The Mother of all Garden Walks is here!
Garden Walk Buffalo is a free, self-guided tour of more than 260 Buffalo gardens, one of the largest such tours in the country. Held this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Garden Walk has become one of Western New York’s most anticipated summer happenings.
Tens of thousands visitors flock to Buffalo’s West Side to pick up maps and start walking through the gardens, which are located in clusters within a three-mile radius, with three headquarters at strategic points along the way - Richmond Summer Senior Center, Buffalo Seminary (205 Bidwell Parkway) and the Allentown Association (14 Allen Street). Maps can be found on our web site. Maps with descriptions of the gardens can be found only at the three headquarters during the hours and days of the Walk.
It’s an inspirational, visually spectacular testimony to the power and potential of urban gardening. Some of the spaces are quite tiny; others cover about half the space of the average suburban yard—but almost all use their spaces creatively, even artistically.
As most of the properties were built prior to 1900, it is an architectural tour as well where you'll find Victorian homes, Civil War-era cottages, secret homes hidden from view and turn-of-the-century mansions, homes by Frank Lloyd Wright and McKim, Mead & White, buildings by H.H. Richardson and Eliel and Eero Saarinen, parkways and traffic circles laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted.
You'll visit the place Teddy Roosevelt took the oath of office, walk by the spot where President McKinley ultimately died, see award-winning urban sculpture, and experience unique shopping and dining galore.
Bring your cameras (ask first to take pictures, though) and notepads for a weekend of garden inspiration - from formal to informal, planned and unplanned. You'll see multi-level decks, pergolas, espaliers, outdoor kitchens, grape arbors, lighting schemes, fountains, wall murals, sculpture, koi ponds, waterfalls, potting sheds, carriage houses, playgrounds, playhouses, treehouses and even a putting green.
On the garden style side, you can choose from flower, rose, vegetable, herb and organic gardens; Japanese, English and water gardens; butterfly, pocket, container and rock gardens; sidewalk and community gardens; and even an experimental garden.
We invite you to join us this year, as we show off our city’s beautiful homes and gardens. You will leave refreshed, entertained, and inspired!
Visit Garden Walk Buffalo for more information.
M friend will do the Garden walk, I will do the store walk. If the Parkside Garden Walk (Minus the Monsoon the accompanied it) is any indication, this will be a truly enjoyable experience
In keeping with spirit of previous posters and my personal belief:
OK BUFFALO THIS GARDEN WALK A CHANCE TO SEE HOW YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS COULD SHOWCASE YOUR HOMES AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE SOUTHSIDE AND EASTSIDE NORTHSIDE AREAS!
You know we have spring, summer and fall in Buffalo. There is absolutely no reason why we cannot do a spring garden walk in South Buffalo and a fall garden walk on the Eastside.
This is about celebrating our community and Buffalonians need opportunities to appreciate and value more than the Linwood-Richmond Corridor. Come on South Park, McKinley and Abbott! Come on Jefferson and Best and Broadway.
What a great event! One of many events that make Buffalo shine.
I love the idea of garden walks through different parts of Buffalo!
As a Westsider who will be taking a garden walk again this weekend, it would be a great reason to explore, appreciate, and hopefully patronize in some way, areas of the city I rarely venture into.
I would like it on the same date though...I have covered most areas covered (many other walkers might be in the same boat)...and would love to jump over to walk the eastside soon! This way numbers can continue to expand.
Well, South Buffalo does have a garden walk. Hamlin Park has a walk. Black Rock has a walk. Kensington-Bailey has a walk. University has a walk. There are at least 10 other walks throughout the WNY area--I think more--and they are always announced in the News (and Spree if we get the info in time). Garden Walk is not the only walk in Buffalo--not by a long shot.
Most are in July and August. (Spring can be kind of cold. And fall, though balmy, is a crummy time for flowers--take it from a gardener.)
Eliz,
Thats wonderful! I didnt know! Someone should publish a calendar.
In fact, not just a calendar....like a schedule but why not an actual calendar of Buffalo neighborhood gardens....I bet it could raise a nice amount of money for a worthy cause. As well as, highlight with love and pride the value and livability of our urban neighborhoods.
L,
You've got to read more than just BRO.
In the Friday, June 23 issue of the Buffalo News, Susan Martin listed 14 area garden tours, in addition to Garden Walk Buffalo.
You've missed Lewiston's, Eggertsville/University Heights/University Park's, City of Lockport's, Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural site's, Akron's, Williamsville's, Clarence Hollow's, Lovejoy's, Grand Island's, Lancaster Village's, Clarence Center's and South Buffalo's garden tours.
After Garden Walk Buffalo (the largest of them all, which attracts tourists from out of town) you'll still have time to catch The Ken-Ton Garden Tour and Black Rock/Riverside (both August 5 & 6)
Most are free, some have nominal charges. Almost all are listed in area publications (Spree, Artvoice, The News, etc.) and community billboards online (the TV and radio stations, the Convention & Visitor's Bureau, etc.) And check out Garden Notes in every Friday's Buffalo News. Garden Walk Buffalo even has links to a few of these tours, that have web sites, on their site.
These aren't all urban garden tours, but garden inspiration and great ideas don't stop at the city line either.
I love it! Really! Its a wonderful way to show off our pride and love of our city. The nice thing is that this isnt about money. It doesnt take alot of money to plant a few shrubs but it has such an enormous impact on the community that everyone can participate.
This is one mia culpa Im happy to offer.
I'd like to let people know about the Blackrock/Riverside Garden Walk which is Aug. 5th-6th, as mentioned above. Come see the beautiful gardens people have created and experience a part of Buffalo that is often overlooked. Like the West Side Garden Walk, Blackrock/Riverside is of architectural interest. There are pre-Victorian houses and Erie Canal worker's cottages. Last years BR/R Garden Walk was a success and this year there are 25% more gardens. Go to http://www.brrgardenwalk.com/ for more information. Get out there and enjoy the West Side walk this weekend and visit BR/R next week!