Boyers business brings daffodils to life, light
BOYERS — His work for many years has been on the fence, but one recent project prompted Greg Koller to jump right into the garden.
As a result, Koller's 16-foot steel daffodils are scattered throughout Schenley Plaza in Pittsburgh, one of the first visible signs of spring in the city.
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy asked Koller, of Slippery Rock, to make the daffodils. As part owner of Emmel and Koller Ornamental Iron in Boyers, Koller said he previously worked with the conservancy to design and produce iron fencing for the park. Now five of his daffodils tower over Oakland, serving as an early preview of the Pittsburgh Daffodil Project. That project involves volunteers planting millions of daffodil bulbs around the city in the next few years.
The huge models were created with a drawing, a silk flower and a little imagination, according to Koller.
"They (conservancy representatives) had a Photoshop picture and we got a fake daffodil flower and we went from there," he said.
He created six flowers total plus the prototype that sits in his shop, with five now displayed in Schenley Plaza. At one time, conservancy representatives talked about buying 44 steel daffodils to place throughout the city this spring, but Koller's not sure whether that plan will happen. Conservancy representatives are trying to find sponsors for each flower before buying more, he said.
"They're not cheap," he said, estimating each flower at about $1,000 without the lights.
In the past, his company created fencing for Schenley Park and Schenley Plaza, including a fence around a carousel there, Koller said. At the visitors center in Schenley Park, the fence involved an ornate design that he had to recreate based on parts of an old fence that were found at the park."We didn't even have an old photo to work with," he said.The projects Koller and his company have completed have always worked out so well that it's the first company the conservancy contacts for iron work, according to Phil Gruszka, director of parks management and maintenance for the conservancy.Gruszka agreed he'd like to see the display grow, but would like sponsors to help with the cost. The flowers likely will be on display until the beginning of April, he said.As with past projects, the flowers have been well received by park visitors. Some don't understand at first, but "everyone who sees them has a smile on their face," Gruszka said.Koller is also involved in a local project at North Country Brewing Company. The restaurant owners hired him to design railings for new steps to the upstairs."They want a railing to blend in with their woodwork," he said. "We're making it look like tree bark."That type of specialty work is what Koller does best, with most of his work in fencing and railings, but also including specialty projects like games or ornamental crosses for churches.Koller has been working since he was 12 years old in the family business started by his father, Ron, and now has his son, Jesse, 17, involved. Jesse helped to design and create new iron benches at St. Christopher Roman Catholic Church in Slippery Rock.
