The Garden of AIDS Community Services
The Victorian, a restored 1854 architectural beauty, hosts the ‘Hope Blooms’ Garden in the rear yard of the facility.
It was created as a healing garden for those afflicted and living with HIV. It is “a garden by, and for, the people living with AIDS.”
The garden has used salvage elements from the original structure as ornament in the garden, and built the waterfall Koi pond with original sandstone from the building.
The sunny garden is small, but chock full of color and life.
Plants bloom in profusion and one cannot help but smile.
The iron gate entryway leads to the beautiful garden.
The paths wind through the space allowing the visitor to feel enveloped by the warmth and love the garden radiates. And the Hope Blooms Commemorative Walkway was created to honor or help loved ones fighting AIDS.
The above is a screen shot from the Aids Community Services of Western New York website where they have some very helpful and informative information.
It is difficult to isolate individual flowers in the mass of color.
The Hosta are allowed to bloom here and I suspect that is an underlying concept of the entire garden.
I really enjoyed this garden and went during Open Gardens prior to Garden Walk Buffalo. I toured the garden alone, but never felt alone. There is something special that makes you meld with the landscape, not feeling like it belongs to others, and as a designer, this makes a garden great. If you ever have the opportunity to come to Buffalo during the yearly Garden Walk, do not miss this special place. It is for more than the garden itself that this place is noteworthy. You cannot help but to enjoy the restorative feeling of hope and joy. They call it “a garden with soul.”
greenapplesgarden 
Donna your pictures capture the soul of this garden. You can feel it so strongly. The whole concept is amazing. I love gardens where hosta and other plants bloom to profusion. This is definitely a garden I will have to visit. Thx for sharing this.
I love the concept of healing gardens. This is a wonderful one! Truly a garden with soul. Btw, I really like the new background and header!
I think all gardens designed in this manner have a happy, restorative feeling. You walk around smiling and feeling good.
The shots are great Donna. I don’t think I’ve ever seen better photos of this garden (and I’ve seen and TAKEN a lot of this garden!).
Thank you for your nice words on my photos, Jim. The day I was there, the sun was shining, then it got really cloudy on that early afternoon, Friday. On the way home it poured so hard driving was difficult. I was lucky to leave this garden when I did.
What a wonderful concept and a wonderful place…. thanks for sharing it with us!
It really is a great place for so many reasons.
This is a perfect healing garden. No matter what ailment one has, this would be a place to find solitude, and yet, deep comfort, from the companionship and beauty of the flowers and views. They did a great job of creating such a wonderful place for those in need of regeneration and rejuvenation. I really do enjoy getting a glimpse of these gardens.
I love how the beautiful brick pathway guides you toward the gate, which in turn invites you to explore the area beyond. I’m struck with how the simple presence of the gate changes the view. Without it, the borders would still be there, but somehow the gate invites the eye to see what lies beyond. A truly beautiful and, very inspiring garden, and expertly captured with your photos. I love the new header too!
contemplative.
A beautiful place. A garden can have many uses. You have just shown a very important benefit of a garden.
What a lovely garden, thank you for sharing it.
“alone, but never felt alone” – I sense that too when I’m alone in my own garden.
What a vibrant and lovely garden, with a great purpose to it too.
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