Wild Ones Western New York closed out its summer series of Member-to-Member (M2M) yard tours with a visit to a tidy, welcoming garden in the heart of Snyder, New York. Though modest in size, the garden reflected a journey of transformation — from traditional landscaping toward a deeper embrace of native plants and local ecotype.
The garden owner first began planting in 2021 with more conventional choices — ornamental cherries, boxwoods (now struggling with boxwood moth), and laurels. But as her knowledge grew, especially after joining the Wild Ones WNY board as communications chair, she began incorporating more local ecotype natives. By working with regional nurseries that specialize in these plants, her middle and front garden beds are now filled with ecologically meaningful selections. She even let some volunteer pumpkins from her compost pile ramble across the yard!
The highlight of the tour was a fun and friendly “design competition.” Recognizing her own beginner’s perspective, the garden host invited fellow members to imagine how she might redesign her garden bed near the façade of the house— swapping out non-natives for native alternatives. This sparked wonderful conversations around local ecotype, native versus non-native choices, and creative design ideas. Attendees also enjoyed cookies, refreshments, and plenty of informal sharing. To support the discussion, copies of the Wild Ones WNY Native Plant Shopping Guide were on hand — a valuable resource for anyone looking to source local plants.
As we wrapped up the final yard tour of 2025, participants left with inspiration, practical ideas, and a renewed sense of community. Wild Ones WNY is grateful to all who hosted and attended these events throughout the season. We look forward to bringing more member-to-member tours and native plant programming in 2026.
If you’re interested in hosting a yard tour next year, or learning more about programming opportunities, reach out at [email protected] — we’d love to have you grow with us.