by Connie Oswald Stofko Now that it’s autumn, have you turned your back on your gardens, or will your landscape give you pleasure even throughout winter? Keep your autumn and winter gardens appealing with these two tips from Jay Jinge Hu, who shared his Williamsville landscape on Open Gardens for the first time this year. Keep ceramic & cement pots from breaking in winter I have always advised gardeners to bring their concrete or ceramic pots inside for the winter….
by Connie Oswald Stofko Garden Walk Buffalo, America’s largest garden tour, will be held this weekend, rain or shine. With more than 300 gardens, there is a wide range of designs, including charming cottage gardens, formal gardens, vegetable gardens, gardens with water features and quirky gardens. The walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31. If you see a sign out before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m., you’re still welcome…
With three more garden walks this weekend, there is a lot to see! The East Side Garden Walk has expanded to two days and has added a Children’s Garden Festival. The City of Tonawanda Garden Walk and the Ken-Ton Garden Walk have nighttime garden tours in addition to their daytime tours. Open Gardens continue on Thursday and Friday as well. East Side Garden Walk The East Side Garden Walk will be two days this year: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m….
by Connie Oswald Stofko Three garden walks will be held this weekend; see details below. Open Gardens will take place on Thursday and Friday. Check out our Events page to see all the great gardening activities happening in Western New York. Garden Walk Williamsville Garden Walk Williamsville will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17. The tour is free and open to the public. Pick up maps at Williamsville Village Hall, 5565 Main…
by Connie Oswald Stofko In other areas of the United States, there might be 15 private gardens to visit in one year. In Western New York, there are about 200 gardens to see this week alone! Open Gardens begin this Thursday and Friday, and six garden walks take place this weekend. Open Gardens Open Gardens start Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8. Like garden walks, you can visit these private gardens at certain times and days. Instead of being…
See Graycliff’s gardens, grounds and the first floor of the main house at your own pace during the self-guided twilight tours from 4-8 p.m. Fridays, July 8, 15 and 22 at Graycliff, 6472 Old Lakeshore Rd., Derby. As the sun begins to set over Lake Erie, you can linger, reflect, look closer and soak in all of the details that make Graycliff so enchanting. While this is not a docent-led tour, volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions you may…
by Connie Oswald Stofko You don’t have to know everything about gardening to enjoy a wonderful garden. “If you ask me the name of the plant, I have no idea,” said Jim Bardot, who has seven magnificent gardens in his front yard in Amherst. If you’re a gardener who doesn’t like to keep track of plant names, don’t let that hold you back. Get inspiration from what Bardot has accomplished. See an overview of his front yard here and see…
by Connie Oswald Stofko When Kevin Lickers bought his West Side home in 2007, the small backyard had absolutely no gardens. “There was nothing here. I’m not kidding you. No flower beds,” he said while gazing at the colorful expanse of perennials that fill the yard now. What the yard did have was a big grill. “It was distracting, Lickers said, “and we don’t barbecue much.” He and his partner Ricardo Arce got rid of the large barbecue (they use…
by Connie Oswald Stofko “I find a statue, then think, ‘What can I plant around it to accent it?’” said Jim Bardot. The statue that was the inspiration for this garden is the Chinese head, situated in the very center. “It sat by itself in the backyard for years,” Bardot said. “I placed it here, I placed it there, then I brought it out front and found other things to go with it.” This Asian garden is one of the…
by Connie Oswald Stofko Jim Bardot used to relegate gardening to his backyard until he realized: “I’m the only one who sees it. What’s the fun of that?” Now his gardens—seven of them—are displayed in his large front yard for the world to enjoy. “Why hide it?” said Bardot, who lives on busy French Road in Amherst. “It’s a thrill when somebody stops because they see me out there. One person said, ‘Thank you. For years I’ve been watching it…
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