Ready for the largest garden tour in the country...

Expecting about 45,000 to come this weekend to visit the 340 gardens of Garden Walk Buffalo. If you're not doing anything, please stop by. Had about 2,000 people visit just my garden last year. This year, because a TV station did a live remote this past Sunday, I was cleaned up early and am ready to show. The earliest ever. Usually, I'm out deadheading, staking and cleaning up right up until 10:00 a.m., when the gardeners start coming.

This year I won't be spending as much time in my own garden, I'll be hosting a Senior Associate Garden Editor from Martha Stewart Living, and her husband, and getting them started on seeing some key gardens. There are some that are sort of out-of-the-way (not that within three square miles any are far away!). They're just not surrounded by dozens of other gardens. I also have a handful of gardens that are not on the Walk I have permission to take them to. The Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) invited her to experience & enjoy the Walk. I'm looking forward to getting out and seeing some gardens.

The CVB will be busy taking around a freelance travel writer, that writes for magazines such as Travel & Leisure. Also, a representative of Fine Gardening will be here. And rumor has it that Allan Armitage will be wandering around. Elizabeth of Garden Rant/Gardening While Intoxicated will be hosting a small gathering for them and other area garden media professionals.

But back to me, I'm ready. It's just got to stop raining. Here's where things stand this year:


The front yard is full...


The lavender is lovely...


The paths are perfect...


The bricks will never be weeded enough though...


The plastic grocery bag finally blew off the lightning rod.


The deck is darling. The tile counter in the new outdoor kitchen (seen in background, right) will most likely get grouted Saturday morning!


Even the potting bench is cleaned up...


The potager is perfect. Except that Garden Walk Buffalo also coincides with Japanese beetle week. That rose standard in the middle is like some fast food/den of iniquity for them.


The checkerboard is, well, it is what it is. Each of the different grasses is fighting for dominance, where they're growing.


The Harry Potter Garden is ready for its big release...


Even some of the nonfiction plants are labeled.


New climbers are climbing (wisteria)...


(porcelain vine)


(clematis)


The patio is perfect...


The pear tree espalier has seen better days, and will in the future...


The baskets of million bells look like a million bucks...


The grasses are groovy. I find if I put the bench here for people to rest, they can't get so close to see that I never cleaned out this grass bed fully this spring. The black cane bamboo keeps people looking up anyway.


Even the boring corner is looking okay. The grass looks like it could use a good combing though. The blackberry vines on the left may need some propping up.

I guess there's still a bit to do. But I figure if it doesn't get done, there's so much going on in this tiny backyard that no one will notice what I don't get to.