Left to right: Cornell Cooperative Extension Erie County Master Gardeners Sally Cunningham and Phyllis Witherspoon Lobbins; Jess Abbott and Barbara Cavanaugh at Garden Walk Buffalo; Martin House curator Susana Tejada, garden writer and historian Abra Lee, East Side Garden Walk participant Walter Myles, and GBN emeritus board member Catherine Lincoln. It’s not just garden tours, it’s a blooming movement By Lauren Newkirk Maynard As the new steward of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, Gardens Buffalo Niagara (GBN) is going all in. We’re serious about…

By Elizabeth Foy Gardeners and visitors asked, and Gardens Buffalo Niagara delivered! The first-ever Open Gardens Spring Weekend is happening Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17. This is your opportunity to visit 16 private, regional gardens throughout Erie and Niagara counties earlier in the season.  “Open gardeners put a great deal of effort into having their gardens ready for the July opening,” said event co-chair Mike Shadrack. “This year, many have opted for an additional May tour and are…

By Elizabeth Foy From May 16 through July 19, the popular Butterfly Experience returns for a second year to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens this summer, offering visitors the opportunity to learn about the important role butterflies play in the ecosystem.   Housed in the Tropical Orchard greenhouse and featuring a variety of native butterfly species—including Swallowtails, Monarchs, Painted Ladies, Red Admirals, and more—the exhibit is included with admission.  “We’re excited to offer the Butterfly Experience again this year,”…

By Jim Charlier This year, Gardens Buffalo Niagara granted $39,695 in Lunenfeld Beautification Grants to 33 block clubs and community groups for garden projects across Buffalo.  Since the program launched in 2004, more than $200,000 has supported more than 300 projects—a living tribute to Marvin Lunenfeld, founder of Garden Walk Buffalo, who passed away in 2012.  The grants, up to $1,500 each, fund community gardens, street-side planters, rain gardens, raised-bed gardens, hanging baskets, and more. To be eligible, projects had…