Friday, May 9, 2014

Garden Walk Buffalo on track for start in late July

As winter tries its hardest to linger in Western New York, preparations for the 20th annual Garden Walk move on without a hitch.  
This year’s Garden Walk, which runs from July 26-27, is expected to have more than 380 gardens throughout the tour of the West Side.
             Cindy Loomis, president of Garden Walk Buffalo Inc. and an avid gardener herself, noted that the gardeners who participate in what has become the largest garden-touring event across the country know how to prepare even when the weather doesn’t comply.
“In Buffalo, you just have to deal with it,” said Loomis.
She said gardeners should wait until the last frost has passed in order to plant their annual flowers.
“Some people don’t, but to be on the safe side, you don’t plant any of the annuals until after Memorial Day,” she added.
             Although this year’s walk is still three months away, Garden Walk Buffalo Inc. has gotten the city in a gardening state of mind by hosting a number of workshops throughout the winter and spring dedicated to teaching local gardeners better ways to plant.
The nonprofit also released a 60-page commemorative magazine during the first week of April that features both the large and small gardens of Buffalo, some of which will be in the walk. The magazine can be purchased online at the official Garden Walk store, at garden centers or in bookshops across Western New York. By Jeff Pawlak and Brittney Singletary