overall view of front garden 81 Johnson Parkway in Buffalo NY

Clay-filled yard is nurtured into a colorful Buffalo garden

“I took a plot where even grass wasn’t growing because there was too much clay and turned it into this,” said Marilyn Rodgers of 81 Johnson Park, Buffalo. She shared her colorful garden during Garden Walk Buffalo last year. This year the event will be held July 28 and 29. Rodgers’ garden is another example of grassless front yards that are so charming. They seem to be turning into a symbol of Buffalo-style gardening. Her front yard was mostly clay,…...

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Lewiston Garden Fest vendors needed

Garden-related vendors sought for Lewiston Garden Fest

Vendor applications for the seventh annual Lewiston Garden Fest are now being accepted by the Lewiston Garden Club, which sponsors the event. Businesses and vendors who sell items related to gardening, horticulture and the outdoors, including nurseries, landscapers, garden artists, builders and others who enhance beauty in the garden, are encouraged to apply. The Lewiston Garden Fest will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24, along Center Street in Lewiston. Interested vendors can contact Sharon Low at 716-297-5925…...

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grassless front yard in Buffalo NY

You don’t need grass in your front yard– make it a garden!

You don’t have to have grass in your front yard. I loved the grassless front yard of Anne Gareis, which I saw on Garden Walk Buffalo in 2011. A spectacular evergreen takes up most of the space in the front yard. She could have planted grass in the space around the tree, but instead she extended the garden from the front of the house to the tree. “Grass is boring,” Gareis said. Ferns, hostas and other shade-tolerant plants fill in…...

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visitors to Lewiston NY garden walk 2010

Buffalo-area gardeners have many reasons to be grateful

We Buffalo-area gardeners should take a moment to stop and count our blessings. We live in an area with so many gardening riches that it’s easy to take them for granted. Let’s start with something as simple as a garden walk. Backyards, which normally are private spaces, are opened to strangers and friends alike. You’re invited to enjoy the scenery and take photos if you want. The gardener is willing to answer questions you might have about their garden. Wait,…

Quit smoking now– it’s bad for your plants

“All plants are sensitive to smoke,” David Clark said in answer to a question during a recent horticulture class at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Thursday, Nov. 17 is the 36th Great American Smokeout. Protecting your houseplants is one more reason for you to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. If you smoke, you probably notice that you have to wash your windows and mirrors…...

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designer medicinal garden in Buffalo NY

Medicinal gardens are kicked off at Botanical Gardens in Buffalo

The  healing properties of plants will be showcased in two medicinal gardens– an outdoor garden and an indoor garden– at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo. The medicinal gardens will provide visitors with a better understanding of the importance of medicinal plants and how the plants are used in traditional, herbal and modern medicines. The Botanical Gardens is collaborating on the project with D’Youville College School of Pharmacy and Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, part…...

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house on nighttime garden walk in Buffalo NY

Black Rock and Riverside shine during nighttime garden walk

“I love the lights,” said Rosie Dubravac of 74 Simon St., Buffalo. That’s why she opened her yards for the Starry Night Garden Tour, the evening portion of the Black Rock & Riverside Tour of Gardens on Saturday, Aug. 6. It was the last garden walk of the season in Western New York. Dubravac welcomed many visitors, who enjoyed the well-lit front and back yards. The tall lighted ornament you see in the front yard above left  is a sunflower…....

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blue spruce on Summer Street in Buffalo NY

Lush Buffalo garden with full-grown trees was planted on top of asphalt

A 20-foot blue spruce, along with a birch, crab apple, dogwood and Japanese maple, are part of what is essentially a giant container garden built on top of a narrow asphalt driveway in Buffalo. Ellie Dorritie of 415 Summer St. shared her gardens during Garden Walk Buffalo on July 30 and 31. More than 350 gardens were on display during the event, which is the largest garden tour in the nation. Dorritie’s back garden includes brick pathways, which you can…

night garden walk in Buffalo NY area

Ken-Ton gardeners share tips for nighttime lighting

“We sit out here every night with a glass of wine,” said Kathi Schwab, as she surveyed her backyard. Soft lighting showcased tall flowers and reflected off the calm water of their inground pool. “Oh, it’s heaven,” Kathi said. The Schwabs shared their yard during Ken-Ton’s first “Saturday Night Lights” garden walk held July 23.  Eighteen gardens participated in the evening walk. The nighttime event was part of the Ken-Ton Garden Tour, which held a daytime walk on both Saturday…...

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lush condo garden in Amherst NY

Condo resident in Amherst develops large, colorful garden

In the first year, Judy Horan planted eight pink geraniums. Now, just four years later, her garden encompasses the area from the front door of her Amherst condominium, around the corner to her deck. It continues beyond a huge evergreen where she has a small vegetable garden. Oh, and she has a garden on the other side of the driveway, too. “I was bored,” said Judy, who is retired. “But this is it. It’s not going to get any bigger.”…...

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