Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House Complex Gardener in Country Gardens Magazine

Did anyone catch Buffalo's own Nellie Gardner in a four-page spread in the Summer (May) issue of Country Gardens magazine?

Nellie works on her farm in Spencerport, NY – but she's also the Horticulturalist  at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Martin House Complex. At the Martin House Complex she oversees the volunteer gardeners, and helps plan (ongoing) historically accurate (or appropriate-for-the-times) restoration of the gardens according to the master landscaping plan, originally devised by Wright's chosen landscape designer for the property, Walter Burley Griffin (1876-1937). The landscape design for the grounds of the complex is harmonious with the overall composition of buildings. It included a semi-circular garden containing a variety of plants chosen for their blossoming cycles to ensure blooms throughout the season. This is one of the garden features they'll be looking to recreate.

But when Nellie's not here in Buffalo working on historical restoration of gardens, she's at home in Spencerport, at her 2-acre cut flower farm, Flower Fields. With a Cornell University degree in agronomy, and after having been a county extension vegetable specialist and an agricultural consultant. She supplies local wholesale florists, custom area weddings,  as well as regular local customers. There are plenty of beautiful photos of her gardens and a photo-guide to creating a fresh bouquet.



If you were ever interested, Nellie's flower farm is open for field trip s and tours, she's available for garden club lectures and workshops and also does private horticultural consultations (pest control, plant care, and growing tips).

We're lucky (and proud) to have Nellie as an important part of Buffalo's ever-growing horticultural cred. If you're looking for some garden volunteering opportunities, they'd love to have your help at the Martin House Complex! Contact Ellie there.

For a list of her 10 favorite cut flowers, visit here.

And here's a few gratuitous shots of the Martin House Complex.