Grants available from Garden Walk Buffalo; deadline is Feb. 15

Applications are now being accepted for Garden Walk Buffalo Marvin Lunenfeld Beautification Grants, named for Garden Walk Buffalo’s founder.

These grants have helped fund dozens of garden beautification projects across the West Side of Buffalo for a total of more than $50,000 in the last several years.

Completed applications are due Feb. 15.  Get a application here or call 716-247-5004 to have one mailed to you.

To be eligible, the project has to be in the footprint of Garden Walk Buffalo (within the boundaries of the Niagara River to Main Street and the Erie Basin Marina to the Scajaquada Expressway) and be able to be seen from the street. Award amounts are based on the overall project cost and the eligible projects are required to include matching funds from government, private contributions or volunteer sweat equity.

Larger gifts have also been made to groups outside the Garden Walk Buffalo footprint: to Re-Tree WNY in 2011 and to the the Martin House Complex for the restoration of the clothesline garden in 2008.

Awarded projects will be highlighted during the coming year’s Garden Walk Buffalo. Garden Walk Buffalo is is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

“Projects like these, performed by regular residents in the neighborhoods, are contributing to the rebirth of our urban neighborhoods in the City of Buffalo,” said Jo Ann Belliotti, Beautification Grant committee chair.

Grants are made possible by corporate sponsorships of the events from the following sponsors: Catholic Health WomenCare; BlueCross BlueShield of WNY; Mike Weber Greenhouses; Proven Winners ColorChoice Flowering Shrubs; Schuele ACE Hardware; Dibble True Value Hardware; Lockwood’s Greenhouses; J.P. Bullfeathers; First Niagara; Buffalo Spree Magazine; Upstate Gardener’s Journal; Colleys Pools; the Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature; Ellicott Development; Tiles International; Modern Kitchens Of Buffalo; Realty USA; Muscarella Realty; Italian Marble and Granite; Test My Garden; Thompson’s Brothers Greenhouses; Urban Roots Garden Center; the Hotel Lafayette, and Uniland Development Company. Sponsorship packages for Garden Walk 2014 are now available at www.GardenWalkBuffalo.com.

Past projects that have been funded are:

2013

• Argyle Park Neighborhood
• Association (Island Restoration Project)
• Block Alliance of 16th Street (Block Planter Project)
• Friends of the Japanese Garden of Buffalo (Mirror Lake Islands and Banks Project)
• Cottage District Neighborhood Association (Cottage District Planter Project)
• Elmwood Village Association (Dancing Lady Hanging Baskets Project)
• Evergreen Health Services (Sidewalk Planter Project)
• Linwood Preservation District and Friends (Sisti Park Adjacent Area Project)

2012

• Kleinhans Community Association KCA Planter Project (Porter and Hudson Avenues)
• Argyle Park Neighborhood Association (Argyle Park Island Restoration Project)
• Claremont Community Block Club (Claremont Planter Project)
• Elmwood Village Association (Hanging Flower Basket Project)
• Child & Family Services Connor Children’s Center Landscaping Garden Project (824 Delaware Avenue)

2011

• AIDS Community Services (Bed and Container Garden Project)
• Argyle Park Neighborhood Association (Park Islands Project)
• Arnold Street B/C (Neighborhood Planter Project)
• Block Alliance of 16th Street (Block Planter Project)
• Buffalo in Bloom (Niagara Square Project)
• Buffalo Vineyard (Grace Community Garden)
• Claremont Community B/C (Neighborhood Planter Project)
• Connecticut Street Association (Neighborhood Planter Project)
• Elmwood Village Association (Dancing Lady Basket Project)
• Kleinhans Community Association (Bus Shelter Gardens Project)
• Potomac 400 B/C (Neighborhood Perennial Project)
• Putnam Street Community Garden (Putnam Street Community Garden)
• Vermont Triangle Block Club (Vermont Street Garden)

2010

• AIDS Community Services of WNY (Hope Blooms Walkway Garden Planters)
• Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Clifton Hall Entrance Garden)
• Block Alliance of Sixteenth Street (Street Planters Project)
• Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (Delaware Park Steps Bed Prep and Plants)
• Connecticut Street Association (Connecticut Street Community Garden)
• Elmwood Village Association (Dancing Lady Basket Hangers)
• Gilda’s Club WNY (Main Bed Garden)
• International Institute of Buffalo (Front Lawn Garden Project)
• Potomac 400 Block Club (400 Block of Potomac Flower Pots)
• PUSH Buffalo (Good Neighbors Park Community Garden)
• Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo (Adopt-a-Garden Project)

2009

• AIDS Community Services (Concrete Planter Project)
• Albright-Knox Art Gallery (East Grand Staircase Plantings)
• Allentown Association (Hanging Basket Project)
• Argyle Block Club (Argyle Park Island Restoration)
• Bird-Granger Block Club (Hanging Basket Project 2009)
• Block Alliance of 16th Street (Hanging Basket Project)
• Buffalo Olmsted Parks (Ferry Circle Quadrant Project)
• Cottage District Safety Committee (Neighborhood Planter Project)
• Days Park Block Club (Days Park Community Park Restoration)
• Dewitt Street Block Club (Lafayette Dewitt Four Corners Garden)
• Elmwood Village Association (Elmwood Hanging Basket Project)
• Gilda’s Club of WNY (Main Garden Bed Project)
• Grassroots Gardens (10th Street Community Garden Project)
• Manchester Block Club (Hanging Basket Project)

2008

• Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Fountain Garden Project)
• Bird-Granger Block Club (Hanging Basket Project)
• Cottage District Safety Committee (Neighborhood Planter Project)
• Elmwood Village Association (Hanging Basket Project)
• Gilda’s Club WNY (West Ferry Perennial Bed Project)
• Kleinhans Community Association (Plymouth Avenue Bus Shelter Improvement project)
• Lafayette Presbyterian Church (Corridor Garden)
• Massachusetts Avenue Greening Project (Garden Project along Massachusetts Avenue)

2007

• AIDS Community Services (Concrete Planter Project along S. Elmwood from ACS to Chippewa)
• Allentown Association (Allen Street Hanging Flower Basket Project)
• Arlington Park Block Club (Park Restoration From October 13th)
• Elmwood Village Association (Elmwood Avenue/Bidwell Parkway Community Garden)
• Gilda’s Club WNY (Gilda’s Club Sign Perennial Bed)
• Greening Collaborative (18th Street Park Project)
• Kleinhans Community Association (Welcome Sign Garden at Plymouth and Hudson)
• York Street Community Association (Summer Street/York Street/Union Place Planter Project)

2006

• AIDS Community Services (Victorian Garden Expansion Project)
• Allentown Association (Allen Street Planters Project)
• Ashland-Hodge Block Association (Neighborhood Planter Project)
• Connecticut Street Association (Gardens Expansion Project)
• Elmwood Task Force (North Elmwood Planter Project)
• Kleinhans Community Association (Orton Garden Project)
• Lancaster Avenue Block Club (Daffodil Bulb Project)
• York Street Community Association (Neighborhood Planter Project)

2005

• Kleinhans Community Association (Orton Place Project)
• Lafayette Presbyterian Church (Corridor Garden)
• Massachusetts Avenue Greening Project (Garden project along Massachusetts Avenue)
• United Voices: Atlantic-West Utica Block Club (Utica Garden)
• York Street Community Association (York Street/Summer Street/Union Place Curbside Planters Project)

 

Garden Walk Buffalo has become a major event for the city of Buffalo. Visitors come from all over the U.S., Canada and Europe.

One of its objectives is to give back to the community by supplying funds to blocks clubs and neighborhood group that want to improve their streets and become part of this wonderful weekend event.

Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest garden tour in the U.S., is held the last weekend of July each year. In 2014, the free event will be Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In 2013, more than 380 residences and businesses throughout the west side of Buffalo opened their creative urban gardens for tens of thousands of visitors.