Garden Walk Buffalo Beautification Grants Awarded for 2014

Garden Walk Buffalo is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2014 Marvin Lunenfeld Beautification Grants. The grants are awarded to block clubs, non-profits and neighborhood associations for beautification projects in the neighborhoods of Garden Walk.

$8,945 in grants are going out to 14 block clubs and community groups for neighborhood beautification projects. Garden Walk Beautification Grants have helped to fund more than 80 garden beautification projects for a total of more than $60,000 since its beginning in 2005.

Award amounts are based on the overall project cost. Eligible projects are required to include matching funds from government, private contributions or volunteer sweat equity.

Our Beautification Award recipients for 2014!

• 5 Loaves Farm
• Allentown Association, Welcome to Allentown Sign Project
• American Red Cross
• Ardmore Place Block Club
• Armory Hill Neighborhood Assn.
• Block Alliance  of Sixteenth Street
• Buffalo In Bloom, Niagara Square
• Claremont Community Block Club
• Cottage District Neighborhood Assn.
• Days Park Block Club
• Elmwood Village Association, Bidwell and North Street Gardens and Dancing Ladies hanging planters
• Elmwood Village Charter School
• Evergreen Health Services , Inc, New memorial for the Life Memorial Park
• Fargo Estate Neighborhood Association, 220 Jersey Garden Project
• Journey's End
• Linwood Preservation District, Lilies on Linwood project
• One Symphony Circle, First Pres. Church
• Unity Church of Buffalo

See Buffalo at Its Best

Garden Walk Buffalo has produced a 20th Anniversary Commemorative Annual. The 60-page, glossy, magazine-stlye publication includes features written by the area's leading garden writers: Sally Cunningham, Elizabeth Licata, Connie Oswald Stofko, Rochester's Jane Milliman, and more.

Features include: defining the Buffalo-style garden, how to get the most out of a garden tour, small-space gardening tips from Buffalo gardens, water features from the Walk, grassless front yards, Buffalo's great hellstrips (the area between sidewalk and road), gardening in Buffalo's climate and urban spaces, garden ideas found on the Walk, getting ready for garden tour, the tourism significance of such a large garden tour, a popular Buffalo plant list, 10 great Buffalo Niagara garden destinations, a list of all Buffalo Niagara garden tours, and much, much more.

The Editor-in-Chief (and designer) was garden tourism consultant and art director Jim Charlier. Spectacular photos by photographer Don Zinteck, Jim Charlier, and others, are featured throughout. Articles were copy edited by Cheryl Bell.

The publication, printed in Buffalo NY, will be available for $10.00 at Western New York Tops and Wegmans grocery store locations, as well as select bookstores, garden centers, and gift shops starting in early April 2014. Look for a complete list at GardenWalkBuffalo.com. The publication is also available on the Garden Walk Buffalo online store.

The magazine is a fundraiser for Garden Walk Buffalo, enabling it to fund Marvin Lunenfeld Beautification Grants for block clubs and community groups. The grants have distributed more than $50,000 for 70+ beautification projects throughout Buffalo since 2005. It will also fund Garden Walk Buffalo 20th anniversary projects, which will include a community-wide party in June.

Be Part of Garden Walk Buffalo’s 20th Anniversary

Garden Walk Buffalo invites gardeners from the Peace Bridge to Main Street and from Erie Basin Marina to Delaware Park to be part of the 20th Annual Garden Walk, to be held Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Share your garden and show your pride in our neighborhoods and city.

Garden Walk Buffalo has received national publicity for hosting the largest free garden walk in the country with visitors coming from all over the country, Canada and further abroad. There is no contest and no prizes - the objective of the Walk has always been to encourage neighborhood beautification and to promote community pride. Just fill out the application and your garden can become part of this wonderful event.

Enter by May 15, 2014

Enter online at www.GardenWalkBuffalo.com  or if a mailed, paper application is preferred, a printable .pdf application can be found there.

 

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 from around the U.S., Canada, and abroad.

More information can also be found at www.GardenWalkBuffalo.com   

Garden Walk Buffalo to Absorb National Garden Festival Events

Garden Walk Buffalo to expand its mission and enhance its commitment to horticultural tourism. The two horticultural organizations plan a unified approach to promoting Buffalo Niagara’s garden assets and attractions.

Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest free garden tour in the United States, and the National Garden Festival, the first multi-week festival devoted to horticultural tourism in the United States, have entered into an agreement whereby Garden Walk Buffalo will absorb the National Garden Festival schedule of events with the intent of expanding its mission as a horticultural organization devoted to promoting Buffalo Niagara’s green assets to residents and visitors alike.

In the weeks and months to come Garden Walk Buffalo intends to amend its mission statement to reflect its expanded role in the community and begin work on absorbing the activities, committees and projects of the National Garden Festival.

Bonsai Basics

 

I have been fascinated with Bonsai plants for years, probably because of my love for nature and especially trees.

The word bonsai literally means pot and plant, but any plant in a pot is definitely not a bonsai.

The Chinese first started bonsai almost 2000 years ago but the Japanese turned it into the art form that it is today.

The basic idea of bonsai is to create the illusion of a full size tree but on a miniature scale. You do this in many ways and this is where the artistic part comes in.

The process begins by selecting the appropriate plant. Almost any plant can be turned into a bonsai but some plants just lend themselves better to the process if they have a good structure.

Selectively removing branches to reveal the trunk of the tree is the beginning. When you see a full size tree growing naturally, the trunk is widest at the bottom and then gradually becomes narrower until you reach the top. The branches also are thickest at the bottom and become thinner. That is the trick to creating a realistic bonsai tree.

You can turn almost any plant into a bonsai but the common misconception is that you keep them all indoors. The tree on the left is a Jaboticaba from Brazil so definitely a tropical plant. It lives in my kitchen most of the year.

Other bonsai are still real outdoor trees that need the winter to complete their yearly growing cycle. Ideally you keep them in an unheated garage during the winter but if you are like me and don’t have a garage, there are many other ways to keep them cold yet protected. The tree grouping on the right is a Juniper and small versions are commonly available in many different types of stores but people think they are a house plant and then wonder why they die. I wish this grouping of Junipers was mine but this photo was from a bonsai show I attended last year.

I am no expert as it takes years to learn about this art. It also teaches you patients as many trees take years to achieve the desired shape and style. It is best to start with inexpensive plants as there are bound to be some casualties. A schiffalara is easy to grow and is a fairly easy to find house plant.

I will be posting some of my outdoor trees when they come out of hibernation.

Garden Walk Buffalo Needs Your Eyes

Garden Walk Buffalo is looking into the possibility of creating a permanent mural somewhere in its footprint (within the boundaries of the Niagara River to Main Street and the Erie Basin Marina to the Scajaquada Expressway) and we could use your help.

We're looking for a tall building wall, or permanent fence, that also has actual plant life as part of it. We'd like to be able to incorporate the trees/bushes/vines into the concept of the mural. Extra bonus points for you if you OWN the wall/fence and give us permission to use it!

We'll come up with the creative use of the space and imagery. We'll find the muralist and secure permission to use the site. We just need help finding that ideal wall, in a visible spot, that can help us to promote what great and creative urban gardens and gardeners we have in Buffalo. 

The photo above is just an example of what we're trying to achieve. The perfect spot and clever use of the surrounding plant life will be crucial to its success as a promotion for Garden Walk Buffalo locally and virally through social media.

If you have any suggestions, leave in a comment; even better, if you have photos of a great spot, send them to GardenWalkBuffalo@yahoo.com

What to Do with a Shady Front Garden

I struggled for years with a small garden at the front corner of my house. It is right by the front door and visible from both streets as it is slightly higher than the sidewalk. It seemed the perfect spot for an annual garden with brilliant colors that would last for the season. I tried many different annuals although I have to admit I never did use impatiens as they have never been my favorite. The garden only gets some late afternoon sun and everything I planted there just never did well. Finally I found some coleus that I really liked and almost as important, they liked this spot in the garden. There are so many colors available now that range from the lime green that I use to a very dark chocolate color. It is not about the flower as the color of plants leaves are what give you the spectacular color. Now there are many different textures and leaf shapes that add even more interest with jagged edges or huge round leaves. I wish I knew how to hybridize them as there could be some fantastic combinations.

Duet Dahlia

These tuberous perennials require a little special attention as they are not hardy in WNY but I am happy to do it. I believe this one is called Duet Dahlia but can’t be sure as this was acquired from a friend who had these for many years and also acquired them from someone else. You are supposed to plant the tubers in the ground after the danger of frost is past but I cheat a little and start them in a large pot of soil in late April. I move the pot into the sun and then bring it inside if cold weather threatens. The plant grows quickly and will get 3 – 4 feet tall. Once it starts blooming in mid-summer it will keep putting out flowers until the fall. I dig up the tuber, cut off the plant and store them in the basement during the winter. It is worth it.

Buffalo Botanical Gardens

Spring seems like a long way off especially with the recent blizzard and extreme temperatures. A trip to the Buffalo Botanical Gardens is a sure way to lift your spirits with its many beautiful rooms of tropical foliage. Regardless how many times I visit I still find it incredibly fascinating and inspiring. Whether you like the waterfall room or the orchids, there is plenty to please the gardener’s interests. Last fall I visited during their succulent show and now have plans for a living piece of art which uses different sedums as the color palette. Hopefully it will all fill in by Garden Walk. I will post progress photos when appropriate.