Author: Jim Charlier
More than 90 exceptional regional gardens will be open during select hours on Thursdays and Fridays starting this Thursday – through July 31. Many of these gardens cannot be visited on neighborhood garden tours – but even the ones that can be – this is an opportunity to see them without crowds and with more time to view them and visit with the gardeners.
Visitors will see creative garden art; unique water features; tightly packed urban gardens; extensively planted acres; hosta, daylily, huechera, and other plant collections; outdoor gallery spaces; model railroad gardens; Woodland-, Cottage-, Asian-, Victorian-, English-, and Buffalo-style gardens; decks, pergolas, arbors and other built structures; as well as select public gardens.
Gardens, hours, locations and maps are available at GardenWalkBuffaloNiagara.com at no charge. Open Gardens & Garden Event Guides – a booklet with gardens, hours, locations, PLUS photos and garden descriptions – are available for a $5 donation at the following retail locations (as well as select gardens during the event):
- Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens 2655 South Park Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14218-1526 (716) 827.1584
- The Historic Roycroft Campus Power House Visitor Center 31 South Grove Street, East Aurora, NY 14052 (716) 655-0261
- Lockwood’s Garden Center 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg, NY 14075 / (716) 649-4684
- Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses 118 S Forest Road, Williamsville, NY 14221 / (877) 363-1879
- Urban Roots Garden Center 428 Rhode Island Street, Buffalo, NY 14213-2312 / (716) 362-8982
- Mike Webers Greenhouses 42 French Road, West Seneca, NY 14224 / (716) 822-8887
- Zittels Country Market 4415 Southwestern Boulevard, Hamburg, NY 14075 / (716)649-3010
- Visit Buffalo Niagara Visitor Center (Brisbane Building), 403 Main Street (corner of Washington & Clinton Streets), Buffalo, NY 14203-1496 / (800) 283-325
Visitors can either print out the online version, or refer to their Open Garden Guide booklet, and then look for the Open Gardens signs and enjoy!
BUFFALO RISING READER TIP: The $5 Open Garden Guides are FREE at the Buffalo Niagara Visitors Center (in the Brisbane Building, 403 Main Street) while supplies last!
Convenient garden clusters are open similar days and hours including the Southtowns, Buffalo Delaware District, Buffalo Elmwood Village & Allentown, Buffalo Parkside, Northtowns East, Northtowns West, Lancaster, Hamburg, the Niagara Trail, East Aurora/Holland, Buffalo Cottage District, South Buffalo & Lackawanna, and Lakeshore – all have tourist-worthy gardens you can visit during this, the fourth year of Open Gardens.
Additionally, some gardens in the Buffalo Elmwood Village cluster will feature artists (in various media) present creating artworks in the gardens each week. Visit GardenWalkBuffaloNiagara.com for more information.
ARTISTS IN THE GARDEN SCHEDULE
- Mark Lavatelli, painter, at Ballard-Olinski garden
- Nathan Deganis Librera, digital artist, at Timlin garden
- Giles Manias, painter at Curtin garden
- Carol Siracuse, painter, at Eight Paths garden
- Maggie Zindle, violinist, at Wieland-Martinez garden
Friday, July 10th
- Carol Siracuse and Mike Killelea, painters, at Peters-DeFilippo garden
- Thomas Matyas, mixed media artist at Ballard-Olinski garden
- Carol Siracuse, painter, at Timlin garden
- Rita Auerbach, painter, at Eight Paths garden
- Maggie Zindle, violinist, at Wieland-Martinez garden
Friday, July 17th
- Carol Siracuse, painter, at Dorritie garden
Thursday, July 23rd
- Judy Hodge, painter, at Ballard-Olinski garden
- Roberta Bolt, painter, at Timlin garden
- Giles Manias, painter, at Curtin garden
- Gerald Mead, collage artist, at Eight Paths garden
- Maggie Zindle, violinist, at Wieland-Martinez garden
Friday, July 30th
- Charles Clough, painter, at Ballard-Olinski garden
- Diane Bennett, painter, at Timlin garden
- Maggie Zindle, violinist, at Wieland-Martinez garden
- Mary Wyrick, painter, at Eight Paths garden
Garden Walk Buffalo Niagara produces and promotes horticultural tourism events including the annual Garden Art Sale; Horizon Club Travel’s Great Garden Travel with Sally Cunningham; a GObike Buffalo garden tour by bicycle; a “Beyond Flowers: Sustainability in Action” tour; an “East Side Momentum” tour; promotion of ALL Buffalo Niagara weekend tours, educational events; a public space makeover; a garden art exhibition; and Garden Walk Buffalo – the largest garden tour in America. For more information, visit www.GardenWalkBuffaloNiagara.com.
Lead image: Buffalo – Charlier Garden
Following images: Ballard/Olinski Garden, Buffalo – Eight Paths Garden, Buffalo – Hough/Sako Garden, Buffalo – Smug Creek Gardens, Hamburg NY, Pine Ridge Gardens, Orchard Park, NY – DiMineo Garden, Lockport – Kelkenburg/Washut Garden, Hamburg
Photos: Jim Charlier