
by Connie Oswald Stofko
Garden seating makes your yard appealing in so many ways. It invites you and your visitors to gather and relax. It can provide you with a warm spot in the sun or a cool refuge in the shade. And a seating area can be the place where you enjoy the wonderful vista you have created.
In this article, we’ll look at garden seating in the Amherst landscape of Connie Krueger, which you can visit during Open Gardens. Get more ideas for yourself this weekend by visiting Open Gardens and garden walks.

Garden seating areas
You can’t see all of Connie Krueger’s landscape from any single spot. Paths wind through her Amherst backyard, which she filled with trees, shrubs and tall plants. You never know what you’ll see around the next bend.
“I decided on where I would place sitting spots as I weeded,” said Krueger said. As she worked, she would notice a view and realize, “Oh, this is a nice place to see that.”
When people visit her on Open Gardens, she encourages them not to hurry through, but to sit down in all the seating area and see something new in each spot. There is always something interesting to look at.
These photos were taken in September. Get ideas on how to make your garden look great in autumn here.

Gardens to visit
Open Gardens

Open Gardens will be held on Thursdays and Fridays starting this Friday, July 5, and running through Friday, July 26.
In order to see the locations of the gardens as well as the times and dates that each garden is open, you need the booklet with the map and schedules. The booklet is available for a $10 donation at many local garden centers– see the list here.
There will be about 70 exceptional gardens to visit in 12 areas: Southtowns Bouquet; Delaware District ; Elmwood Village & Allentown; Parkside; Northtowns East; Northtowns West; Lancaster; South Buffalo, West Seneca & Lackawanna; Niagara Trail; East Aurora & Holland; Cottage & Kleinhans, and Lakeshore.
Garden walks this weekend
- The Historic Niagara-on-the-Lake Garden Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 6. You must purchase a ticket. See ticket information here. Present your printed ticket to any garden and receive your official tour brochure and wristband. You may start your tour at any garden. For more information, see the Niagara-on-the-Lake Garden Tour’s website or email notlhortsocietygardentour@gmail.com.
- The Town of Amherst Garden Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 6. The tour is free and self-guided. The map is posted on their Facebook page. For more information, email amherstgardenwalk@yahoo.com.
- The Grand Island Garden Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 7. The tour is free and self-guided. You can pick up maps at the town commons gazebo at the intersection of Whitehaven and Baseline roads on Grand Island.
- The Snyder-CleveHill Garden View will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 7.The tour is free and self-guided. A $2 donation is appreciated.Maps will be available at Trillium’s Courtyard Florist, 2195 Kensington Ave., Amherst.
See more great gardening events on our Events page.