As the weather gets warmer, the surrounding neighborhoods of UB South Campus will shed their college town personas and feature blossoming gardens.
On July 12, members of the UB community and the residents of Amherst, Eggertsville and parts of the University Council District will host the 13th annual Samuel P. Capen Garden Walk. The event showcases various private and community gardens that are taken care by resident gardeners.
The Samuel P. Capen Garden Walk began in 2002 with 22 gardens as a project to beautify the surrounding neighborhoods of UB South Campus. Within its 13 years, the number of gardens showcased has grown and the Samuel P. Capen Garden Walk committee expects there to be more than 70 gardens and centers this year.
The walk was named after Samuel P. Capen, who served as UB’s first full-time salaried chancellor from 1922 to 1950. During his time as university chancellor, Capen strove to develop the areas around South Campus.
Linwood Roberts, director of community relations at UB, says this event celebrates Capen’s dedication and leadership in developing the original UB campus, now known as the South Campus.
UB and the committee’s collaboration over the past 13 years has allowed Buffalo students to be more involved in the community. With events like UB Community Day and UB Gettin’ Dirty, students volunteer to clean and restore the image of South Campus throughout the academic year.
“Many times our students are given a bad rap and press,” Roberts said. “But many of our students are very active [and] engaged in a positive manner in the neighborhoods. We would like to further encourage that.”
The University District, commonly known as University Heights, has been a source of disdain among residents and members of the UB community alike. And while there are some who believe the Garden Walk is a positive gesture, there are members of the UB community who think the Garden Walk is concealing problems within University Heights.
University District Housing Court Liaison Fred Brace has been a resident of University Heights for nearly 30 years. To him, events like the Garden Walk or community farmers market are nice gestures, but nothing more.
“It’s just one day,” Brace said. “To me, it’s not a bad thing, but it’s not an answer.”
Brace believes the Garden Walk cannot fix the root of the problems that plague the Heights.
With a plethora of crimes, housing code violations and uncontrolled partying, University Heights has been deemed as a “student ghetto,” according to Henry Taylor, a professor of urban studies. Students’ behavior creates a tense relationship with University Heights residents.
“The university contributes to this because they have not worked closely with the city and others to develop the neighborhood,” Taylor said. “Students party; they make noise and roam the streets on the weekend. I think most residents would accept this if the student rental property was kept to a high standard or if students could be seen involved in different projects to make the community better.”
Brace and Taylor both said students' lack of respect for the community and residents' properties are the Heights' major problems alongside housing code violations.
Taylor says events like the Garden Walk are used to create a stable image of the neighborhood and its residents, especially for attendees who are not from University Heights.
Last year, the university donated lawn signs to the event. UB is donating two shuttle buses this year for attendees to use during the walk. Students can participate in the event by handing out maps to attendees or assisting with lawn signage.
“This event, as well as other outreach [and] volunteer opportunities, allows students to meet with long-term residents by working alongside them and learning the history of the neighbors and neighborhoods,” Roberts said.
One of the largest contributions is the planting of street medians, especially on Minnesota Avenue, where students often plant trees and clean public spaces, according to Linda Young, a community representative and member of the event’s planning committee.
The garden walk is a part of Buffalo in Bloom, a citywide program geared toward showing the landscape of South Campus neighborhoods. Beautifying the area serves as a way to unify the residents of the community, the City of Buffalo and the UB community.
“It is more than an aesthetically pleasing event,” Roberts said. “It shows pride within the neighborhood amongst residents and students that reside there.”
The gardens exhibit an array of flowers and plants – some gardeners even grow fruits, vegetables and herbs.
“One house on our walk has almost an entire garden devoted to herbs and it is lovely,” Young said. There are also sculptures and structures along the walk to enrich the sights of the gardens, Young said.
During the spring months, resident gardeners participate in a plant and seed exchange. While gardeners are preparing their gardens, the extra seeds and plants are collected and brought to the University Community Farmers Market. The gardeners trade their plants and seeds with each other and the leftovers are donated to community gardens. Last year, the extra seeds were donated to the Tyler Street Community Garden.
The walk is also a part of the National Gardens Festival, which hosts numerous garden walks in Buffalo for residents and tourists. Young said gardening is a great way to unify the community and allow residents to help each other with their gardens.
“Appreciation and respect for these beautiful spaces boosts everyone's spirit,” Young said.
Gardeners who want to showcase their gardens can do so by filling out the gardener’s entry form, which can be found online. Maps showing the locations of the gardens will be available at UB Anderson Gallery the day of the walk. The event will take place July 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is free to the public.
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