This first month’s gardens are the most geographically dispersed of the season, for this simple reason: Each is a preview of neighborhoods to come (Troostwood, Waldo and Prairie Village).
See these gardens in April for delicate blooms like Trillium, Celandine Poppy, Robin’s Plantain and Mayapple, as well as spring-blooming shrubs and trees, like Golden Currant and Flowering Dogwood.
Then return in later months to witness these same gardens transformed by the big, bold flowers of summer.
TROOSTWOOD PREVIEW (Revisit in May)
Leaf & Sky
Dee and Paul’s house is perched on a bluff high over Brush Creek, with a steeply sloping backyard that was overgrown with bush honeysuckle. During the Covid shutdown, Paul made good use of his suddenly idle time by removing the invasive trees by the truckload, hand-building terraces, and digging a pond.
Meanwhile, Dee found homes for dozens of native plants, including an overflowing terrace of fuzzy Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus) and a robust Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) she started from seed.
WALDO PREVIEW (Revisit in June)
Citizen Cane
Matt is well-known in gardening circles as the Horticulturalist for The Giving Grove’s national network, Giving Grove program director, and director of Horticulture at the Kansas City Community Gardens.
So naturally his first move upon moving here in 2005 was to remove all turf grass and pack the lot with plants that support wildlife. Of special interest is Giant Cane (Arundinaria gigantea), the sole native species of bamboo, which provides year-round screening.
Also look for Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) and Dwarf Larkspur (Delphinium tricorne), among many others.
PRAIRIE VILLAGE PREVIEWS (Revisit in September)
Bird-Lover’s Backyard
Paula moved into this house nearly 50 years ago, with her late husband Hank, a distinguished professor of philosophy at UMKC, and their two daughters. Both passionate gardeners, Paula and Hank worked together to turn their suburban backyard into a bird-friendly haven.
Paula’s shady areas are an ideal setting for spring ephemerals, including Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenate), White Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum), Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginiana) and Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria).
Prairie Village Polished
Kristin knew this house long before she moved here — it was the childhood home of her best friend, Susan. Susan’s parents Jean and Bob built the house in 1956 and passed it to Kristin and her husband Frank in 2004. Jean created this garden as a tribute to her childhood home in Mississippi, creating elegantly shaped beds of Southern standards like azaleas and boxwoods.
Kristin served as Executive Director of Bridging the Gap for seventeen years, nearly as long as she has lived in this house. Over time Kristin has replaced exotic ornamentals with natives like Ninebark, Dogwood, Red Buckeye and Golden Currant. And while staying true to the garden’s formal lines, she made space for many native plants, like the lush sea of Allegheny Spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) and Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginiana) that fills an entire shady corner.
BROOKSIDE BONUS (Revisit from 2024)
If you visited the Crestwood and Brookside gardens last year, you may remember Butterfly Bungalow, with its stump beehive and front sweeps of Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis).
The same garden looks remarkably different in April, which is a peak time for its Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus), Golden Groundsel (Packera obovata), Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) and Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum).
Brent is a landscape architect by profession, and a font of knowledge on native plants. And for those interested in sedges or heucheras, this is a great place to see useful side-by-side comparisons of different species.
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Saturday, April 12th – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Note: While hours are a little longer this year, there are also more gardens per month. Plus a plant sale! Please try to reserve as much time as you will need.
Garden Tour Information:
9:00am – 2:00pm
Same as last year: Garden addresses, descriptions, maps and photos will be emailed to subscribers and registrants the Thursday before (April 10th).
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Plant Sale Information:
10:00am – 2:00pm (starts one hour later than the garden tour)
Sale Location:
7700 Mission Road
City of Prairie Village Municipal Offices
(small lot with limited parking – please save these spots for those who need them)
Parking:
7820 Mission Rd
Mission Road Bible Church
(just south of PV Municipal Offices – there is an easy walking path to the sale)
Sale Vendors:
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