On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA September - October 2017 | Page 3

— Buffalo, continued from page 1
Gardens as a Common
Denominator
A study commissioned by
VisitBuffaloNiagara a few years
ago stated: No matter the
primary reason to visit a tourism
destination (art, music, architecture,
history, sports), the greatest
number of would-be travelers
answered that they would also
like to visit gardens when
they travel!
A visit to the Shadrack’s hosta garden was a highlight of the private garden tours #GWA2017.
Niagara, plant societies, Master Gardeners, the
Buffalo Marina demo garden and our Olmsted/
Wright institutional links. PlantWNY, the nurs-
ery-landscape association, and Plantasia, the
landscape show, helped with funds for a recep-
tion and logistics, such as moving plants, even
though our tour gardens are private gardens
and not landscape customers.
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gar-
den opened its doors for an evening reception
(including the renewal of wedding vows for a
couple attending the conference), while Olm-
sted Parks and Japanese Garden, Frank Lloyd
Wright’s Darwin Martin House, and the His-
158295324 GWA 2018 Chicago postcard_final.indd 2
torical Society waived their fees and provided
docents to guide the guests. This openness and
lack of institutional competitiveness meant that
any time this I asked for help, capable people
said, “Sure!”
Is this something special about Buffalo,
about gardening—or both? Indeed the Buffalo
region is often described as having unusually
friendly people and a strong culture of hospital-
ity, especially demonstrated every end-of-July
weekend, when 400 gardens open their private
back yards to thousands of strangers.
But we’re not the only friendly place. Maybe
what is special is our subject matter or medium:
Gardening. Maybe garden industry people,
gardeners and plant-related organizations are
warmer and less competitive because they
work with all things green. The result may be
that garden tourism is different from other
kinds of tourism, fostering openness, a spirit of
collaboration, less competitiveness, and more
smiles? At least it worked in the organization
of a GWA conference in Buffalo, and we hope
it proves true for all who welcome garden
tourism.
Sally Cunningham has headed up the local
organizing committee for #GWA 2017 in Buffalo.
SAVE THE DATE!
GWA Annual Conference & Expo at IGC Show ’18
Chicago, IL | August 13-16
7/25/2017 12:06:35 PM
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