Garden author, artist, blogger, event planner, and speaker

I’m no great gardener. I’m no great writer either. But I like gardens, I like design, I like to travel and like to share. So here’s some gardens I’ve visited, and when I can, I’ll show how I’ve incorporate what I’ve seen in my garden.

See where Jim is speaking next – or invite him to present at your next meeting! Topics include Garden Tourism, Garden Walk Buffalo, How to Start a Garden Tour, Great Gardens of the U.S. and Europe , The Buffalo-style Garden, Gardens with Art, Garden Structures, DIY Garden Art.

So, what makes these posts so special, you ask? For starters, each one is hand-painted by yours truly. They look fabulous on their own, but if you really want to make a statement, go for a trio in different heights. Trust me; it’s a showstopper! You can use them to flank a garden path or entrance for a colorful and whimsy welcome.

By Jim Charlier and Sally Cunningham

With hundreds of design, planting and DIY tips, authors and show-garden experts Cunningham and Charlier reveal how fences and furnishings, trees and shrubs, art and whimsy—and the element of surprise – work together to change an ordinary space into something uniquely yours: your own unforgettable Buffalo-style garden.

Fine Gardening magazine says, “A lot of what you’ll read on designing a garden seems built around big budgets: professionals coming in with a truckload of plants and beautiful yet wildly expensive hardscaping, but that’s not the case with this book. What makes these gardens so special is that they are not only beautiful but made by regular people with ordinary budgets and no professional help. Even more important, each garden is built around what the owners love, not arbitrary garden-design rules. This is the one book on garden design I keep on my shelf and the one I’m most likely to give to a friend who wants to level up their landscape but doesn’t know where to start.”

By Jim Charlier and Jody Revenson

A project for Warner Bros. Studios, Harry Potter: Herbology Magic contains helpful gardening tips, instructions for creating unique Harry Potter-inspired terrariums, and charming uses for everyday plants. Alongside the 27 projects are step-by-step instructions and full-color photos to ensure success, as well as behind-the-scenes facts, concept art, and film stills showcasing how plants from the wizarding world were brought to life onscreen for the Harry Potter films. Practical and unique, Harry Potter: Herbology Magic is the perfect guide for gardeners and wizarding world fans alike.

The book is sold in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Czech.

by Teresa Woodard (Author), Bob Stefko (Photographer)

This book features 20 gardens from around the United States including a 14-page spread on the Charlier garden in Buffalo, NY.

Having a maximalist garden is a bold aesthetic choice—yet it also brings vitality back to the earth, in an abundant expression of more. Garden to the Max celebrates gardens across the US that embrace maximalism through joy and wonder, nonstop blooms, and abundant layers. The book is a feast of gorgeous photography by Bob Stefko, showcasing individual quirkiness, wild collections, and bold, personality-packed plant combinations that amplify the grandeur of each garden’s unique vision, packing in plants for their exuberant style and ecological benefits. 

Information-packed sidebars full of standout plants and growing tips will inspire dreamers and gardeners to embrace their own passions. Garden to the Max gives everyone permission to bring the exuberant interior style into the garden and develop a spirited reverence for plants, celebrating joy and personality in the garden—to the max!