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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Buffalo, NY: Known For So Much More Than Snow

Even though it was as hot (and yes, even as humid) as Florida upon arrival, after one refreshing day of rain, New York has cooled down to its average summer temps and become exactly what I was hoping for in the midst of summer. A respite from the heat. And with cool breezes in the shade it is just delightful to be tromping around outdoors.

Perfect for sensory overload.

Each day has been scheduled with group activities including visits to:

The Cottage District


The Delaware Park Japanese Garden


Erie Basin Marina Test Gardens


Urban Roots Community Garden Center


The Buffalo Botanical Gardens


Front Yard Garden Competition


Lockwood's Greenhouses

Niagara Falls

Wonderful Restaurants and Food

The Shadrack's hosta garden


What's left on the agenda?

... the Lancaster Avenue gardens and a visit to Jim Charlier's garden for lunch Sunday.

The one recurring phrase I've heard all weekend from the host gardeners and businesses at each turn is that they'd like everyone to know Buffalo has much more to offer than snow in winter! This is certainly something I can attest to after this visit.

Among other things it is home to the nation's largest Garden Tour in Garden Walk Buffalo which features more than 350 gardens to visit each summer where 50,000 folks will walk through 17 area garden tours.

The architectural structures throughout the city have kept me in awe. The majority of historic buildings and homes built in the early 1800's are fascinatingly intrinsic to the appeal of the city.

Add a gorgeous garden to them and this blogger is so glad to have made the trip north for the festivities of the Bloggers Meet-Up Buffa10. Which, by the way, has gathered together over 70 garden writers and bloggers from 23 states and Canada.

While every destination has been wonderful, no question, my favorite outing (so far) was Saturday when the loaded tour buses drove us all out of the city proper to the gardens of Mike and Kathy Shadrack, hosta and daylily specialist.

Their beautiful gardens and home were simply breathtaking in the natural setting of shady trees with a broad open deck overlooking a creek that ran under their house.

More to come on all of the destinations we had the privilege to explore this weekend.

27 comments:

  1. Wow, Meems! Those photos are gorgeous and what a trip!

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  2. Oh my! This looks like a very fun trip, and it's so nice to see hostas. One thing I miss dearly since moving to Florida. I had only found that there was such a wide world of hostas about 7 years ago and fell in love with each and every one.

    My favorite pictures you have posted are the cottage garden and the garden entry that looks very lush and overgrown with a narrow walkway.

    Enjoy the cooler weather; it's hot again here!

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  3. Oh my Goodness! Your first pic is my dream garden...absolutely gorgeous. Of course, I would take any one of those old homes as well! :)

    Enjoy!

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  4. Meems, thank you for posting this!Looks fabulous! Have a great time there!

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  5. Wow, what a wonderful trip you are having. My favorite pictures are the cottage garden and that wonderful brick archway with gate.

    FlowerLady

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  6. Thanks for the updates, on this fun trip.

    What wonderful gardens. It is an eye opener....seeing this place, not as snowy, but as a blooming place.

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  7. Meems,

    Glad to hear you're having a great time! Those garden photos are fabulous.

    Thanks for giving us an update!

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  8. Wow, Meems that is going to be quite a full plate of gardening. I only wish I was there. Looking forward to your pictures of everything.

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  9. Super post Meems. I am so thrilled to meet you. These last few days have been mega fantastic!

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  10. Looks like you're having a blast, Meems. And, it's no wonder with all the beautiful flowers and greenery. Can't wait to hear more.

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  11. How cool that you got to go this year Meems! I'm sure you all had a wonderful time!

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  12. Meems, thanks for sharing all this beauty with us. I like looking through your eyes. I hope you share many more images from this trip with us. Someday I want to go there too.

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  13. What a beautiful place. It seems all that snow gives people in Buffalo time to consider their gardens and come up with great ideas.

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  14. Wasn't it splendid! Getting to finally meet you and talk was delightful and looking at your photos takes me right back there, xxgail

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  15. Oooh, I wish I could have gone! I'm reading your post and others about it. Perhaps 2011 should be in Florida!

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  16. thanks so much for sharing your 'nawthern' garden pics ;-) i am so proud of you for taking this trip to spread your wings a little! can't wait to see more, but most especially to see you soon!

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  17. When I saw the last pic of the day lillies..I was truly in awe...enjoy the rest of your garden trip!

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  18. Meems,
    We're even more glad you could make it. Spread the word - Buffalo is beautiful. It was a pleasure meeting you. Hope it won't be the last -- you'll be vacationing in Buffalo now, right?

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  19. Having grown up there(in Niagara Falls) your photos are like a trip home.Thanks for reviving my memories,Meems.I have always believed that my mother's roses had a much stronger scent than our's,in Florida.And my dad's tomatoes and zuchini were much tastier.I really believe it is the difference in the soil and the weather.But the hot humid summers of WNY I do not miss.
    Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

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  20. What a fabulous trip! Thank-you for sharing with us.

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  21. The Shadrack's garden was the coffee to complement the sweet dessert of the urban gardens. (Yes, I'm still trying to recover from my food coma.) It was great to finally meet you! I had just too much fun.

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  22. You have summed it up so well, Meems. It was the highest of pleasures to meet you and Marmee. Buffalo was the perfect host city and Jim and Elizabeth made sure we would be smiling the entire trip. :-)
    Frances

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  23. It is fascinating to me to see the images that are used over and over. My neighbors' side arch and door (they did not open their garden) and a seating area on 16th Street seemed to have captured many imaginations. Thanks for making Bflo look so fantastic!

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  24. Thank you ALL for your visit and your kind comments. Buffalo's gardens were marvelous. The city was friendly and the history fascinating.

    There's so much more to share as time permits. I've hundreds of images to sort through and three days of grandchildren to relish for the time being. We are off to swimming lessons now...

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  25. I've only scanned all your great posts - wow - you've been busy. Hey - I am NOT coming to visit (sadly) I left your phone # in Austin. I am going to email you with more info about what's going on, but sad I'll miss it. It was so great to meet you in Buffalo.

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  26. So very wonderful to meet up with you again, my Florida friend! You've captured the trip so well here and in your other post, too. I think I could have spent 2 weeks just photographing all the beauty there, couldn't you? It's fun to see everyone's photos and the different angles we saw things from.

    I really enjoyed our trip to Niagara Falls together. I can't believe we didn't get a photo of the four of us! I don't think we got a photo of you and me together either. :-(((

    Oh well...the best part was getting to see you again and spending time with you.

    *hugs and love*

    P.S. Thanks for the Caladiums! I've tucked them into a pot, so we'll see how they like this hot weather! I think maybe they'll LOVE it! :-) My other ones grew like gangbusters while we were gone!

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


September 2010

Back Garden: October 2010

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