Garden Bloggers Buffa10

Garden Blogger's Fling 2011 - Seattle!

2011-01-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Make plans to attend the Summer Fling in Seattle, July 22-25, 2011; as garden bloggers from around the country meet up to take in the sights, sounds, smells and delicious flavors of our beautiful Emerald City.

For more information, visit the Seattle meet-up website here.

You can also keep up on Facebook here.

Buffa10 posts by topic

2010-07-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Allentown Gardens

Buffalo Garden Walk Rocks
Back from Buffalo
Buffalo Gardens and a doggy spa
The Garden Walk begins
In Buffalo
Hot time, Summer in the city
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
A Pot of Tea, A Garden Walk, A Plant Discovered With Friends to Talk
Common Ground
Art and About in Buffalo
Boys, Buffalo and beauty
Garden Bloggers Buffa10: First day impressions!
Ideas and lessons from the gardens of Buffalo
Allentown Association Community Garden
Big ideas from small gardens - Buffa10
35 North Pearl Street
The Lilies of Buffalo
Back by popular demand: Drawings!
Buffa10~The Garden Bloggers and Those Gardens!
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
Reality: It's Not Just for TV
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
Garden Stumbling: More of Buffalo's North Pearl Street
A Peek into the Gardens of Buffalo
Blooms and Bloggers: The Buffa10 Cocktail Reception

Cottage District Gardens

Redefining Quintessential Buffalo
Garden Daytrips: Garden Walk Buffalo
Color And Exuberance-Buffa10 Style
Buffa10: A Few of Friday's Favorites
A Quick Taste of Buffalo
Small but mighty gardens of Buffalo’s Cottage District
Wet Friday fun in Buffalo
Buffa10, Day 2
Peeking into other people's gardens
"Look at that monarda fer chrissakes."
The little house with the big, big garden.
The Cottage District
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Rainy Day Buffa10 - Day 2
Buffalo Is Not A Cold Climate
A Pot of Tea, A Garden Walk, A Plant Discovered With Friends to Talk
Messages From The Buffa10 Gardens
Garden Bloggers Know Everything
Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Mirrors in the Garden – a Trend?
Garden Walk Buffalo: The Cottage District
Buffalo Garden Walk: alley gardens
The Buffalo I didn't know
Beautiful Buffalo
Buffa10~The Garden Bloggers and Those Gardens!
Disguises for plastic utility bins
Common Ground
Art and About in Buffalo
The Power of Gardening in Community
Whoa, Buffalo!
Boys, Buffalo and beauty
More Buffalo Gardens
Buffalo gardens...and houses...and art
Buffalo Gardens amaze and impress
Buffa10 (Day 2) rainy but fun!
Ideas and lessons from the gardens of Buffalo
Buffalo’s charming Cottage Garden District
To Buffa10 with Love–Part 1
More Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Buffalo’s “Garden Walk” Beauty in the Details
Big ideas from small gardens - Buffa10
To Buffa10 with Love – Part 2
Buffalo? Why?
Buffalo
Buffalo Garden Walk
Grow where you're planted
Ideas I Am So Stealing!
Wordless Buffalo Cottage District
Shop Talk
Friendly Buffalo and Buffa10
"Horto in Urbe' means Buffalo
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
Reality: It's Not Just for TV
To Buffalo and back again
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
Final Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Garden Walk Buffalo: inspiring urban revitalization
Sightings From Buffa10
upstate update: buffa10
Bountiful and Beautiful Buffalo
The nonstop garden - and gardener
Exuberant Container Plantings

Lancaster Avenue Gardens

Mirrors in the Garden – a Trend?
Art and About in Buffalo
It wasn't just about the plants
Garden Walk Buffalo - It's Touring Time!
Buffa10 (Day 4) the Grand Finale!
Buffa10 - Sunday morning stroll
Word about Buffa10
Buffalo’s “Garden Walk” Beauty in the Details
Ideas I Am So Stealing!
Shop Talk
More from the fabulous Buffalo Fling
The Houses of Lancaster Avenue
Buffalo, The Last Day
An overwhelming urge
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
A Buffalo Lancaster Ave. Garden
Garden Walk Buffalo: inspiring urban revitalization
Lovely Lancaster Ave gardens at Buffa10

Lockwood's Greenhouses

Buffalo Gardens and Lockwood's Garden Center
Looking – and Buying in Buffalo
Sweet Saturday in Buffalo
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Postmark Garden Bloggers' Summer Camp
Common Ground
Buffa10 (Day 3) sun & spectacular gardens!
Off to Buffalo's Countryside for Cream Tea and Scones
It's good to get out of the house
Buffalo? Why? Continued
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
Final Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Nurseries Home and Away
My souvenirs from Buffalo: New Weeders
Speeding through Buffalo

Urban Roots

Buffalo Brings the Garden Center Back
What I'm up to in Buffa10
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Buffalo's Gardens Speak for Themselves
Buffa10 (Day 3) sun & spectacular gardens!
More Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Buffalo Garden Walk
"Horto in Urbe' means Buffalo
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
More Buffalo
Final Plants And Pals From Buffa10
upstate update: buffa10
Buffalo’s Urban Roots Community Garden Center

National Garden Festival Front Yard Garden Makeover
What I'm up to in Buffa10
Rain didn't stop the tour
Wet Friday fun in Buffalo
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Instant Make-overs Done Right in Buffalo
A neighborhood make-over
Buffa10 (Day 3) sun & spectacular gardens!
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
To Buffalo and back again
Revitalizing Buffalo - One Neighbourhood at a Time
upstate update: buffa10

Erie Basin Marina Trial Gardens

Looking – and Buying in Buffalo
Sweet Saturday in Buffalo
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Postmark Garden Bloggers' Summer Camp
Plants And Pals From Buffa10
The Buffalo I didn't know
Common Ground
Boys, Buffalo and beauty
Buffa10 (Day 3) sun & spectacular gardens!
More Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Off to Buffalo's Countryside for Cream Tea and Scones
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
Buffalo? Why? Continued
Hope you like Petunias: The Erie Basin Marina Trial Gardens
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
Final Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Speeding through Buffalo
Erie Basin Marina Trial Gardens in Buffalo

Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens

Sweet Saturday in Buffalo
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Postmark Garden Bloggers' Summer Camp
Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens
Buffa10: Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Garden
Garden Bloggers Know Everything
Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Beautiful Buffalo
Common Ground
Art and About in Buffalo
Buffa10 (Day 3) sun & spectacular gardens!
Off to Buffalo's Countryside for Cream Tea and Scones
Friendly Buffalo and Buffa10
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
Buffalo? Why? Continued
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
Final Plants And Pals From Buffa10
upstate update: buffa10
Speeding through Buffalo
Buffa10 the rest of Day 3

Olmsted's Delaware Park's Japanese Garden

Redefining Quintessential Buffalo
A Quick Taste of Buffalo
National garden bloggers view Buffalo's unique offerings
All Japanese gardens should be seen in a light mist.
Japanese Garden, Delaware Park, Buffalo, NY
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Rainy Day Buffa10 - Day 2
Common Ground
Art and About in Buffalo
Buffa10 (Day 3) sun & spectacular gardens!
More Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Japanese Garden in Buffalo’s Delaware Park
Buffalo? Why?
Friendly Buffalo and Buffa10
"Horto in Urbe' means Buffalo
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
More Buffalo
Sightings From Buffa10
upstate update: buffa10
Zen and the art of umbrella handling
I feel special

Shadrack's Hosta & Lily Garden

A Taste of Buffalo
Sweet Saturday in Buffalo
Buffa10, Day 3
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Postmark Garden Bloggers' Summer Camp
A Pot of Tea, A Garden Walk, A Plant Discovered With Friends to Talk
Beautiful Buffalo
Common Ground
Buffa10 (Day 3) sun & spectacular gardens!
Word about Buffa10
More Plants And Pals From Buffa10
Better than meeting the Pope
Off to Buffalo's Countryside for Cream Tea and Scones
Excited about hostas? It's possible.
High tea in the garden of Mike and Kathy Shadrack
Buffa10, Day 3
Buffa10~The Garden Bloggers and Those Gardens!
Friendly Buffalo and Buffa10
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
Final Plants And Pals From Buffa10
The Intent of the Gardener
An Essential Resource for Hosta Lovers
Buffa10 the rest of Day 3
Transcendence in the Midst of a Garden Tour
A Visit with Hosta Expert Mike Shadrack

ACS Hope Blooms Garden

Monday 24 Away | A Year of Mondays
Buffalo Gardens and Lockwood's Garden Center
Hope Blooms
The window ledge at Hope Blooms
People from Garden Bloggers Buffa10

20th Century Club

Gotta find me some Buffalo Wings
Hydrangeas and Hostas, Buffa10 Day 1
The Garden Walk begins
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Buffalo food: a postscript
Garden Bloggers Buffa10: First day impressions!
Buffalo Gardens amaze and impress
Ideas and lessons from the gardens of Buffalo
Twentieth Century Club
Buffa10~The Garden Bloggers and Those Gardens!
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet

Bird Avenue Ballard/Olinski Garden

What I'm up to in Buffa10
Rain didn't stop the tour
Rainy Day Buffa10 - Day 2
Buffalo Is Not A Cold Climate
It wasn't just about the plants
Ideas and lessons from the gardens of Buffalo
More Plants And Pals From Buffa10
People from Garden Bloggers Buffa10
Friendly Buffalo and Buffa10
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
Buffalo? Why? the end
Final Plants And Pals From Buffa10
upstate update: buffa10
upstate update
A Peek into the Gardens of Buffalo
Buffalo Garden Walk 2010

Comments on Buffalo

Redefining Quintessential Buffalo
Garden Daytrips: Garden Walk Buffalo
A Taste of Buffalo
National garden bloggers view Buffalo's unique offerings
In Buffalo
Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Buffalo Is Not A Cold Climate
A wonderful farewell to Buffalo
Garden Blogger Tour Buffalo
The Buffalo I didn't know
Art and About in Buffalo
The Power of Gardening in Community
Whoa, Buffalo!
Buffalo food: a postscript
How I spent my summer vacation
We love Buffalo
Buffalo's Gardens Speak for Themselves
To Buffa10 with Love–Part 1
Word about Buffa10
Buffalo’s “Garden Walk” Beauty in the Details
I left my heart at Buffa10
To Buffa10 with Love – Part 2
Buffalo? Why?
Buffalo
It's good to get out of the house
A Second Bite of Buffalo
The center of the gardening universe - Buffalo, of course!
Buffalo? Why? Continued
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
I miss Buffalo...
Buffalo? Why? the end

Garden Walk Buffalo

Garden Daytrips: Garden Walk Buffalo
Garden Walk Buffalo
Buffalo Garden Walk Rocks
Shuffling off to Buffalo!
The Power of Gardening in Community
Whoa, Buffalo!
Garden Tour Extraordinaire
Doozy of a Dahlia
Buffalo’s “Garden Walk” Beauty in the Details
Buffalo Garden Walk
It's good to get out of the house
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
Garden Walk Buffalo: inspiring urban revitalization
Cross-border garden touring: Shuffle off to Buffalo
Buffalo Garden Walk 2010
Exuberant Container Plantings

Cary Street

Hidden Treasure

North Pearl Licata/Bigelow Garden

Buffalo Is Not A Cold Climate
Boys, Buffalo and beauty
Garden Bloggers Buffa10: First day impressions!
Buffalo Gardens amaze and impress
Buffalo
General Petraeus, Move Over. Licata and Charlier are Rested and Ready
Shop Talk
Friendly Buffalo and Buffa10
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
In Elizabeth's and Jim's Gardens at Buffa10
Blooms and Bloggers: The Buffa10 Cocktail Reception

Lancaster Avenue Charlier Garden
Mirrors in the Garden – a Trend?
Buffalo’s “Garden Walk” Beauty in the Details
General Petraeus, Move Over. Licata and Charlier are Rested and Ready
It's good to get out of the house
More from the fabulous Buffalo Fling
Friendly Buffalo and Buffa10
The Houses of Lancaster Avenue
It may be the only garden tour to ever get a standing ovation...
In Elizabeth's and Jim's Gardens at Buffa10
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet
Buffalo? Why? the end
Speeding through Buffalo
I miss Buffalo...
A Peek into the Gardens of Buffalo
A Buffalo Lancaster Ave. Garden
Final Day of Buffa10

Niagara Falls

Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow
Niagara Falls
A triumph for the home team
Is A Garden Complete Without A Water Feature?
A Niagara Falls state of mind
Reality: It's Not Just for TV
Buffalo: Where Bloggers Meet

Canada/Niagara-on-the-Lake

Oh Canada!

Buffa10 Garden Bloggers Meet-up

New Friends and Their Blogs
The People of Buffa10

Photos Collections

Official Buffa10 Photographer Cheryl Jackson's Flickr Photosream

Twitter: #buffa10
Buffa10 Bloggers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42579661@N06/collections/72157624468495616/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbarawise/4779153007/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flatbushgardener/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbarawise/sets/72157624331317285/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbarawise/sets/72157624456004464/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbarawise/4780064470/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=1044690&id=1660281382
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42579661@N06/sets/72157624343895439/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=30821820&id=1244800862
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5030168&id=662507524#!/photo.php?pid=5030168&id=662507524&fbid=411009737524

Official Buffa10 Photos by Cheryl

2010-07-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Photo by Cheryl Jackson

Please visit here to see the "official" photos taken of the Garden Bloggers Meet-up Buffa10 taken by photographer Cheryl Jackson. Feel free to use these photos to represent your visit here in July. Please use the photo credit "Photo by Cheryl Jackson" when you do. A slide show of the photos appears in the right column.

Buffa10 posts & photos

2010-07-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

Thursday: Gardens of Allentown/North Pearl

2010-05-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

Early arrivals on Thursday are invited to cocktails and dinner in Buffalo’s great historic preservation district, Allentown. First, there will be drinks and snacks at the home of Elizabeth Licata from 4:30-6 p.m. During that time, guests are invited to visit a number of nearby Allentown gardens that will be open, including Bob Fink’s (shown above), Gretchan Grobe’s, Deborah Ellis’s, the Quaker Meeting House garden, and others. A map will be provided.
Allentown’s residential side streets are lined with meticulously restored and preserved nineteenth century homes, many of which have unique gardens. There are also two quiet pocket parks, and some of the city’s best galleries and restaurants. The architectural styles include Queen Anne, Italianate, Worker’s Cottage, Gothic Cottage, Second Empire, and many others.

North Pearl Street is perhaps the most conscientious example of a prosperous Victorian residential street left in Buffalo, despite some modern changes. The homes were built for nineteenth-century Buffalo's upwardly mobile population and the structures reflect their builders’ post-Civil War prosperity. The gardens generally feature ingenious uses of small spaces and most are modeled around a courtyard/patio structure.

At 6:15, everyone will make their way to the 20th Century Club, about a block away from Elizabeth's house, for dinner at 6:30.

Friday: Garden Walk Buffalo - The Cottage District

2010-04-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Long lines to view these yards are what you would face during Garden Walk Buffalo. Being here two weeks before, you'll be the first in line.

This very charming neighborhood is the most popular destination during the Walk each year. These tiny Civil War-era cottages and other homes on Little Summer, Union Place and Sixteenth Street have gardens as unique as their occupants -- an eclectic mix of retirees, professionals and artists -- gardeners all.
You'll visit Ellie's alley, originally a (very narrow) driveway, it is now an immense planter. She added brick on top of the surface and made "planters" by creating raised-beds over the pavement. Narrow walkways of dapple shade can get you lost (mentally) in this minuscule magical forest.

There are three very special "secret" cottages tucked in behind other cottages & homes. The only access is by a passage in between other houses that face the street. You cannot see them from the street. One is owned by Bunny. Bunny, and her late husband, Harold, first saw this house when they attended Garden Walk years ago. One of the cottages was for sale. They were so impressed with the cottage, garden & tight-knit community, they bought the middle cottage.

And Kitty's little cottage (that's right, there's a Bunny and a Kitty on this street) is a gorgeous cottage practically color- coordinated to her garden. I rented this cottage for four years when I was first married. It never looked this good when I lived there.

One of the streets in Buffalo that has benefited greatly from the enthusiasm, encouragement, PR and traffic of Garden Walk Buffalo, is unquestionably Sixteenth Street.

To celebrate the fact, and to brighten up the street even more, they have installed these banners of past Garden Walk poster artworks.

Sixteenth Street, as little as ten years ago, was what you might call a "transitional" street -- older housing stock in need of repair; absentee landlords; aging owners that were unable, or lacked the initiative to take care of their front yards; nefarious renters; and shady-goings-on happening at the end of the street and on neighboring blocks. I feel safe in saying this -- I owned a home on Sixteenth Street from 1991-2001.

After having gone on Garden Walk, visiting gardens its first few years, I looked at my garden and said, "Hey, my yard is as good as half of these!" and put our Sixteenth Street house on the Walk. Even though literally thousands of people were visiting the Cottage District's Little Summer Street, just a half block away, our house, the only house on on Sixteenth Street on the Walk, wouldn't even get two dozen visitors. The street had that kind of "reputation."

We made the couple that bought our Sixteenth Street house promise to be on the Garden Walk. They were not previously gardeners (and still claim not to be). But they not only have been on the Walk, they encouraged neighbors to get involved, and helped start a block club. Each year they, along with the block club (and a particularly generous avid gardener on the block) help to "redo" one front yard garden for an elderly neighbor. They've added street side planters, hanging baskets and the banners.

Housing values have gone up. People are working on the houses–interiors and exteriors. People are spending more time on their porches (they used to just drag the living room furniture out to them to watch a Bills game). Everyone knows everyone else and looks out for each other. I was visiting there over the weekend and every one greets each other with a smile and wave. This did not happen ten years ago. There are 11 house on Sixteenth Street on Garden Walk this year!

This is what I'm most proud about as president of Garden Walk Buffalo–helping foster neighborhood pride, increasing home values and increasing a sense of community in neighborhoods that might not otherwise have had something to band together for. And then showing it off to a regional (and now national) audience.

And, by my moving off Sixteenth Street, I think I helped make it a much better street.

Many of these Cottage District gardens have appeared in national gardening publications - Country Gardens, Great Backyards, Backyard Solutions, Garden Gate's Backyard Retreat, People Places Plants, and of course, the Garden Walk Buffalo book.

Friday: Lunch is at the Rue Franklin

2010-04-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

I’ve written about this lovely restaurant and its garden here. Rue Franklin uses seasonal ingredients for its unpretentious, contemporary French-themed dishes. It’s a charming place inside and out.
As the Rue does not ordinarily serve lunch, we’ll have it to ourselves. We’ll keep you posted about what, if any, costs will be associated with this and other meals. Our sponsorships are still coming in.

Friday: Buffalo’s Green West Side

2010-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

After lunch, we’ll tour a few interesting urban farming sites and visit Urban Roots, Buffalo’s co-op garden center. Radiating out from Urban Roots is a vibrant network of community gardens, experimental plantings, even a park designed by architecture students.

You’ll tour the Massachusetts Avenue Project's aquaponics operation (inside a strawbale greenhouse) and view our first mature crop of tilapia. You’ll also talk to some of the young architects who have created a row of totems bordering Urban Roots, and are working on a pocket park that extends from this border.

And right down the street from Urban Roots is one of the most wildly colorful front gardens of Garden Walk. It’s photo op no one can resist.

Friday: The ultimate garden party...

2010-04-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, we have been gradually confirming all of the stops on our itinerary, and it keeps getting better and better. We are pleased to announce that on Friday, after the Sustainable Buffalo tour, we will be stopping in at the spectacular garden of Gordon Ballard and Brian Olinski. This garden is featured in the Garden Walk book as well as in several magazines. Hidden from street view, Gordon's oasis features two ponds, a cantina, several seating areas, and-everywhere-lush plantings of vines, perennials, flowering shrubs, annuals, and tropicals. We'll be here for cocktails and snacks before moving on to our Friday dinner location.

Saturday: Where flowers are tested

2010-04-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Erie Basin Marina test gardens are maintained by horticulturalist Stan Swisher, who grows and maintains test beds of annuals being introduced by various companies, such as Ball, Proven Winners, Goldsmith, and others. Many of these are the AAS winners of tomorrow; some will sink without a trace. We'll be visiting these flower fields and talking to Stan on Saturday morning.

But the real pleasure of the test gardens is their magnificent setting, as you see above. They are surrounded by beautiful views, a pretty boat harbor, and several historic points of interest. This is a favorite spot for family outings, picnics, and summer strolls. They are also just a few minutes away from your hotel.

I’ve had the pleasure of pouring Stan a glass of wine or two at the Garden Walk rally and he’s tried to explain to me how the testing works and why I never seem to see any of these plants in local nurseries the next spring. I’m still not sure I understand, but no matter. It’s fun to check them out.

Saturday: one of Buffalo's many "firsts"

2010-04-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

Though its exterior plantings are less extensive than what we saw in Chicago, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is a unique part of American gardening and landscaping history. It combines a 1905 Lord & Burnham greenhouse, based on England’s Crystal Palace and Kew gardens, and the 1894 South Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of Buffalo’s park system, the first such system Olmsted designed for any city. We’ll see other Olmsted parks during our Friday tours.

We’ll spend an hour or so at the Botanical Gardens; docent tours will be available for those who want them. There may be an admission of charge of $5, depending on the arrangements we make with the Gardens. Bring your reciprocal membership cards for other public gardens, if you have any.

Saturday: Smile for the camera...

2010-03-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

If you need a professional portrait to use on your blog or as part of your bio material, or want to update your current photo, we have a great deal for Buffa10 attendees. Professional photographer kc kratt, one of the best in the region, has agreed to be available to take portraits on Saturday, during our visit to the Botanical Gardens. This location will offer a wide variety of backdrops, both inside and out. Amazingly, the charge for each portrait will be only $30. Please email here if you are interested. You can check out his website at kckratt.com.

Saturday: Kathy & Mike Shadrack's Garden

2010-03-19T03:15:00.000-07:00

Mike Shadrack is a British horticulture speaker, book author & photographer. Kathy Guest Shadrack, is a board member of the Western New York Hosta Society, as well as the former president and current newsletter editor of the Buffalo Area Daylilly Society (BADS News). On Saturday, July 10, we'll be visiting their rural garden in Hamburg, New York.

Kathy & Mike are members of the American Hosta Society -- he is currently Vice-President Publications, Kathy is the Recording Secretary. Mike has also been a member of the British Hosta & Hemerocallis Society for twenty-two years, is former Chairman and currently their executive Bulletin Editor.
Their house is built over a creek (like Falling Water -- not quite that spectacular, but still... it really IS built over a creek), set way back from the road in a clearing the the woods. There are mixed terraced gardens on one side of the house with dry stacked stone walls. Mike has two large hosta gardens, one on the far side of the creek, with medium-to-large hostas in a woodland garden, and a "small hosta garden" in a sunken area with several raised beds and a rockery with small and miniature hostas. There are also extensive containers.

He has been growing hostas since 1986 and has been trying to hybridize almost as long. He and Kathy now garden in Western New York where they maintain a large collection of modern cultivars and a garden devoted to small hostas.

Mike is also a qualified London Tourist Board Guide and organizes garden tours both in England and specialized hosta tours in the US.

Another hobby, photography, has led to a library of about 4,800 slides of hosta varieties and hosta gardens, many of which have been published in UK and USA catalogues and magazines. In addition, Mike supplied the illustrations for the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley handbook Hostas.

He is co-author, with Diana Grenfell, and photographer of the book, The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas. The book was named the "2005 Reference Book of the Year" by the British Garden Writers Guild. The sequel to that book – Pocket Guide to Hostas was released in 2007. In addition, a French hosta book, Les Hostas was published in early 2007 with Mike as photographer and co-author.

Mike and Diana’s latest book, The NEW Encyclopedia of Hostas was published in February, 2010 by Timber Press.

Sunday: Lancaster Avenue

2010-03-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

When Stacey Hirvella, Senior Associate Garden Editor for Martha Stewart Living was in town last year during Garden Walk Buffalo, I had her meet me at my house Saturday morning to give her and her husband a quick tour of some highlight gardens. Since I'm on Lancaster Avenue, and we have seven gardens on my street on the Walk, I figured we'd start by walking up the block. By the time we seen all seven gardens and had gotten in the car to head off towards the other 334 gardens, Stacey said to me, "With just the gardens on your street, it's already the best garden tour I've ever been on." I think I got shivers.

On Sunday, July 11, we'll tour the gardens of Lancaster Avenue, ending up at my house for a lunch. By Sunday, a few bloggers will have left, or will have to leave Sunday morning, or spend the day off on other adventures (we have a local water feature we call Niagara Falls some may want to visit).

Mary's Garden, on Lancaster Avenue, had an eight-page spread in Better Homes & Garden's specialty publication, Garden Ideas & Outside Living.

If you're able to stay through lunch time, the gardens of Lancaster are well worth the visit. Some of these gardens have been featured in national gardening magazines such as Garden Gate; Great Backyards; Easy Weekend Gardening; BH&G's Garden Ideas and Outdoor Living; Great Gardens, Solutions for Small Spaces; People Places Plants and more. But the best part of a garden tour like ours is that you get to meet the gardeners. They're what makes a garden special. And they're what makes this a great street.

Here is some of what you'll see on Lancaster Avenue.

Sunday Map

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View Buffa10 Sunday in a larger map

Saturday Map

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View Buffa10 Saturday in a larger map

Friday Map

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View Buffa10 Friday in a larger map

Thursday Map

2010-03-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

View Buffa10 Thursday in a larger map

Of course Buffa10 tweets

2010-01-06T15:10:00.001-08:00

And has a hash tag. Follow us on Twitter @buffa10 and use #buffa10. The updates will be coming fast and furious as we get closer to July.

Posting posts about Buffa10...

2010-01-06T10:00:00.001-08:00

If you have a post about Garden Bloggers Buffa10, leave us a comment and we'll link it here.
Each Little World - Garden Bloggers Buffalo Fling: Food
Each Little World - Garden Bloggers Buffalo fling: Architecture
VintageGardenGal - Sunset's New "Book of Edibles" is Released
Natural Gardening - Garden Communication (and nature communication)
Mr. McGregor's Daughter - See You at BuffaFling*!
Plants & Stones - To Buffa10 or not to Buffa10?
66 Square Feet - Garden Walk Buffalo
illic est haud equus quoque mortuus barruo - Pat says we can go!
CommonWeeder - Garden Bloggers Convene
Gardening with Confidence - Garden Bloggers Buffa10 - Will I see you there?
Garden Rant - Sustainable and Urban Gardening News - January 2010
Digging - Garden bloggers to meet up in Buffalo
Art of Gardening - Garden Bloggers to take over Buffalo...
Cold Climate Gardening - Buffa10 Garden Bloggers Meet-up
BG_Garden - Twittering all the way to Buffalo

Buffalo Gardening in the press...

2010-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

You won't be here during Garden Walk Buffalo, but we're coordinating visits to some Garden Walk gardens. Here's some of the comments we've gotten on our garden tour, the largest in the country:

"Gardening, like happiness and obesity, is contagious, and urban pioneers on the West Side have inspired neighbors to garden and so attracted new urban pioneers...The movement has been driven in large part by the mind-blowing Buffalo Garden Walk, America's best event of its kind, held the last weekend in July." - TheAtlantic.com

"I want to be surrounded by gardeners with more imagination than I can conjure up. I need motivation-and company. It was not until I experienced the extraordinary Garden Walk held in Buffalo, New York, that I realized that some people live in neighborhoods in which everyone gardens. Plants get traded over the fence, and there are garden parties that last long into the evening, with gardeners drunkenly sharpening their Felcos and stumbling into the perennial border, cocktails in hand, to finish the weekend's work. It sounds dangerous but thrilling." -Amy Stewart, Fine Gardening Magazine

"Wings and waterfalls are not the only think putting Buffalo New York on the map these days. Neighborhood gardens are now drawing green thumbs from around the country. ....the town will blossom with green energy & enthusiasm. The streets will be abuzz with giddy gardeners of all levels, swapping tips and tales..." -Kerry Ann Moore, Fine Gardening
"My weekend in Buffalo was fantastic, I can speak about it only in superlatives. It was one of the most wonderful experiences I've been involved with during my time with the magazine, so forgive me for gushing! Most people wouldn't think of Buffalo as an epicenter of American horticulture, but it looks like gardening may be their official pastime." - S tacey Hirvela, Senior Associate Gardening Editor for Martha Stewart Living (photo right), on Living on 112, The Martha Stewart Living Radio Blog

"The annual Garden Walk filled the city's more gentrified residential neighborhoods with throngs of strollers determined to drop in on as many luxuriant backyards as possible." - Kerry Jacobs, Metropolis

"...congratulations on what I think has to be considered as one of the most outstanding horticultural weekends in all of North America!" - Terry Ettinger, gardening writer, radio & TV host, Syracuse, NY

"I was knocked out by the flowers and all the people on the streets and the general atmosphere... the architecture is something to behold." - Aldona Satterthwaite, past editor-in-chief, Canadian Gardening magazine, Toronto, Ontario, from an interview by Andy Parker, WGRZ

"Urban renewal is coming to this old industrial center on Lake Erie, and with it a rejuvenated green scene, inspired in part by Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest event of its kind in the nation." - Organic Gardening magazine

"Buffalo has become a site of the triumph of imagination over physical reality in two ways that have caught my heart. The first is the inkpool spread of neighborhoods that have gone mad with gardening." - TheAtlantic.com