'Who's mad at flowers?': Take a garden walk on the East Side

Verona L. Moody, center right, opens her arms wide to hug Sue Russell, a visitor to Moody’s garden during the East Side Garden Walk in Buffalo, July 19, 2025. “Gardening turns visitors into family,” said Moody. “For me it is just so personal. This is like a love letter to my community. (…) Garden is so unifying. There’s a commonality with everyone who loves gardening.”

Buffalo’s East Side Garden Walk kicked off on Saturday with something special at every location − all 150 of them. Visitors found sculptures that appeared to bloom colorful flowers, artists working with the inspiration of a community garden and a jungle of native plants.

Verona Moody, a gardener for more than 50 years, adds a new feature to the front-lawn displays of her Emslie Street home every year. This time, she went with artistic statues, some of which have flowers emerging from them. She said it’s her gift to the community and invites Buffalo residents to take in a few minutes of serenity at her property.

Moody feels particularly drawn to the gardening community because it’s a hobby that transcends ethnicity, age, status and ability. Moreover, those who lie at opposite ends of the political spectrum can connect with one another despite the divided state of the country.

“Regardless of what you feel politically, who’s mad at flowers?” Moody said.

She takes community building one step further by having a sign-in sheet where guests who include their name and address will receive holiday cards and updates on the garden during the year.

After seeing Moody’s garden for the first time three years ago and receiving mail from Moody, Barb Kourkounis of Orchard Park felt inspired to answer and wrote back, which led to a back-and-forth communication as pen pals. Now, the two women are friends who keep in touch year-round.

“I love her garden, but I love her even more,” Kourkounis said.

Moody advises new gardeners to take time figuring out the proper conditions for each plant, as needs can vary and even oppose each other.

At Jami Masjid on Genesee Street, part of the Muslim Society of Buffalo, a garden wraps around the mosque. Adorned by chainsaw sculptures by local artist Rick Pratt and the words of poet Rumi, the open property offers a serene space for those seeking unity.

Volunteer Sherry Corcoran said improving the property has been a consistent project since 2004. The growth over the years is representative of how far the community has come in terms of creating new resources and programming. This year, Buffalo Niagara Gardens sponsored five cherry trees as a new addition to the garden.

Sculptural fiber artist Gabrielle Hall chats with garden walk visitors on Saturday as she works on a piece at Brewster Street Farm, a project of Journey’s End Resettlement Services.

In the garden, you could watch as artists Madeline Bartley and Jennifer Ryan sat with their colorful materials and pulled inspiration from the flowers around them.

Bartley made observations in the garden using watercolor materials, planning to later use ink markers for vibrancy. She said she has a passion for creating mixed-media works based on garden settings. Bartley says taking care of gardens symbolizes mental and physical health, as it is important to nurture oneself.

Ryan favors organic line drawing, using acrylic ink on canvas or pottery. She says her work relates to nature and human experience and that each line is “its own little artwork.” But, these lines become a part of something greater, representing a community of people who come together and build something, like the garden of Jami Masjid.

Ryan Rucinski is an environmentalist who works on other people’s gardens. But for his Dempster Street home, he opted against “managing” his garden. Instead, he maintains an eco garden where he has been expanding a collection of native plants for the past seven years and letting them grow wild. (Weeds, he said, are a groundcover that protect the soil by providing shade.

In the spring, Gardens Buffalo Niagara awarded $20,000 worth of Lunenfeld Beautification Grants to about 25 organizations across the community including the Muslim Society of Buffalo to improve areas in need of more flowers and greenery.

The East Side Garden walk continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Maps can be picked up at MLK Jr. Park and People’s Park.

Original Story Link.

Audrey Clark