The Post Industrial Landscape of Silo City

Our lunch destination on Saturday of the Buffalo Fling was Silo City; "a unique post-industrial landscape that holds the world’s largest collection of historical grain elevators." Or as Visit Buffalo writes, it's just "your average, everyday historic grain elevator complex that doubles as a music venue, theater backdrop, poetry site, and industrial film location." There are also apartments in the complex.

That's the restaurant where our lunch was served...Duende.

Unfortunately the post-lunch restroom line was so long that by the time I was out, the group had already left to tour the greenspaces and nursery, and to learn about the onsite ecosystem restoration. I started out in the direction they'd gone...

(hmm, this looked like a scene from The Walking Dead)

By the time I got about here I lost my desire to try and catch up. Part of it was the fact I was already behind and who knew where they were headed, if I could find them, and what I'd already missed. And part was the warning we'd received the day before about how to dress for the tour to minimize tick exposure (including closed toe shoes... like I packed any closed toe shoes!?). I'll admit I am rather freaked out by ticks, having grown up with them in Eastern Washington and knowing how small and insidious they can be—and ours didn't even carry Lyme disease or trigger Alpha-gal syndrome!

So I turned around and headed back towards the buildings, thinking I'd just spend my time getting a few atmospheric photographs (shout out to Heather who was with me on turning back).

I wish there had been an alternate (tick-free) tour of the buildings.

Artsy art.

Behind the restaurant there was an outdoor seating area, with a few plants.

I was rather taken with this rebar structure.

And the rebar fence!

Finally the rest of our group returned and it was time to head to the buses.

There they are! (lower left)

I fell out of line on the way to the buses to get this shot.

Little did I know both Wyatt Emig and Becca Matthews aimed their cameras at me while I was photographing, here's Wyatt's photo. It definitely shows the scale of the buildings!

The Bit at the End

I recently shared Darcy Daniels video tour of Heather Tucker's back garden, but now there's a tour of her front garden too! Agaves... so many agaves... watch it here.

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude. 

Le Petit Matin and Dragon's Den, on the Buffalo Fling

Today's post covers the next two gardens we visited on Saturday morning of the Buffalo Fling in July; Le Petit Matin and Dragon's Den. 

Le Petit Matin (The Early Morning) is the garden belonging to YouTuber Jay Jinge Hu (he's also on Instagram) I believe this is Jay's second Fling, the first being last year's Memphis event—where I heard he made quite the impression with his enthusiasm. 

The garden's description: "This semi-formal garden pays homage to the temporal beauty of life, in appreciation of nature's transitions and transformations. Adjacent to Amherst State Park, the rustic-style home is surrounded by mixed borders, while casual seating and conversation spots create vignettes that invite one to pause and embrace solitude or the company of friends. Look for stylistic repetition and careful bursts of color."

This was my first time meeting Jay. His passion for his garden, and his excitement about sharing it with us was immediately evident. He met our Fling group in the driveway and gave a short introduction before setting us free to wander.

Jay's plant love spills over into that driveway...

I didn't see an agave, but there was an Opuntia.

Into the back garden...

Jay's garden style could not be more different than mine, but we both share a love of plants and a desire to connect people through that love. In fact Jay invited a few of us Flinger's over to his garden for a post-Fling gathering, it was such a wonderful time. Most of these photos from Jay's garden are from that visit, with the evening light rather than the harsher light under which we originally saw the garden.

Oh, another thing Jay and I share, a love for containers.

Such a healthy patch of Begonia grandis!

Looking across the back garden...

A trio of Buffalo Fling Co-Organizer Jim Charlier's art posts in the corner.

Jay seems to have a way with Clematis.

And even has a decorated compost pile!

Jay shared on Instagram that he was reported for not labeling a photo of his flowers as "AI generated," they were too perfect.

Love this, so nice unpainted (as many people do).

Jay grows several sweet bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) and I was lucky enough to catch a bloom of one hanging on...

On to the next garden, that of Beth and Brian Kreutzer, called Dragon's Den...

"When you arrive at the front gardens, you will see interesting trees, a waterfall, and colorful annuals. As you enter the back garden through the gate, be sure to look up to be greeted by our friendly neighborhood dragon, who keeps a watchful eye over the garden. As you stroll along the pathways, you will see...sun and shade perennials, and whimsical garden art...Feel free to sit and relax on the pergola listening to the sounds of the babbling brook or watch the colorful koi from the deck."

Google images identified this as Taxus baccata 'Amersfoort'...

The description of the Taxus from Far Reaches Farm: "A bizarre antler-like sport of the common Yew found in France and moved to the grounds of the Insane Asylum in Holland for which it is named. This is one crazy plant. Open strikingly architectural growth habit with a tight attention to line and form. Very unYew-like and more like some oddly dendritic Podocarpus."

I would hate to navigate that wooden walkway in the dark after one too many glasses of wine...

Another dragon! We heard at least one of them was known to breathe fire after dark.

This was unexpected...

I love that they're experimenting.

More mossy rocks...

And back out to the front of the home.

Where there were colorful zinnia...

And a statuesque tree that I first thought was "Twisty Baby" black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia 'Lace Lady'), but now I'm questioning that as I don't see any twisty foliage in this photo.

The Bit at the End

Jay is another of the Buffalo Fling gardeners that has appeared on PlantPop, check out the short (5 minute) video with Jay here.

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.