We’re so excited, we’ve got butterflies…

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America's largest garden tour, Garden Walk Buffalo, and East Side Garden Walk have cocooned these past few months, finally transforming into Gardens Buffalo Niagara's Buffalo Garden Views: Sharing in July.

But wait! You’re from out of town, or otherwise new to Buffalo. Who are we, what the heck is all this?

Gardens Buffalo Niagara (GBN) is the organization behind many of Western New York’s most popular horticultural tourism events and programs.

  • Garden Walk Buffalo Our flagship self-guided garden tour, typically held the last weekend of July, features more than 400 iconic “Buffalo-style” gardens

  • The East Side Garden Walk A one-day walking tour that shares Buffalo’s East Side gardens to help create a vibrant, beautiful community

  • Open Gardens is a regional, self-guided walking/driving tour of gardens throughout Western New York, held on Thursdays and Fridays in July

  • The Buffalo-Style Garden Art Sale One of the area’s most popular garden market events, featuring unique garden decor by local and regional vendors

  • The Marvin Lunenfeld Beautification Grant Named after Garden Walk Buffalo's founder, these micro-grants support gardening projects by block clubs and community groups within the tour’s footprint

  • The Vibrant Buffalo Beautification Grant A grant program to help boost gardening and strengthen our entire region by beautifying neighborhoods across Buffalo

GBN also promotes and encourages the other 12-16 other garden tours that happen in Erie and Niagara counties each summer.

All told, it takes about 1,000 gardeners between all the tours, several dozen hard-working volunteers and board members, some great sponsors, and nearly 100,000 participants to make it all happen.

Celebrating local gardens during uncertain times

To help Buffalo continue sharing its beautiful gardens this summer, we decided to go virtual. That means more than just pretty photos and videos on social media; it includes actual Garden Walk Buffalo and East Side Garden Walk gardeners, telling their stories and sharing their passion for gardening.

Mark your calendars! Here's a run-down of what we hope to do every day in July, starting today with a glorious, multi-location Monarch butterfly release caught on video by Western New York’s own Eastern Monarch Butterfly Farm. Watch it now on You Tube.

SUNDAYS
Gardens In Plain View (Downloadable PDFs) Stroll, bike or drive by select groups of Buffalo’s best front gardens, any day of the week.

MONDAYS
Gardeners’ Eye View (You Tube) A glimpse of Buffalo’s best gardens via photos and videos submitted by local gardeners. You sent us some great stuff, we just had to share!

TUESDAYS
Garden Pro InterView (Facebook) Live and pre-recorded interviews with gardening professionals. Comment with your questions!

WEDNESDAYS
Garden Stories by the Buffalo Architecture Foundation and GBN, posted here on our blog.

THURSDAYS
Gardens Buffalo Niagara Into View (You Tube) GBN video shorts highlighting our programs, history and what’s new

FRIDAYS
Garden Live View (Facebook) Interviews and conversations with local gardeners, in their gardens.

SATURDAYS
Points of View (Facebook) Videos featuring Garden Walk awesome volunteers and GBN’s many partners

For dates, times and descriptions, head here! Bookmark this website as we update our programs throughout the month.

More fun stuff

Throughout July, we’ll also bring you weekly online giveaways and games, like scavenger hunts, kid-friendly coloring pages, and hanging with Garden Views’ official mascot, Gnigel the Nickel City Gnome, on Instagram and Facebook (Gardens Buffalo Niagara and Garden Walk Buffalo) hashtag: #nickelcitygnome.

And finally: SHOPPING! We’ve re-launched GBN's online store and are promoting vendors that weren't able to participate in June's cancelled Buffalo Style Garden Art Sale.

Whew… More is in store, so spread your wings and join us for a beautiful month of Buffalo gardens!


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Lauren Maynard