Ready to head to out to explore WNY’s bountiful and vibrant gardens on your own? Well, all you need is an Open Gardens Guide. The rest is up to you, as you choose from among upwards of 100 gardens to visit throughout Erie and Niagara counties on Thursdays and Fridays, for select hours, in July.
This unusual garden tour takes place in Lockport, Gasport, Akron, East Aurora, Elma, Holland, South Buffalo, West Seneca, Lackawanna, Lakeshore, Eden, Hamburg, Orchard Park, Eden, Hamburg, Orchard Park, Amherst, Cheektowaga, East Amherst, Williamsville, Kenmore, North Tonawanda, Tonawanda, Lancaster, and Buffalo’s Parkside, Allentown, Cottage District, Elmwood Village, and Delaware District neighborhoods.
Open Garden Days are:
- Thursday, July 7
- Friday, July 8
- Thursday, July 14
- Friday, July 15
- Thursday, July 21
- Friday, July 22
- Thursday, July 28
- Friday, July 29
In order to participate in the self-guided tour, all you need is an Open Gardens and Garden Event Guide. Inside you will find everything that you need to locate each of the gardens, along with visiting times, garden descriptions, and images of the grounds. Not only is the map handy, the gardeners at each of the locations will be happy to answer questions, for those who are curious about the plants and gardens.
Get an Open Gardens Guide:
- At select garden centers and shops ($10 donation, cash only!), visit OpenGardensWNY.com to view the list
- Buy the Open Gardens smartphone app wherever you buy your apps ($4.99)
One of the best reasons to take these tours, other than the lush gardens, is the intimate nature of the tour, which is much different than the bustling garden festivals that take place around the region. For those who want to interact with these gardens in more personal settings, this tour is for you.
Gardens Buffalo Niagara, the organization that produces Open Gardens, has a mission to create more vibrant and beautiful communities by sharing our gardens with events like Garden Walk Buffalo, the East Side Garden Walk, Tours of Open Gardens on Thursdays and Fridays in July, The Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale, and Urban Farm Day.
Visit OpenGardensWNY.com for more information.