Having a ball in the garden

After all these years of visiting Garden Walk Buffalo gardens, I still, on occasion, find gardens that leave me awestruck and delighted. This is this year’s entry. The creative people are both designers, Tony a toy designer at Fisher Price; Julia a freelance designer of anything she can get her hands on—toys, gardens, interiors, and her crowning garden achievement—this sphere she built (yes, she built it herself).

The deck inside comfortably fits 5-6 Adirondack Chairs.

New this year, it was built in time for Tony’s birthday this year. Julia also built it so there would be something interesting in the back yard to look at all year round from inside the house, but especially something significant and sculptural to see in the wintertime.

She purchased the plans for the sphere online, and had the wooden marine-grade staves custom milled by a friend, they had to be of exacting sizes. Then she assembled the base, then built the deck that is the interior platform, then finished the rest of the sphere.

And that cubist sculpture in the foreground? Tony learned how to weld and made that himself.

The large wall in the background is the back wall of the squash courts for the Delaware Avenue’s Saturn Club. It was there when they moved in. They planted and encouraged the ivy on the wall.

The staves were curved as they were installed. They were delivered flat.

Even without the sphere, it’s a pretty amazing garden—where creative people, talented DIYers are married with style and good taste. There’s a formal parterre garden, fire pit, vegetable potager, outdoor dining are and still plenty of room for a large lawn and an oversized Buckminster Fuller–ish sphere.

I hope you can find your way to this Linwood Avenue garden on Garden Walk Buffalo next Saturday and Sunday, July 28 & 29, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Rather than blather, let me show you some photos…

A kitchen garden, intermixed with perennials, takes up a side yard.

Hops.

Much like fruit stays fresh under a pyramid, based on my research, I can now unequivocally state that a beer tastes better in a sphere.

A well-placed spotlight projects art on that big solid wall.

Sculpture you can party in.

The fire pit with a sexy little wall with an espalier.

The formal French parterre garden.

I have a new favorite garden. You must by now too.