July 15, 2013: UPDATE
With just a few weeks left, the National Garden Festival has reduced the price of the Open Garden Directory from $8 to $5. If buyers of the book use the Botanical Gardens buy-one-get-one free admission coupon, the complimentary Spring Lake Winery wine tasting for two, the 25% off a Shrub Coat product offer, the free coffee or tea at Organic 3 Café coupon, the $10 off any fairy garden coupon for Mischler’s Florist, and the $5 off any $25 coupon at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, they’ll actually be making money.
__________
The only source for information on the Open Gardens of the National Garden Festival is now available.
The National Garden Festival Directory & Open Gardens Guide is just $8 and gives you all the information you’ll need to plan trips to fabulous gardens that are open– for free!– to visitors on Thursdays or Fridays from June 27 through Aug. 2.
Nearly a quarter of the 85 Open Gardens are new this year, so even if you’ve visited Open Gardens before, you should do it again this year, noted Sally Cunningham, director of the National Garden Festival.
New clusters of Open Gardens are located in Lockport & Lewiston as well as in Holland & East Aurora, she said.
The Open Gardens are clustered into 12 groups: Niagara Trail, Northtowns West, Northtowns East, Buffalo– Delaware District, Buffalo– Parkside, Buffalo– Elmwood Village & Allentown, Buffalo– Cottage District & Kleinhans, South Buffalo, Lancaster, Hamburg, Southtowns Bouquet and East Aurora & Holland.
Cunningham noted that people enjoy visiting the Open Gardens on a girlfriends’ day out or on a date. She suggests seeing clusters of gardens in one area, having lunch, then moving on to another area.
In some ways, the Open Gardens are even better than garden walks. Some gardens are open later in the afternoon and into the evening when the weather might be cooler. The gardens won’t be as crowded as they might be during a garden walk. Plus, you have more dates to choose from, so you can go whenever it’s convenient for you.
In addition to the Open Gardens, the directory lists information on the garden walks, bus tours, educational events, the Buffalo-style Garden Art Sale, LEAF a Legacy Project, public gardens and other local events.
Proceeds from the sale support the National Garden Festival. You can buy a digital download of the directory instantly online.
The print version of the Directory & Open Gardens Guide will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 25 at the Master Gardener plant sale at 1071 Amherst Street (between Delavan and Colvin), Buffalo.
The print version is also available at these locations:
- Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 S Forest Road, Williamsville
- Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark Street, Hamburg
- Visit Buffalo Niagara Visitors Centers
- Market Arcade Building, 617 Main St., Buffalo
- Buffalo Niagara International Airport
- AAA offices throughout Western & Central New York
- Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy in Parkside Lodge, 84 Parkside Ave., Buffalo
- Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens Gift Shop, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo
- Queen City Garden Town Nursery, 4000 Harlem Road, Buffalo
- Everything Elmwood, 740 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo
- Omega 3 Restaurants at 739 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo and 4445 Main St, Buffalo
- Parkside Community Association Offices, 2318 Main Street, Buffalo
- Masterson’s Garden Center, 725 Olean Road, East Aurora
- Spring Lake Winery, 7373 Rochester Road, Lockport
Image courtesy National Garden Festival
