an iris collection with forty-two varieties, eighteen varieties of clematis, fifteen astilbies … oh, and twelve new rosebushes; those are new for us,” rattles off Gostomski, a retired landscaper. “Of course, our big collection is the daylilies.” Indeed. Though the gardens showcases dahlias, calla lilies, begonias, Lady’s Mantel, Black-Eyed Susan, yarrow (achillea) and more, daylilies dominate the landscape. Over a decade, the two gardeners have accumulated 331 varieties, each with a different color scheme. At any moment, there might be ten daylilies sitting in pots waiting to be planted. “I’m a plant shopaholic,” admits Gostomski. “It’s a sickness. If you’re a gardener and you like plants, you buy what you like, and you find places for them.” Many gardeners view the daylily as a green and orange garden plague that—left unchecked—will engulf whole yards. “Those are old-fashioned daylilies, or ditch lilies,” explains Gostomski. “Hybrid daylilies come in all colors, and cost more.” The slow-spreading hybrids can have long spindly petals, ruffles, or different colored centers and edges. There are, in fact, roughly 30,000 daylily varieties. But Flanigan, who handles most of the grunt-work like composting and weeding and is the quieter of the two men, says they strive for rarity over sheer quantity. One thing they don’t strive for is perfection. “We don’t go for a manicured look at all,” Gostomski asserts. “No formality. We have weeds. We have stuff that re-seeds. It’s more carefree, a little more wild. We’re just doing our own thing; if somebody wants to come and look, people are always welcome.” As if on cue, fellow gardener and friend Elizabeth Horrigan pops in with out-of-town guest Kathy Drecher. Drecher grew up on Putnam and is back for a visit. “I’m in awe,” she remarks. “This is kind of shocking and exciting. I love seeing the city come back.” Who can argue with that? Bruce Adams is a writer, educator and artist. Garden Variety: Pretty as a picture click here Garden Variety: Passion and profit click here Garden Variety: City companions click here Garden Variety: Otherworldy delights click here

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