Garden Walk Buffalo is just the beginning
Originally published in the Buffalo News, June 23, 2023
It’s summer and in the Buffalo Niagara region, that means gardeners are tending their gardens, preparing to share with friends and tourists alike, just waiting to tell someone about the new addition to their collection, share a method of staking tomatoes, or hoping that spicebush swallowtails will visit their carefully tended spicebushes.
We garden on a scale not seen in most places, which is why Garden Walk Buffalo draws tens of thousands of visitors every summer, and is the largest free garden tour in the U.S. Garden Walk Buffalo is Gardens Buffalo Niagara’s most well-known event, and the one that started it all, but GBN has a full season of additional garden events. GBN’s season began in May when it disbursed $20,000 in Marvin Lunenfeld Beautification Grants to almost 30 community groups in Buffalo for public-facing projects.
The Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale is held on the lawn of the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens. You’ll find all kinds of art for and inspired by gardens. There really is a unique “Buffalo Style Garden.”
On Thursdays and Fridays in July, tours of Open Gardens offer exclusive access to 100 exceptional private gardens throughout Buffalo Niagara.
New this year, Conservation Day features a public butterfly release at the Elmwood Village Farmers Market on Bidwell Parkway, on July 15. GBN will bring together conservation organizations to highlight the ecological importance of our region and the many ways all of us, but especially gardeners, can contribute to environmental sustainability.
The East Side Garden Walk, begun in 2018, has grown to be a full weekend and boasts nearly 75 gardens. The tour encourages visitors and neighbors to walk, drive, or bike, learning about the resilience of this community. Visitors meet its gracious gardeners and experience its historic neighborhoods, with their wide-ranging architecture.
Garden Walk Buffalo is, as always, on the last full weekend of July. With more than 300 creative urban gardens, it attracts an estimated 60,000 visitors and generates an economic impact of more than $3 million.
Urban Farm Day, on Aug. 26, will help you discover the region’s urban agricultural community. Learn about compost, farm labor justice, soil health and the produce grown by farmers from African and Asian countries.
The Children’s Garden Festival in MLK Park concludes the season on Oct. 8. Children will learn about planting bulbs, composting, fall harvest and environmental stewardship. The Festival, co-presented by the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, includes giveaways, bike repairs, games, music, entertainment, and activities.
Gardens bring people together, build community, boost our economy and provide habitat. Every garden, large and small, is vital. To learn more about these events and all regional garden tours, visit GardensBuffaloNiagara.com.
Laurie Ousley is president of Gardens Buffalo Niagara.