BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY BOTANICAL GARDENS BEGINS HISTORIC EXPANSION
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens has launched a transformative $31 million expansion and renovation designed to elevate educational offerings, community programs, and visitor experiences for generations to come.
Construction began in June and is expected to conclude in early 2027. The project includes more than 14,000 square feet of renovated space, 16,000 square feet of new construction, and more than 90,000 square feet of expanded outdoor gardens—marking a significant evolution of this historic Western New York destination.
Governor Kathy Hochul emphasizes the importance of the upgrades, calling the gardens a peaceful retreat and educational hub, even in Buffalo’s harsh winters. “Improvements to this historic tourist destination create a space for events, kids’ camps, and educational classes to grow—ensuring a bright future for one of Buffalo’s most treasured attractions,” Hochul says.
New features include a welcome center, the Garden Market Café, an expanded gift shop, Learning Lab classrooms, a year-round event venue called the Canopy, a solarium greenhouse, outdoor terrace, revitalized horticulture center, and a central courtyard for artwork and plant displays. Sustainability upgrades include solar panels, stormwater systems, and energy-efficient design. Accessibility improvements include a relocated entrance with drop-off area, all-gender and family restrooms, a parent room, visitor lockers, and improved pathways.
The expansion supports the mission to connect people and plants through immersive experiences. It will enable expanded programming such as school field trips, summer camps, adult learning, art exhibitions, and community events.
The Growing Beyond the Glass capital campaign reflects the institution’s goal of serving the community beyond the historic conservatory. President and CEO Erin Grajek says, “This is more than just construction—it’s a commitment to providing extraordinary experiences for generations to come.”
New York State is contributing $12 million in capital grants, including $10 million from the Regional Economic and Community Assistance Program. Additional funding comes from Erie County, federal sources, corporations, foundations, and private donors. With 94% of funds secured, the campaign is working to raise the remaining $2 million.
The conservatory remains open during construction, and free parking is available. Visit buffalogardens.com for more information or to contribute.
A GARDEN GROWS ON PARK AVENUE
In the median outside the Park–Berkeley Plaza in Rochester, colorful annuals, perennials, and ornamental plants now blossom in a once-plain patch of land—transformed into a quietly striking garden by a small group of residents seeking to beautify their surroundings. SunPatiens, canna lillies, dahlias, hosta, marigolds, sunflowers, roses of Sharon, hydrangeas, tulips, daffodils, and irises share space with boxwood hedges and city-planted trees, creating a vibrant seasonal display.
Another blooming plot can be found outside the administrative building next to Asbury First United Methodist Church on East Avenue. This garden is managed primarily by church members and reflects the same informal mission: improving one small space at a time.
“It’s really a group effort,” says one gardener (who wishes to remain anonymous) involved in both spots. “People offer what they can—canna lilies, dahlia bulbs, or just help with maintenance—and somehow it all comes together.”
This isn’t a city program or nonprofit initiative. Just neighbors, business owners, friends, and families pitching in to make their neighborhood feel more cared for.“We didn’t set out to start a movement,” the gardener adds.
“We just wanted to revive the space in front of us—and maybe inspire someone else to do the same. A healthy neighborhood needs evidence of life. Gardens provide that. They signal hope and a willingness to nurture something.”
The next project lies just up the street, near the Bank of America and CVS. With a little teamwork and a lot of heart, it’s sure to bring another touch of beauty to Park Avenue.
SOIL BY CAMILLE T. DUNGY
Award-winning poet, essayist, and memoirist Camille T. Dungy will visit Rochester this October as part of Writers & Books’ Rochester Reads 2025 series. Dungy is the author of Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden, a critically acclaimed memoir weaving gardening, environmental justice, race, and motherhood.
The keynote and book signing will take place Thursday, October 9, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue, Rochester. The evening will explore Dungy’s journey to transform her suburban Colorado yard into a biodiverse, ecologically rich landscape, while confronting the cultural and systemic barriers that shape who is seen as a gardener and what is valued as a garden.
Tickets are available on a gift economy basis (free to $50). An intimate pre-event reception with the author runs from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., with tickets priced $90 to $150.
Soil has been praised for its lyrical prose and powerful cultural critique, with award-winning poet and essayist Ross Gay calling it “a brilliant and beautiful memoir of Dungy’s deepening relationship with the earth as she considers questions of family, history, race, nation, and power.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Camille T. Dungy to Rochester,” Writers & Books executive director Alison Meyers says. “Her work opens crucial conversations about who is included in environmental narratives and how gardening can create justice as well as beauty.”
For tickets or details, visitwab.org.
Elise Williams is a Rochester-based writer who always takes time to stop and smell the roses—and, of course, the lilacs.
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of Upstate Gardeners’ Journal.
Views: 8
