Garden Walk Buffalo Beautification Grant Application deadline approaching

Image: Sixteenth Street Block Club Garden Walk Banners

Submitted by Garden Walk Buffalo

Garden Walk Beautification Grants have helped to fund 52 garden beautification projects for a total of more than $20,000 in last six years. Deadline is December 30, 2009. Applications can be found at www.GardenWalkBuffalo.com.

Award amounts are based on the overall project cost and the eligible projects were required to include matching funds from government, private contributions or volunteer sweat equity. These award projects will be highlighted during this year's Garden Walk.

"Garden Walk Buffalo is very pleased to once again partner with block club and neighborhood groups who are working on various community garden and beautification projects that help to provide a catalyst for redevelopment in our neighborhoods," said Beautification Grant committee chair, and GWB treasurer, Jeffrey Tooke.  "Projects like these, performed by regular residents in the neighborhoods, are contributing to the rebirth of our urban neighborhoods in the City of Buffalo."

Current and past GW Beautification Grant recipients can be found here.

Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest garden tour in the U.S., is held the last weekend of July each year. In 2010, the free event will be Saturday and Sunday, July 24 & 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 340 residences and businesses throughout the west side of Buffalo open their creative urban gardens for tens of thousands of visitors from around the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.GardenWalkBuffalo.com.

High-resolution, print-worthy, professional photography of Garden Walk Buffalo is always available in the Garden Walk Press Kit, found here.

Submitted by Garden Walk Buffalo

2010 Philly Show

RATS! I can never go to this, because I'm sooooo busy at this time of year my husband becomes a single parent. If I could go, however, I would go with the charming and knowledgeable Michael Warren Thomas. Details below.

Submitted by Michael Warren Thomas

The 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show Tours

Passport to the World is the theme for the 2010 show,

also visit Longwood Gardens & the Brandywine River Museum

March 3-4 (Wed.-Thurs.) or March 6-7 (Sat.-Sun.)

The Philadelphia Flower theme for 2010 is Passport to the World. For more details, please visit www.TheFlowerShow.com. The Show will transport visitors to dozens of destinations covering the globe. Among the most impressive will be India, which will come to life amid a shower of flowers in an Indian wedding scene. The Netherlands will be portrayed in a floating flower market filled with over 100,000 blooms. The natural wonders of South Africa will be depicted by the vivid colors and patterns of Zulu costumes. The Amazon jungle of Brazil will unfold in a canopy of sparkling waterfalls, tropical flora and exotic wildlife. Singapore, the “Pearl of Asia,” will have a tribute to the orchid, and New Zealand will feature the wild flora and traditions of the native Maori.

In addition to Longwood Gardens, we will also visit the Brandywine River Museum which highlights the artwork of N.C. Wyeth and his family. The museum is along the banks of the river and beautifully displays the famous original paintings from books like Treasure Island. We last visited this museum on the 2007 tour.

Please pass this info on to your garden club, as well as friends and neighbors that enjoy gardening. Send your deposit as soon as possible to reserve your place. In sixteen years of leading this tour, no one has ever lost a deposit because they had to cancel their reservation – even the night before. Bring family and friends for a two days of flowers. We have even had three generations attend together!

First Day – Philadelpia Flower Show

7:30 Depart Bristol’s Garden Center in Victor, bagels & cream cheese in their greenhouse

11:30 Lunch included near Scranton, PA at The Inn at Nichols Village

3:00 Arrive Philadelphia Flower Show

9:00 Leave show for Hampton Inn in Wilmington, Delaware, 9:45 arrival at hotel.

Second Day – Longwood & Brandywine River Museum

8:10 Leave for Longwood Gardens (continental breakfast at hotel)

9:00 Arrive Longwood Gardens (lunch included – the mushroom soup & cornbread are fabulous)

12:30 Leave for the Brandywine River Museum

2:30 Leave the Brandywine River Museum for dinner in Scranton.

5:30 Arrive at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel for an elegant closing dinner

11:00 Return to Bristol’s Garden Center

The 2010 price is $395 per person (double) includes everything except dinner at the Flower Show. Add $55 for a single. A deposit of $50 per person will hold your place, remainder due by January 10, 2010. Call Michael at 585-328-8300 if you have any questions. Please send a check payable to Michael Warren Thomas, 19 Trafalgar Street, Rochester, NY 14619.

Michael Warren Thomas, Host & Producer

“Naturally Green,” “For the Love of Food,”

“Discover the Finger Lakes,” “Savour Toronto” & “The Grapevine”

19 Trafalgar Street, Rochester, NY 14619 (585) 328-8300 www.SavourLife.com

Submitted by Michael Warren Thomas

Mourning the loss of a dedicated environmentalist

Christine Sevilla was incredibly intelligent, passionate, and talented. The community has lost something really special.


Here is a cover she did for us in '06. I loved her scanner art, and could never quite duplicate the technique.

Here is a blog post I wrote about her calendars a few years ago. This year she had gone back to the original theme, and the new work is beautiful. I'm trying to figure if there is some way the existing stock (I'm sure she had a few) could be sold, still, to benefit her favorite environmental charity. Happy to hear thoughts on this.

For more on Christine's work, visit luminguild.us.