As our cool and wet July comes to an end and the annual
display of flora creativity, Garden Walk, approaches, Great Lakes United encourages
you to tour five gardens highlighted on the Walk that prioritize sustainable
gardening practices. While some
people may think that you need a huge landscaping budget to use sustainable
practices, these gardens show what you can do with a little knowledge, work and
creativity.
31 Brayton: Green Roof (not shown) –
Living roofs aren’t just novelties, constructed on top of office buildings in
Chicago and Toronto, they are also here in residential neighborhoods in Buffalo.
Green roofs are covered with a layer of soil and vegetation.
193 15th: Bio-remediation Native Wildflower Garden (above) – This garden demonstrates the healthy power of
remediation. Contaminated sediments in urban areas impact human health and
leach into the ground, degrading the quality of groundwater.
309 14th (above) – Between Vermont
and Rhode Island, the Teaching Tree farm – Re-Tree Western New York was formed to
help reforest Buffalo and surrounding areas hit hard by the 2006 October
snowstorm. Re-Tree is both a
forest oasis on the west side and is economically savvy. By raising young trees
itself, Re-Tree will be able to distribute many more trees throughout the
region than if bought mature.
farm, including a straw bale greenhouse (above) – Growing Green’s Urban Farm. The
farm employs 50 youths every year, who are in turn taught how to farm, develop recipes
with the produce they grow, and market their goods. Ask about how you can help by “adopting-a-bed” at the farm.
have the power to make choices for a healthier environment. By taking small,
individual steps, we can all make a big change for our waters. And our yards
can look great doing it.
hope this is a start of a trend, with even more sustainable gardens showcased
on Garden Walk 2010!