Jan-April 2020 Vol. 25 No. 1
FEATURE A New Addition to the Perennial Garden GARDEN NEWS Under A Harvest Moon Bloom Fest: A Fashion Frenzy Science + Nature at Powell Gardens 14 Winter and Early Spring Events
FEATURE STORY A New Addition to the Perennial Garden | page 6-7
EVENT CALENDAR Jan-April Events | page 10-11
GARDEN NEWS From the President | page 2 Member Updates | page 3 Under A Harvest Moon | page 4 Bloom Fest: A Fashion Frenzy page 5 Plant Matters | page 8-9
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Bring on the sun and blooming flowers! After each Midwestern winter, I’m always reminded of how special spring is in our region. It really is a rebirth! With this in mind, Powell Gardens is launching the first-ever spring festival, Bloom Fest: A Fashion Frenzy! This annual festival will open every spring and highlight all things botanical as we thaw out from another long winter. In the horticultural display, you will see nearly 125,000 thousand spring bulbs blooming around the gardens specifically highlighting daffodils, allium, and tulips. Last year, the Iris collection was relocated from Iris Hill to the Fountain Garden to allow everyone the opportunity to view this spectacular grouping of winners of the American Iris Society’s Award of Merit curated by Dr. Norlan Henderson. Our beautiful dogwood collection and our nationally-accredited Alan Branhagen Magnolia Collection are among other showstoppers during this time. We have a spring calendar full of exciting events including the Third Annual Best of Missouri Life Market Fair offering handmade goods from artisans around our state, Derby Day with fancy hats and mint juleps, and our annual Mother’s Day event which is always a great time to be with the important women in your life. All of this will be rounded out by great educational programming for families, kids, and adults alike. See you in the Gardens! Sincerely,
Tabitha Schmidt CEO/President
Annual Plant Sale A significant increase in area competition has caused staff to reevaluate the resources and staff time invested in the spring Plant Sale fundraiser. To allow garden staff time to focus on the Gardens in the early-spring when it is most important and to offer more capacity for educational programming and additional garden activations, the decision has been made to discontinue the Annual Plant Sale. Members will be able to enjoy their annual gift of a plant (see distribution schedule on this page) and can purchase plants grown in the Powell Gardens’ greenhouses in Perennial Gifts, the garden gift shop, at select times during the season. We appreciate your continued support as we identify ways to make the Garden more sustainable for the future.
Garden View Opt-In: In 2020, Powell Gardens is shifting the process for Garden View member magazine distribution. We thank you for supporting this change! This is the FINAL issue of Garden View that will automatically be mailed to members. Moving forward, all members will receive an electronic copy via the platform Issuu, which can be viewed on a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. Any members who wish to receive a paper copy of Garden View will need to opt-in via a brief survey that will be sent at the beginning of 2020. Members who would still like a paper copy can also call or visit the Front Desk in the Visitor Center to request to be added to the paper copy distribution list. If you wish to receive a paper copy, please look for this communication in February.
2020 Schedule for Member Plant Redemption In 2020 we will continue to provide you the best quality plants to take home as your member benefit. In order to accomplish this, we will follow a pickup schedule for each season. Please reference the outline below for dates member plants will be available in the Visitor Center and what items you can expect in each pot: April 11- May 10 Spring mixed pot July 11-Aug 9 Summer mixed pot Sept 19-Oct 19 Fall Succulent Nov 28-Dec 27 Winter Poinsettia
Top Left: Visitors enjoy blooms and warm weather during and April afternoon. Spring 2020 | 3
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n September 15, 2019, Powell Gardens hosted the annual fundraiser, Under a Harvest Moon: A farm-to-Table Dinner featuring four Kansas City chefs; Carlos Falcon; Jarocho and Sayachi; Rafael Cambron, The Carriage Club; Vaughn Good, Fox and Pearl; and Megan Garrelts, Rye and Bluestem.Thanks to generous supporters, more than $175,000 was raised through ticket sales, a silent auction, and an additional Fund-a-Need portion of the evening which allowed guests to support specific garden initiatives. These funds help strengthen Powell Gardens’ mission to be an experience that embraces the Midwest’s spirit of place, and inspires an appreciation for the importance of plants in our lives.
Powell Gardens’ staff worked with Megan Sutherland of Sutherland’s and the Westport Garden Club to create the beautiful, edible centerpieces that adorned the long, farm-style tables situated under the eaves of the Missouri Barn. In keeping with the harvest theme, each terra cotta container hosted a variety of herbs from fennel to basil to sage. Chef Rafael Cambron of the Carriage Club and a member of his staff grills guajillo-marinated chicken over an open flame near the Missouri Barn Silo.
The Emily Dix Collective, who graciously donated their time in support of the evening, provided entertainment during cocktail hour as guests roamed the newly renovated Heartland Harvest Garden. Newell Gates Brookfield and Sally Gates McEntyre, co-chairs of the event committee, welcome guests to the evening. Both women are daughters of the late Lathrop Gates who served on the Powell Gardens’ Board of Directors and was an original donor to the Heartland Harvest Garden. 4 | Garden View
Additional Festival Activities
A sneak peek of the form for the 10 foot-tall sculpted planter that will be duplicated and installed during Bloom Fest: A Fashion Frenzy.
Included with Festival Admission Dog’s Day Out Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Join us for this special day allowing visitors to bring their furry friends for a stroll through designated areas of the Garden. Dogs must have current vaccinations and remain on a leash at all times. Plant an Impact: Earth Day 2020 Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Individuals, families, environmental groups, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts are invited to help Powell Gardens’ staff restore native prairie landscape to better support pollinator species. Participants will learn about the importance of planting native species in their homes and communities and how native plants support wildlife. Best of Missouri Life Market Fair Saturday & Sunday, April 25-26 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Join the best craftsman, brewers, distillers, artisans and winemakers Missouri has to offer at the third annual Best of Missouri Life Market Fair, planned in collaboration with Missouri Life Magazine. Derby Day Saturday, May 2 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Don’t miss out on all the excitement and tradition that is the Kentucky Derby as we sip mint juleps and show off our Derby fashion! Anyone can compete in the yard derby and crown themselves with a garland of roses. Mother’s Day Saturday, May 10 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mothers and Members are Free Treat your mom to a spring feast of the senses with a day out at Powell Gardens. Listen to live music on the visitor Center terrace and sniff the crisp spring air perfumed by thousands of blooming bulbs. All moms receive a cut flower at the door (while supplies last)
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or the past three years the horticultural staff at Powell Gardens have carefully placed more than 125,000 bulbs in select areas around the Gardens. This initiative began in order to usher in spring with an impactful burst of blooms to delight visitors. This year, the natural spring display will be embellished with the addition of ten large planters, created by local artist, Steve O’Hara, and placed in select spots in the Visitor Center landscape. O’Hara, whose work can be seen predominantly in area schools in the form of molded mascots, has designed 10-ft tall planters modeled after human heads. A variety of plant materials will be used in each planter and will serve as the hair. Join us from April 11-May 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to experience this beautiful display for yourself! Spring 2020 | 5
Preliminary sketches by Chris Oursler show the new shapes, pathways, and structures that will grace the Cottage Garden.
Additional Plants Donated by Colonial Gardens
KALIE HUDSON, DIRECTOR OF VISITOR EXPERIENCE & MARKETING
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n 2018, Powell Gardens celebrated its 30th anniversary as a botanical garden. By this significant milestone, the Gardens had grown from a single 3.5-acre garden space to more than 150 acres of maintained botanical beauty. That original 3.5-acre plot, still enjoyed by visitors today, was the Perennial Garden, the first formal garden space realized at Powell Gardens. Originally designed to mimic garden “rooms” with stone walls, hedge plantings, and winding brick pathways, this space had matured over time and in 2019, a major
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renovation was planned to reimagine the beloved spot. Work began early in the year with updates to the Susan Lordi Marker Native Plant Garden, the installation of new perennials in the Clay and Katherine Barton Mixed Perennial Border, and the addition of the Millennium Garden—a spot designed to showcase the best new plants on the market. The final project in the garden renovation was the redesign of a nearly 6,000 square-foot space at the garden’s center. This spot had evolved from a purposefully designed area into a
Lo & Behold Purple Haze Buddleia Pugster Buddleia Spilled Wine, Fine Wine, Shining Sensation Weigelas Obsession Nandina Kodiak Black & Kodiak Orange Sputnik Buttonbush Ruby Spice Clethra Diervilla Exbury Azaleas Perennial Salvia Little Bluestem
Lo & Behold Purple Haze Buddleia
medley of blown-in native prairie species, overgrown deciduous bushes, and mature conifer hedges. After an initial conversation with community partner, Colonial Gardens, an idea was born to turn this prime location into a Cottage Garden. Less formal than that of a traditional English garden, Cottage Gardens rely on structures, dense plantings, and a quaintness which fits this spot perfectly. Chris Oursler, Product Designer with DCA Outdoor (the parent company of Colonial Gardens), performed an initial walkthrough with Susan Mertz, Director of Horticulture at Powell Gardens. After some discussion, an interactive space was conceptualized with new plantings, options for seating, and a cottage structure. The new design would take advantage of the natural height of the hillside and the location will afford visitors views of the 12-acre lake, close proximity to restrooms, tram stop, and the Good Earth Garden Stop, a small snack shop Chris Oursler kneels in the Perennial Garden to make some notes. This pathway borders the space designated for the Cottage Garden.
Visit in June 2020 to enjoy the completed renovation just up the path. Oursler began working with the renovation team, led by Lead Horticulturist of Core Gardens, Travis Freeman and Core Gardens Gardener, Iris Connolly, to sketch out the design and coordinate the renovation and by August of 2019, the space was mostly cleared, excluding some select plants—cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum), American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), and cornelian-cherry dogwood (Cornus mas)— these lucky few were ultimately kept because of their location and their benefit to the overall design. “The beautyberries in particular are well-established and can make a big impact,” says Freeman. “Their bright berries and foliage will continue to add interest throughout fall and winter.” In addition to the donation of consulting services for this project, Colonial Gardens is also providing a wealth of plant material which will help define the
space and create a welcome respite in the Gardens. The value of this generous gift is nearly $5,000. While the plant list is long, some species have piqued the interest of the horticulture staff and include Treeform burning bushes, Wildfire blackgum, and cloud-shape boxwoods. “The Treeform burning bushes provides very loud fall color,” said Connolly. “With their slim bases and bright foliage, they will look almost like floating orbs of color in the garden.” The cloud boxwoods, another exciting addition, will be varying sizes and will be installed in round groupings to create height variances and add texture. The concept behind the cloud formation is to offer a more organic shape for this traditionally angular mainstay in formal gardens and to add the flexibility to replace expired plants without disrupting the intent of the design. There are few garden occurrences more disruptive than a boxwood hedge line with a large hole where a mature bush once stood. At different sizes, rounded replacements would go largely unnoticed. Non-plant additions to this space include brick pathways and circular patios which will be inlaid in different sizes and embellished with new seating to create cozy spots for groups of various sizes to enjoy. A pine straw pathway will be realized and will add interest and a unique texture to the space. To accomplish this type of path, fallen pine needles are laid in layers in the path location and compressed. Colonial Gardens was one of the first landscape retail operations in the area to carry this product which is lower maintenance and more eco-friendly than traditional mulch. Additional items for this area that are still in discussion include a fire pit and the installation of a “green roof ” or succulent and sedum plantings on the rooftop surface of the Cottage Structure. Visit after the dedication in June of 2020 to see the final decisions!
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BY KRISTY PETERSON, FORMER DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, INTERPRETATION & OUTREACH
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or the past two years, the education department has worked to refine programs for teachers, students, and families in order to help young learners discover “the importance of plants in their lives.” A new program called Plants Matter! is being piloted this academic year in partnership with the Independence School District. This school program is unique to Powell Gardens, and is designed as an experience for fifth-grade students in which they are engaged with the garden and related science concepts for a total of seven hours over multiple visits throughout the school year. Students visit Powell Gardens twice (once in fall and once in spring) and in winter Mark Sharp, Powell Gardens’ K-12 and Family Programs Coordinator, visits the students in their classroom. Participating classrooms engage in handson investigation to learn what makes plants grow. Students spend the year “full-circle” with the plant life cycle to understand how matter is cycled and energy is acquired to produce fruit and vegetables while they spend time immersed in Missouri native landscapes. Bayer USA Foundation has 8 | Garden View
generously funded the launch of Plants Matter! through a grant of $25,000 to ensure that this experience is free for the schools that take part. During the academic year 2019-2020, nine classrooms from the Independence School District (an estimated 200 students) will be impacted by Plants Matter!. Plans are underway to expand the reach for 2020-2021 to Raytown and Independence School Districts. K-12 and Family Programs Coordinator, Mark Sharp, has also updated the K-5 single visit school programs. Each grade-specific program is carefully designed to supplement teachers’ curriculum aligned with specific Missouri Learning Standards for Science (which also correlates to Next Generation Science Standards). Each program features outcomes related to developing appreciation for plants, having positive experiences in nature, understanding Missouri’s natural systems, and increasing the realization that Missouri contains diverse ecosystems. Each K-5 student spends 90 minutes with Mark Sharp and docent volunteers who facilitate learning informed by the 5E pedagogy—engage, explore, explain,
Top left: Docent Bruce Monke interacts with students in the Heartland Harvest Garden prairie. Bottom Right: Mark Sharp, K-12 and Family Programs Coordinator, engages with students in the Villandry of the Heartland Harvest Garden.
elaborate, and evaluate. To find out more or to book a program for groups of ten or more students, visit powellgardens.org and click on “teachers and schools.” We have also established an annual series of drop-in days for families to learn about aspects of the garden while experiencing nature and the outdoors through hands-on activities. Each Family Frolic typically features a performance, self-directed play, and lots of touchable fun in different parts of the garden. A recent grant from American Century Investments Foundation provides funding for the execution of this program series and underwriting to partner with several Kansas City non-profit organizations (Community Services League, Cornerstones of Care, Phoenix Family Services, and Operation Breakthrough) to bring families affiliated with these agencies to Family Frolics scheduled in 2020.
Mark Sharp, K-12 and Family Programs Coordinator, works with school children during the Fall Fling: Through the Looking Glass, with hands-on activities.
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e are recruiting for a new class of docent trainees to take part in our 2020 docent class. Docents are volunteer Garden Guides and engage with Powell Gardens K-12 students and adult tour groups and help them discover aspects of the Garden, while discussing unique plant collections and landscapes. Garden Guides work closely with Mark Sharp, K-12 and Family Programs Coordinator to teach the K-5 curricular programs and/or assist with adult group and drop-in tours. All interested prospective docents must take part in an intensive training course at Powell Gardens. Each week’s class session focuses on a different topic related to the history, function, garden design, and plant collection at Powell Gardens. Class topics will also include information about teaching varied age groups in interpretive experiences and how to plan, prepare for, and lead tours and programs. A curricular framework is provided for docents leading K-5 tours and suggested tour outlines and plant information is provided to assist docents in planning and crafting adult group tours. Garden Guides are not required to be experts in gardening, horticulture, plant care, or botany but must possess a passion for learning, a love for Powell Gardens, and an
enthusiasm for helping others discover new aspects of the garden no matter what the age, interest, or ability. The Powell Gardens docent program is a great opportunity to learn about Powell Gardens and its collections and to discover and share your passion for plants and their significance in the world around us. Garden Guides are part of the Powell Gardens volunteer program and are enfolded in the garden-wide volunteer community as a whole. For more information about the Powell Gardens docent program contact Cassie Stair at cstair@powellgardens.org or 816.697.2600 ext. 304.
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The Fountain Garden in early-spring.
SAGES: Tropical Vacation Thursday, January 16, 10:30-noon | Cost: $35, Lunch Included The Atriums, 7300 W. 107th Street, Overland Park, Kansas, 66212 Transform your home into a tropical oasis with information from this hour-long presentation featuring the expertise of Powell Gardens’ horticulturist David Breedlove. Get ahold of David’s top ten list of houseplants to know and grow. Receive answers to questions such as, where in the world do Schleffera come from? What is the best way to care for them? Where can I get them? Participants will be introduced to several unique examples from Powell Gardens’ collection. Work & Learn: Orchids Thursday, February 13 | Cost: $25 This behind-the-scenes workshop in the Powell Gardens greenhouses offers a hands-on opportunity to learn how to care for orchids. Participants will learn how to trim roots, gain transplanting expertise, and take cuttings while working with the Powell Gardens orchid collection. SAGES: We Love Roses! Thursday, February 20, 10:30-noon | Cost: $35 The Atriums, 7300 W. 107th Street, Overland Park, Kansas, 66212 Stay in that Valentine’s Day spirit with this hour-long illustrated talk highlighting the history and symbolism of roses. Learn about the varied attributes of roses—their distinctive shapes, colors, and
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growth habits, and about their uses in medicine, perfume and cooking. Enjoy an overview of the challenge of growing roses in Kansas City with a history of the rose garden in Loose Park. This talk is presented in collaboration with the Kansas City Rose Society. A box lunch follows the talk and is included in the program fee. SAGES: All About Herbs Thursday, March 19, 10:30-noon | Cost: $35, Lunch Included Saint Anthony Senior Living Community, 1000 E. 68th St., Kansas City, MO Meet with Powell Gardens’ horticulturist Haley Drake to learn about designing and planting varied herbs to grow indoors or out and gather some ideas for using them in cocktails, cooking, or personal care. INSTRUCTOR: Haley Drake Family Frolic: Kitchen Scrap Gardening Saturday, March 28, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO Admission is FREE Turn those avocado pits, wilted lettuce leaves, and tired potato scraps into a whole new garden! This drop-in program will offer creative ways for families to use scraps from the kitchen to grow new plants. Kids can use natural materials to decorate a Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head and then take it home to plant in the garden. This free program is great for all families interested in learning how to grow tasty foods from kitchen scraps.
Docent-Led Tour: Spring Up! Sunday, April 5, 2p.m. | Admission is Free Join docent Margaret Smith-Wisker on a guided tour through the David T. Beals Woodland & Stream Garden to discover and notice what early-spring ephemerals are starting their spring sojourn. Meet in the Visitor Center lobby for this walking experience to locate early blooms in the garden. Bloomfest: A Fashion Frenzy April 11-May 10 (Daily) | Festival Admission Applies | Members are Free Sashay into spring with blooms, bustles, and bulbs! Join us for a new festival celebrating the best things about spring! Enjoy a walk through the Gardens and view an artful installation of spring favorites planted in custom-built planters modeled after human heads. Each of the ten planters installed along the walk are impressive at ten-feet tall and are uniquely planted and styled. Come more than once over the four-week festival and witness the blooms of more than 125,000 bulbs planted in several garden areas. Enjoy children’s activities and additional events throughout the festival. SAGES: Spring has Sprung Thursday, April 16, 10:30 a.m.-noon | $35 includes a box lunch Join Powell Gardens Director of Horticulture, Susan Mertz, for a short illustrated talk and brief walking tour to identify and discover often overlooked short blooming spring plants. Some are native to Missouri, some are unique bulbs that bloom briefly, and some will be familiar favorites. Learn about these varieties and then explore the garden to seek and meet them in person. A box lunch follows the short walk. Work & Learn: Craft Cocktails Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m.-noon | $35 Get the goods on great herbs to plant for use in some fabulous cocktails! Learn design and proper plant care for creating and sustaining a cocktailfriendly garden by working with Powell Gardens staff to plant large herb containers for the Gardens. Imbibe with a drink demonstration, plant a small herb container, and receive drink recipes to take home. This workshop is presented in partnership with Till Vodka and Boozy Botanicals. Dog’s Day Out Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Festival Admission Applies | Members are Free Join us for this special day allowing visitors to bring their furry friends for a stroll through designated areas of the Garden. Dogs must have current vaccinations and remain on a leash at all times. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pooch. Festival admission applies. Plant an Impact: Earth Day 2020 Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Festival Admission Applies | Members are Free Make a positive environmental impact and enjoy the outdoors by celebrating Earth Day 2020 at Powell Gardens. Individuals, families, environmental groups, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts are invited to help Powell Gardens’ staff restore native prairie landscape to better support pollinator species. Participants will learn about the importance of planting native species in their homes and communities and how native plants support wildlife. Many of the activities satisfy requirements for Cub Scouts’ Grow Something and Into the Wild badges and Girl Scouts’ Gardener and Eco Friend badges. Please sign up large groups at least one week in advance.
Visitors Speak with a Local woodworker during the Best of Missouri Life Market Fair
Best of Missouri Life Market Fair Saturday & Sunday, April 25-26, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Festival Admission Applies | Members are Free Join the best craftsman, brewers, distillers, artisans and winemakers Missouri has to offer at the third annual Best of Missouri Life Market Fair, planned in collaboration with Missouri Life Magazine. Peruse nearly 100 booths featuring clothing, decor, paintings, photography, sculpture and more and enjoy live entertainment while marveling at the spring show of daffodils and other early-bloomers in the Gardens. Food trucks and tastings available. Derby Day Saturday, May 2 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Festival Admission Applies | Members are Free The Kentucky Derby may be the “the most exciting two minutes in sports” but there is plenty to do all day long at Powell Gardens. Don’t miss out on all the excitement and tradition that is the Kentucky Derby as we sip mint juleps, and show off our Derby fashion! Anyone can compete in the yard derby and crown themselves with a garland of roses. The Kentucky Derby at Powell Gardens is fun for the whole family! Mother’s Day Saturday, May 10 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Festival Admission Applies | Mothers and Members are Free Treat your mom to a spring feast of the senses with a day out at Powell Gardens. Listen to live music on the visitor Center terrace, sniff the crisp spring air perfumed by thousands of blooming bulbs, and take in the masterful fashion and flora display artfully curated by Powell Gardens’ horticulture staff. All moms receive a cut flower at the door (while supplies last).
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1609 NW US HWY 50 Kingsville, Missouri 64061-9000 816.697.2600 | powellgardens.org
HOURS
January/February: Closed for Daily Admission
March, April, September, October, November: 10 am – 4 pm May-August 9 am-6 pm
HOLIDAYS OBSERVED Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day
Your perfect wedding starts here. Now booking for 2020 and beyond.
Visit powellgardens.org/ planyourevent for details. Image courtesy of Freeland Photography