Buffalo Surprises and Amazes with Seeds of Hope

by Dan Cooper
I'm a stranger to Buffalo, New York, so I rely on newspaper headlines that spill into
Canada, or the reports of friends travelling to the shopping malls in the1!"s# $o when I
%oin the &arden 'alk Buffalo in ("1), I find myself asking, *'hat gives, Buffalo+ ,hey
told me your neighborhoods were rundown and seedy#- In fa.t, Buffalo, has gone to seed
/ but in a good way#
0or two days ea.h summer, &arden 'alk Buffalo
show.ases the transformative power of dedi.ated
gardeners, proud homeowners and a large dash of .ivi.
pride and .ommunity spirit#
1n.e a vibrant industrial .ity of 2"",""", Buffalo was
hit by the e3odus of manufa.turing %obs, not unlike
other .ities in 4meri.a# 4s unemployment rose, some of
the houses fell into disrepair and people had little
interest in their front yards#
But about (" years ago, a mira.ulous seed was planted#
,he metamorphosis started when a .ouple de.ided to
repla.e their front lawn with a flower garden# $oon their
neighbours were vying to *keep up with the 5oneses#-
4nd in 16, a total of ( gardens entered the first
&arden 'alk Buffalo# ,he revitali7ation of Buffalo had
begun#
,oday, over 8!" gardens of all shapes, si7es and .olours parti.ipate, making the event one
of the largest of its kind in the 9nited $tates, and possibly in North 4meri.a# 'ell over
2",""" visitors admire the gardens, mingle with proud homeowners, and leave with photo
souvenirs and ideas for their own gardens#
&ardens on the tour range from tiny front po.kets with a few well:pla.ed daisies and
.oneflowers, to larger mansion gardens with koi ponds and waterfalls# ;ven narrow,
shady, side alleyways are brightened up with variegated hostas, gold bleeding hearts,
stunning silver:leaved .aladiums and e..entri. art installations that be.kon the shy visitor
to venture into the private ba.kyard gardens#
<isitors also get to ogle some of the most diverse and well:preserved nineteenth:.entury
houses anywhere in 4meri.a, in.luding 0rank =loyd 'right>s ?artin @ouse Comple3,
one of the finest e3amples of his Arairie $tyle# $prinkle in some tiny Civil:'ar era
.ottages, plus houses in Craftsman, Bueen 4nne and Italiante styles and you have eye
.andy, an e.le.ti. smorgasbord of tasty ar.hite.tural delights#
1ne parti.ular standout is the house of &arden 'alk
organi7er 5im Charlier# @is Dut.h Colonial Cevival
style house features elegant .urved eaves, gambrel
roofs, and gables# 5im>s garden is dotted with his own
.opper art pie.es and a handsome patio made from
waste granite and marble pie.es# @e has even installed
*living:wall- gardens under some of his ornate
windows#
1n my walk around the gardens, I dis.overed something
about Buffalo that I hadn't e3pe.ted# ?any of the homes
were made of wood and de.ked out in intri.ate
gingerbread and fan.y window trim with por.hes,
ar.hes, and doorways all painted in vibrant shades of
purple, red, orange, yellow, and green# But this is the
snow belt, not ?iamiD 'hat's with this .olour thing+
I didn>t know whi.h to look at first, the garden or the
house# 1n =ittle $ummer $treet, I ran into someone from California and she was looking
up more than down# *Isn't this ama7ingD- she gushed, *?y friend $ally likes the plants#
I>m here for the ar.hite.ture#- But somehow the two blend together to make an in.redible
tableau of .olours and shapes#
4s I .ontinue my walk through the Cottages Distri.t, I .hat with some homeowners#
Before painting their trim / .o.ktails in hand / they often .onsult with their neighbours
about the suitability of one brilliant shade of purple over another# 1ne gardener told me
that she asked her neighbour if her .hosen .olours would .lash with his house, *$hould
my trim be .ontrasting or .omplementary,- she Eueried#
In addition to .olours, neighbours share garden tips and plants# 1ne homeowner told me,
*It>s not a .ompetitionF we>re all in this together to improve our neighbourhood and
Buffalo#-
I was surprised to
dis.over that there is no
admission fee for the
walk and all the work is
done by unpaid
volunteers# ?oney is
raised through donors
and the sale of a &arden
'alk Buffalo book for
G1"# 4nother surprise is
that almost all of the
gardens were .reated by
regular homeowners, not
professional lands.ape
designersD ,hese are real
gardeners putting their
talent and dedi.ation on
display for all to en%oy#
&arden 'alk Buffalo
takes pla.e over a
weekend in 5uly, but
there are so many
neighbourhoods on the
walk that even with the
free shuttle buses you>ll
need two days to see %ust
a fra.tion of the gardens#
Be sure to pi.k up a free
map of the &arden 'alk
at one of several
headEuarters to guide you aroundD Chat up the homeowners and take lots of photos# ,hen
go home a plant a few seeds of your own#
/ 8" /
Where to stay:
Comfort $uites Downtown
2"1 ?ain $t#,
Buffalo NY 1)("8
1:!!!:H():8"H
Where to eat:
It may be a .li.hI, but, if you have time, don>t miss the 4n.hor Bar, home of Buffalo>s
famous .hi.ken wings#
1")H ?ain $treet
Buffalo, NY 1)("
JH12K !!):)"!8
httpLMMwww#an.horbar#.omM
0or fine dinning downtown, try Ba..hus 'ine Bar and Cestaurant#
62 ' Chippewa $t, Buffalo, NY 1)("(
JH12K !6):'IN;
httpLMMba..husbuffalo#.omM
Conveniently lo.ated on the &arden 'alk is Aanos 1n ;lmwood
1"!1 ;lmwood 4ve#
Buffalo, NY 1)(((
JH12K !!2:"!1
httpLMMwww#panosonelmwood#.omM