A sweet friendship blossoms between two Buffalo gardeners

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Humboldt Parkway is known for its plethora of accessories: There’s the Kensington Expressway, the Buffalo Museum of Science and, for the past 15 years, Samantha’s Garden.

It was created by Buffalo native Walter Myles.

“I’ve been gardening since I was 7 or 8 years old. I used to follow my grandmother around when I was a kid. From there, I started taking care of my neighbors’ gardens, their vegetables and their peaches,” said Walter Myles, owner of Samantha’s Garden.

Since then, Myles has told me that his green thumb has helped every garden he’s touched flourish.

He originally created this garden to honor his family, as many of his family members had served in the military.

The name of the garden honors his late niece, Samantha, who was killed in 2012.

“I’ve met more good people in my life in my garden than anywhere else. Everyone has a good sense of humor and flowers are the answer. I don’t think there’s anything in this world that can do to people what flowers do, except sports, because it’s universal,” Myles explained.

It also paved the way for many new friendships, including one with 7-year-old Felicity.

Felicity said: “I love growing flowers because I love watching them grow over the days, and I’ve also learned how to pick flowers and how fish like to eat them.”

“She’s a gifted gardener in my opinion. The kids love it, we have to pay attention to them and encourage them to continue. It’s her first love,” Myles added.

The two have shared a strong bond for three years, sharing their love for growing and admiring flowers, so much so that it motivated Felicity to enter pageants, where she can show her love for flowers in a unique way.

Felicity explained: “I made it from little flower tags I found on the ground and turned them into a picture.”

However, Samantha’s garden is much more than a beautiful sight to behold.

“It’s the story of what made me grow up. I’m like a bucket of chitlin’; everybody poured something in me,” Myles said.

If you look carefully, you will find people who have contributed to the black community and war heroes, from all different walks of life, near and far, like Rosa Parks, John Lewis, John McCain, Mohammed Ali, Kat Massey and so on.

Felicity shared: “It’s important to him and it’s pretty for him too.”

“This garden brings people together. It’s universal,” Myles added.

It is an expected bond that reminds people of the true meaning of friendship.

If you would like to see Walter Myles’s and others’ garden in person, you have the opportunity to do so at the East Side Garden Walk on Saturday and Sunday, July 20-21, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

The visit is free and open to all. No ticket is required.