Buffalo Rising Online

Jul 30th 2007, 8:30am By Why (Not!) Guy

See, that’s the thing about Buffalo. You write one little piece about throwing some petunias into a window box, and the next thing you know Newell promotes you to “Garden Correspondent” and you’re representing Buffalo Rising Online at the Garden Walk’s media party. Well, that’s ok. I may not know a whole lot about gardening, but I know how to hit a party and this one was a beauty. The setting was the lovely Elmwood Village home of Garden Walk committee member Jim Charlier. In attendance were gardening aficionados from Western New York and all over the country in town to see our Garden Walk. Of course, I was eager to hear their impressions of Buffalo, but more on that later…

I decided to practice my interviewing skills on the locals first. Pen and pad in hand, I approached a few of the people involved in the Walk. Turns out I only needed one sheet of paper, because committee members and gardeners alike had pretty much the same things to say about the Walk and its impact on Buffalo. Everyone, without exception, mentioned how important the Walk is in changing perceptions about the quality of life in Buffalo among suburban residents and visitors from out of town. Gordon pointed out that Garden Walk is unique among Buffalo’s big events because visitors are able to really interact with the neighborhood… after all, walking through someone’s backyard is a much more intimate experience then simply strolling down Delaware Avenue looking at art or tasting food. Gordon said, "This is why the Garden Walk makes a deeper impression on visitors." Another point mentioned by nearly every gardener was that while the Walk certainly creates an atmosphere of friendly rivalry, it’s not a competition. It’s a chance for people to share and take pride in their homes. Carol and Tom told me people don’t always understand that, and often ask, “did you win?” Still, it’s obvious that these gardeners take pride in being part of the Walk and the positive reactions from visitors. How could they not? Bob told me he enjoys watching the look on visitors’ faces as they round a corner and see his pond for the first time – their eyes light up and they just stare. As one of his visitors remarked, “there are always surprises in a garden.” Sally said the Walk gives her that extra bit of motivation to make sure everything looks its best. She’s worked in tourism and marketing, and says sometimes Buffalo can be a tough sell to outsiders, but as the Walk begins to get national attention it’s catching people by surprise and the effect is contagious. Dan and Lucinda love being ambassadors for Buffalo, and showing visitors how friendly the city is. Lucinda remembers a visitor to her garden who recognized the address and realized her grandmother had grown up in that very house. Lucinda gave her a tour of the inside of the house, and a connection was made.

I’ll be honest. At first, hearing these same comments repeated over and over by everyone I spoke to gave me a vaguely Stepford Wives vibe, but I quickly realized it’s just affirmation of what we already knew – the Garden Walk is not only transforming Buffalo but our image as well, one garden and one visitor at a time.

I learned that not all the gardens on the Walk are home gardens. Stan is the gardener for the Erie Basin Marina, and he said their garden got 500-600 visitors on Saturday alone. Stan is clearly proud of his garden and enjoyed the chance to show it off. Abi’s “office” is the Japanese Garden behind the Historical Society. I don’t know when you were at the Japanese Garden last, but it’s looking pretty sweet these days, and in fact Abi said it’s starting to rival the Albright-Knox as the popular spot for wedding photos. He loves the fact that he can see all sorts of wildlife there, and in true urban fashion he can watch a man propose on bended knee one minute and someone carelessly dropping a cigarette butt on manicured path the next. It’s something new every day. Chris from AIDS Community Services transformed a small, awkwardly shaped backyard into a showplace garden complete with meandering stone path and Koi pond, an oasis of tranquility downtown.

By this time the steady stream of glowing accolades was getting to be a bore, so I decided to stir up some trouble and see if I could get the gardeners to do some trash talking. I asked, “what changes would you like to see in the Garden Walk’s future, other than the event simply growing?” Bob said it’s difficult for streets where there are only one or two gardens to get the same traffic as more involved streets. He wants people to realize the Walk isn’t a competition, and that you don’t have to have an elaborate, exotic garden to participate. There’s room in Garden Walk for all kinds of gardens, big and small. Eleanor bemoaned the fact that she’s unable to see the other gardens in the Walk, and Lucinda echoed this frustration. She suggested maybe breaking the Walk into a series of smaller walks each focusing on a particular neighborhood. Gordon said he’d like to see the Walk’s popularity continue to the point where it’s a nationally known tourist destination for people who are interested in gardening. In true gardening spirit, Carol and Tom are content to let the Walk grow organically as more people get involved and contribute their points of view. Tom said one of his favorite sayings is “to be a gardener is to believe in tomorrow.”

Marty is someone who believes in tomorrow, and in Buffalo. She’s the publisher of the Garden Walk book/DVD, which has been a smash hit. The first printing was supposed to last for 18 months but sold out in just 8. Marty said the book sells Buffalo and she’s absolutely right – it’s a beautiful book and it shows Buffalo at its best.

Susan, Amy and Sara traveled to Buffalo for Garden Walk from, respectively, Washington, D.C., Eureka, California and Sarasota Springs, Florida. The three women, along with Buffalo’s own Elizabeth Licata, run www.gardenrant.com, and this weekend not only marked their first visit to Buffalo but the first time all four have been in the same place at the same time. Newell has trained me well, so introductions were barely out of the way before I asked: what do you think of Buffalo? Positive reactions all around, of course! Susan marveled at our architecture, particularly the housing stock. Sarah and Amy were both amazed at the sophistication Buffalo gardens show. Amy said she noticed Buffalo has a definite artistic bent, and she enjoyed seeing pieces of art integrated into so many of the gardens. Susan said Buffalo’s gardens were the most democratic she’s seen: it wasn’t just people who can afford it hiring a garden crew and paying for expensive, showy plants. Let’s see… sophisticated but not showy about it, artistic and down to earth. “Yep,” I told them, “that’s Buffalo.” And that was before I met the woman with the fountain made out of bowling balls.

Doris and Roy came in from Binghamton, and they love the trip. They were impressed with how lovely Buffalo’s neighborhood gardens are, and they look forward to a return visit. Karen, Janette and Red are from Binghamton as well, and they were inspired by all they saw at this year’s Walk, their second. Last year they toured the cottage section, and this year they spent most of their time on North Pearl. They enjoyed seeing the variety of architectural and garden styles coexisting just blocks from each other. Janette then showed me the Binghamton newspaper, which featured our Garden Walk on the front page of its lifestyle section! Terry, wife Beth and friend Marie live in Syracuse. Terry is a horticulturalist, and after featuring Buffalo’s Garden Walk on his weekly radio show he decided to check it out in person. He was definitely impressed, saying it was amazing to consider they viewed nearly thirty gardens during the course of the day, and that was barely 10% of the total. They hadn’t even scratched the surface.