Thursday, July 22, 2010

Speeding Through Buffalo

Saturday took us to the Erie Basin Marina trial gardens where new plants are tested for performance before being mass marketed.



We were asked to vote for one favorite from each growers bed and happily complied. The head gardener was surprised I heard by the garden bloggers enthusiasm for such a task. He may have been expecting a group of jaded garden writers, not a crowd of real plant nerds.



Then it was off to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens which is also a national historic site. This little glass house in yet another Olmsted designed park may have something to due with the gardens historic status.











Group photo. That is most of us.



Next we headed to Lockwood Greenhouses. I took the greenhouse growing tour, not the nursery tour to avoid the temptation to purchase. A quick walk through the nursery was more than enough to let me know if I lived nearby I would be in here all the time.



Growing the mums for the fall and staggered plantings of sweet corn used to lure in the customers.



Our tour guide and owner Harry Lockwood.



After Lockwoods we headed to the Shadrack's garden in the country that has already been reported on. Sunday morning took us to Lancaster Avenue which you have also seen.



But did you see this?



Leaving our co-host Jim Charlier's garden, we strolled back to the hotel down Elmwood, taking in the sights of Buffalo.









And that wraps up the Garden Bloggers Buffa10.

8 comments:

Siria said...

Hi Christopher! That was a whirlwind tour, but I'm not sure you missed much! And it looks like a great time was had by all. That group picture looks like there were many more participants this year than last year in Chicago.

Christopher C. NC said...

Siria I think there were about 20 more bloggers attending this year. Next year it is in Seattle. That should draw more California bloggers. I'll think about that next year.

Pam/Digging said...

Where did you get the group picture, Christopher? Or did you take that one? I haven't seen any pics from the official Buffa10 photographer yet. Have you?

Anonymous said...

Love those houses; did they yield any more paint ideas?

bev

Lisa at Greenbow said...

What a fun trip. I should have gone. Of course I knew I would feel that way when I read all about the tour.

Christopher C. NC said...

Pam I snuck out of line and took that group picture. There is now a link at the Buffa10 site for Cheryl's, the official photographers Flickr pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/floralucia/

Bev the main paint color idea gotten in Buffalo was let go of the fear of bold.

I missed you Lisa. You are close enough to go to Garden Walk this weekend. Maybe?

Dee @ Red Dirt Ramblings said...

Wasn't that glass house something? You got a photo of me squatting to take a picture in the test gardens. :) I thought they laid them out really nicely, and it's difficult to have a design and a bunch of test flowers.~~Dee

Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog said...

Nice wrap up Christopher. There was so much to blog about. I still want to blog about the containers there. Maybe someday soon.