Garden View (May-August 2023)

MARK ZIMMERMAN

Chief Operating Officer & Interim Chief Executive Officer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AMY ECKHOFF, Chair

JUSTIN WHITE, Vice-Chair

ELLEN FAIRCHILD, Treasurer

GARY BARNES, Secretary

SCOTT BURNETT

COREY CASEY

KRISTOPHER DABNER

MARK KILLEN

ANN MESLE

MARY O’CONNOR

ANNE RIKER POWELL

NICHOLAS POWELL

RUTHIE RINEHART

JOHN RUFENACHT

GUY SWANSON

JULIE WILSON

Choose Your Own Adventure!

Plan Your Summer Road Trip Out to Powell Gardens

AS SPRING TRANSFORMS into a lush, summer landscape, there’s no better time to enjoy the great outdoors! And what better way to see all that nature has to offer than with a road trip to your botanical garden—Powell Gardens?

DEAR MEMBERS,

By the time this magazine is in your hands, Powell Gardens’ 2023 season will be in full swing! Similar and different every year, the Gardens’ experience changes every day as reflected in the plants and nature around us.

It was a joy to see so many Gardens’ Members and visitors from the region enjoy the exhibition, Orchid Delirium during March and April. The indoor, subtle beauty and orchidpopping experience brought style, vibrancy, and warmth to the early days of spring. Painted Garden saw some visitors strolling through springtime transitions in the rain under clear umbrellas. The Gardens’ next series of programs includes the second year of family-centric Fortopia (Memorial Day-Labor Day, page 4) and annual favorite Festival of Butterflies (July 20-August 6, page 6) – redesigned for 2023!

We launched engaging new activities starting with a Galentines gathering and Valentine’s date night in February. Flowering tea selections were offered during weekend mornings in March and April. Orchid Delirium activated Powell Gardens’ orchid collection in a botanical splendor, complete with three orchid-viewing locations. The Gardens also piloted a brand-new evening series, Second Saturdays (page 11) and a Rose’ & Croquet event with exciting lawn games, bites, and beverages during Painted Garden.

This year, we anticipate welcoming the Gardens’ third CEO. This important initiative considered the needs of Powell Gardens today and with focus on the Master Plan for the years ahead. The board of directors’ selection committee led the search initiative, conducted interviews, and included staff leaders in the selection process. While waiting in anticipation, Gardens’ staff continue their commitment to the care, nurturing and engagement activities throughout the campus. As we introduce each of you to our next CEO, know we are looking toward the future of Powell Gardens together.

Your support - and continued support - makes what happens at Powell Gardens happen every day. Thank you for choosing to support Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s Botanical Garden. Without your visitation, membership, and donations, our work, on your behalf, would not be possible.

In appreciation,

Mark Zimmerman COO | Interim CEO

As a member, you not only receive complimentary admission for as many as your membership level allows, but you also have no limit on how many times you visit. Check out the recommended itineraries below and choose your own Powell Gardens adventure!

FOR THE OUTDOORS ENTHUSIAST

This itinerary is perfect for those looking to go the extra mile with their visit at Powell Gardens. Discover our trail system and Midwest Foraging exhibition together!

• Check in at the Visitor Center.

• Grab a snack, water, and make sure your hiking boots are securely fastened.

• Head northeast through the Conifer Garden and Fountain Garden.

• Arrive at the Byron Schutz Nature Trailhead.

• Hike the Family Discovery Loop (1 mile loop) or the Prairie Ridge Trail (3.25 miles)

• Look for blue plant tags in the Heartland Harvest Garden, Butterfly Meadow, or along the Family Discovery loop before, during, or after your hike

• Head back over to the Fountain Garden and enjoy the refreshing splash pad. Stay tuned for more information on Trail Days (June 3 and September 30). Mark your calendars now and make sure you’re on our email list!

FOR THE CURIOUS COLLECTOR

Find all our publicly displayed collections with this itinerary just for the curious at heart.

• Check in at the Visitor Center.

• View the Grand Hall terrarium display (April 1-October 15).

FOR THE BUDDING BOTANICAL ENTHUSIASTS

• Check in at the Visitor Center.

• Stock up on snacks and waters at The Marketplace.

• Journey to the East Lawn for Fortopia (May 25September 4) after enjoying the Visitor Center Terraces.

• After discovering a city of forts, journey over to the Children’s Garden for additional play. Walk on garden tool balance beams, plant your own garden, and climb up in oversized Adirondack chairs for a photo opportunity. Close by are eight raised beds with different themes each year.

• After a day of play, cool off with the Fountain Garden’s splash pad.

Option Add-On: Interested in a family hike? Swap out the Children’s Garden exploration for a Family Discover Loop hike. This one-mile trail meanders through wooded and aquatic ecosystems and is classified as Trail Class 2 (Easy)—perfect for novice hikers!

• View the carefully curated terrariums in the Grand Hall (April 1-October 15).

• Stroll the Visitor Center Terraces to the Stumpery Garden, which features a staghorn fern living wall beginning May 26.

• Take the scenic route across the bridge to the Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden, where you’ll find our lotus and waterlily collections certified by International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society.

• Head back across the bridge, toward the Millstone Fountain, where you will pass through the Conifer Garden, a certified reference garden by the American Conifer Society. Don’t forget to search for the newest additions to this space—bonsai trees and shrubs!

• Stop by Garden Galleries where you can view the new crevice garden filled with cacti and succulents along with expertly designed succulent walls.

Pro-Tip: Desert Days (June 24-25) and Waterlily Wonders (August 12-13) celebrate two of our many collections at Powell Gardens.

Garden Galleries

SOAR INTO SUMMER

Identify Your Favorite Native Butterfly

AS SUMMER REACHES THE MIDWEST, Powell Gardens celebrates butterflies. These pollinators bring movement and interest to our gardens while playing a critical role in the food supply chain. Butterflies impact our environment in tremendous ways. As you look for butterflies in your area, use this resource to identify local favorites!

Returns with New Forts

DISCOVER A WHOLE NEW WORLD ON THE EAST LAWN Fortopia

SUMMERTIME BRINGS MEMORIES

of digging in the dirt, climbing trees, and exploring new parts of your own backyard. This summer, Fortopia (May 25-September 4, 2023) returns to Powell Gardens with new forts. Rediscover the magic of pretend play, fort building, and outdoor discovery with your family. Members are invited to a member-only preview night on May 24 (5-8 p.m.) and the public is welcome to enjoy the exhibition during business hours starting

May 25 through September 4, 2023. This playful exhibition taps into childhood wonder and the power of imagination. Forts are all designed by the community. “This year, the forts selected embody playfulness,” said Cody Jolliff, Manager, Public Programs. “Each designer considered the natural landscape, and the many ways children would approach their fort. Each structure invites visitors to engage and play in their own way. I’m looking forward to seeing our community embrace

this exhibition as their own.”

Each fort design was selected via a request for proposal process. A jury comprised of architects, educators, horticulturists, and fabricators reviewed the proposals and selected the forts. Look for returning 2022 forts that were selected as fan favorites!

To learn more about designers, their fort inspiration, and the environmental resources utilized to build this year’s forts, visit powellgardens.org/fortopia.

Black Swallowtails measure 2.75-3.9 inches wide. Find caterpillars (green with black stripes and yellow spotting) on host plants parsley, fennel, rue, and dill. Female black swallowtails have bluer hind wings then their male counterparts.

Visit Powell Gardens to see native butterflies in their natural habitat! Visit during Festival of Butterflies (July 20-August 6, 2023), Powell Gardens’ summer festival, to learn more about these amazing creatures. For more information, visit powellgardens.org/butterfly.

Monarch butterflies measure 2.7-3.9 inches wide. They migrate to Mexico each year, passing through the Midwest as they travel. Their bodies are rough and rubbery. Males have one black dot on each hind wing. Monarchs have a slow, gliding flight pattern.

Zebra Swallowtails measure 1.9-3 inches wide. They tend to stay near wooded areas with pawpaw trees, a host plant for caterpillars. Zebra Swallowtails have a “tail” that is longer in the summer than the spring.

The Great Spangled Fritillary measures 2.6-3.5 inches wide. This single generation butterfly’s larva feeds at night and hides during the day. Great Spangled Fritillary caterpillars feed on violets and breed in woodlands and wet meadows.

The Painted Lady measures 1.7-2.6 inches wide. This butterfly arrives in April and can be spotted throughout the summer months. Host plants include thistle and hollyhocks. The Painted Lady is found on every continent except Antartica.

CONSERVATION CORNER: NATIVE PLANTS

Considerations for utilizing native plants in your garden

REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY, native plants are gaining more attention. Native plants are species which have existed in a region for an extended period of time, most often prior to European settlement. These plants have evolved with the landscape and are adapted to the soils and climates of the region. As longstanding members of a community, these plants often have complex relationships with the entire ecosystem. In fact, native plants can survive and reproduce without human intervention.

The recognition of native plants and their helpful use in the landscape has existed for centuries. More recently, native plants have become a focus in landscape planning and in garden spaces.

Consider the benefits of choosing native plants in landscaping. Native plants minimize water and fertilizer input after establishment, build habitats, support dynamic relationships with animals, provide erosion control and ground water recharge, and support a sense of place. Their adaptations make them suitable to the region’s temperatures and weather. Gardeners may choose to use native plants in their gardens to attract particular butterflies or birds, provide specific structure, or have species that can survive in extreme conditions. Because native plants are so well adapted to the landscape, they will thrive. However, this can result in plants that sprawl and quickly reproduce. To manage this, utilize best garden practices. Native plants can be sculpted, edited, and cut back for a shorter bloom height to mirror the style of any garden.

IN MISSOURI, native flora originates from nine types of natural communities: caves, cliffs, forest, glades, prairies, savannas, streambeds, wetlands, and woodlands. Each of these natural communities has certain characteristics allowing them to support a specific range of plant and animal species. The native plants at Powell Gardens are most accurately represented in species found in the six natural communities below.

FOREST

• Dense, closed canopy ecosystem defined by a midstory canopy and shrub later.

• Look for Pawpaw, mayapple, or wild ginger.

GLADES

• Grassland ecosystem characterized by shallow soils and rocky outcroppings.

• Look for Eastern Prickly Pear, Rough Blazing Star, and Purple Beardtongue.

PRAIRIES

• Full-sun communities with less than 10% canopy cover. Comprised mostly of grasses and forbs.

• Look for Wild Bergamot, Wild Indigo, and Prairie Phlox.

SAVANNAS

• Grassland with less than 30% canopy.

• Look for purple coneflower, purple milkweed, and lead plant.

WETLANDS

• Community where the water table occurs at or near the surface of the land, covering it with shallow water.

• Look for American Lotus and Cattails.

WOODLANDS

• Supporting forbs and grasses in the understory, this community has less than 90% canopy cover.

• Look for Celandine Poppy, Virginia Bluebells, and Woodland Pinkroot.

MIDWEST FORAGING

Powell Gardens’ adventurous exhibition returns

POWELL GARDENS’ Midwest Foraging exhibition returns in 2023 (April-October). Focused on forgeable plants found along the Family Discovery Loop and Heartland Harvest Garden, this adventurous exhibition created in collaboration with Education Manager Caitlin Eckard, Lead Horticulturist Lydia Brawner, and Conservationist Julie Copley, showcases natural edibles found in the Midwest. Embrace your Midwest spirit while appreciating the natural landscape throughout Powell Gardens with Midwest Foraging.

“Foraging, at its core, just means finding and harvesting natural edibles,” says Brawner. “While this practice has been around for centuries, there is very little formal education offered to the public in our area. Powell Gardens is on the forefront of education in this field and we’re looking forward to sharing our knowledge with our community through the exhibition and related classes”.

There are a variety of tools available for visitors to use in tandem with the exhibition. Connect more deeply with Midwest Foraging during your next visit by utilizing one of the tools outlined below.

PLANT TAGS

• Look for new plant tags that identify species that are part of the Midwest Foraging exhibition. Look for blue plant tags with flower and leaf symbols.

DIGITAL TOUR

• Accessible online at gardenexplorer.powellgardens.org/ tours, this updated digital tour allows Powell Gardens’ visitors to see where exhibition plants are growing in the Gardens.

FORAGING CLASSES

• Powell Gardens is offering a series of foraging classes in 2023. Look for upcoming classes at powellgardens.org/calendar

For more locally harvested options, follow @powellgardens on social media for featured foraging posts! Each month, the education and horticulture departments will work together to feature a foraged item found on Powell Gardens’ property. Follow @powellgardens on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to learn about how these plants grow, where to find them throughout the Midwest, and what to do with your harvest.

Make plans to visit Powell Gardens’ Midwest Foraging exhibit April-October. Advanced admission is available online at powellgardens.org/visit.

NOTE: Foraging is NOT permitted on Powell Gardens property. In the interest of public health, safety, and in respect of our conservation efforts, all participants are expected to appreciate this exhibition for the educational content provided.

Pictured: Pawpaw

UPCOMING EVENTS

Times and dates are subject to change, for a complete list of upcoming classes and the most up-to-date educational listings, please check powellgardens.org/calendar. For all educational classes, members must register due to capacity limits. Please heed the special member pricing associated with each class.

Gardening 101: Soil Health

May 6, 2023 | 10-11 a.m.

$15 | 10% less for members

Join Assistant Director of Horticulture Phil Bishop for a class featuring soil health and its impact on your home gardening.

Native Prairie Series 2023: Part 1

May 6, 2023 | 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

$50 members and non-members

Learn more about a fundamental ecosystem of the Midwest Spirit of Place during the Native Prairie Series hosted by Powell Gardens in 2023. This three-part series will include two

field courses in remnant prairies communities led by Conservationist, Julie Copley, and one presentation by Carol Davit of Missouri Prairie Foundation. Field course topics include plant identification, stewardship, and natural history perspectives.

Field classes will be held outside on the prairie, anticipate some uneven walking surfaces while exploring the splendor of the prairie. Please wear close-toed shoes, long pants, hats, and bug spray, and bring water.

Ona’s Prairie, located in Southwest Pettis County, MO, is a 40-acre tallgrass prairie supporting a diversity of plant and animal species. Positioned within a Conservation Opportunity Area, Ona’s Prairie is a living representative of a pre-settlement landscape in North America. Learn more about this diverse prairie and enjoy the spring blooms on the prairie.

Second Saturday May 13, 2023 | 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

General admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level. Add-on prices for specific activities may apply. Powell Gardens is open late! Take advantage of extended hours with daytime options like a champagne tea, educational class, and a stroll through the Midwestern landscape. Stay for an evening of music and complimentary beverage tastings! More information can be found online at powellgardens.org/calendar

Artful Gardens: Painted Garden

Join Archivist and Librarian, Savannah Lore for our quarterly book club. For this edition, we will read The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Snacks and drinks included with your ticket.

Fortopia Member Preview

May 24, 2023 | 5-8 p.m.

Members receive complimentary admission for as many as their membership allows. Enjoy a sneak peek at the second annual Fortopia exhibition! Featuring new and returning forts, tap into outdoor discovery and the power of play with the whole family.

Fortopia Public Opening

May 25, 2023 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

General admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level. Tap into outdoor discovery with the whole family featuring community-designed forts that explore the power of play.

Gardening 101

June 3, 2023 | 1- 2 p.m.

$15 | 10% less for members

A great introduction for beginning gardeners, Gardening 101 classes at Powell Gardens are a must-add to your visit. Subscribe to our email list and stay tuned for this month’s topic!

Dog Days

May 21, 2023 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

June 18, 2023 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

July 16, 2023 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

August 20, 2023 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

General admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level.

Bring your dog(s) for a stroll through Powell Gardens! Enjoy seasonal blooms and sunshine with your furry friend(s). Dogs must have current vaccinations and remain on a leash at all times. Retractable leashes are not allowed. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pooch.

May 13, 2023 | 3-5 p.m.

$50 | 10% less for members

Artful Gardens is where art and plants meet! Join Donna Houtteman with Arts Block KC for a lively conversation about artwork that features gardens as the subject matter. Which came first, art or the garden? This two-hour program includes two alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to enjoy during the presentation. Attendees will also be treated to a guided tour of the Conservatory which features artist Rachel Hayes to conclude the class.

Book Club: The Language of Flowers

May 20, 2023 | 10-11 a.m.

$15 | 10% less for members

Work & Learn

June 8, 2023 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

$40

Roll up your sleeves for a hands-on lesson at Powell Gardens! Learn a new skill and contribute to our Midwestern landscape alongside our horticulture staff. Subscribe to our email list and stay tuned for this month’s topic!

Second Saturday June 10, 2023 | 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

General admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level. Powell Gardens is open late! Take advantage of extended hours with daytime options like a

champagne tea, educational class, and a stroll through the Midwestern landscape. Stay for an evening of music and complimentary beverage tastings! More information can be found online at powellgardens.org/calendar

Summer Kick-Off Scouts Weekend

June 10-11, 2023 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Free with admission

Join Powell Gardens to kick off our summer season! The weekend will include a variety of activity stations to help scouts of all ages work on (but not complete) a variety of badges. Be sure to check out the 2023 Fortopia exhibition while you are here as well!

E. Fay Jones & the Midwest Spirit of Place

June 15, 2023 | 7-8:30 p.m.

$50 for members and non-members

Join architects Walter Jennings and Lori Yazwinski from Jennings + Santa Rita Architects for an evening discussing E. Fay Jones’ architectural impact on Powell Gardens. After the discussion, we invite you to explore the Miller Hammond Chapel Study with beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres. Then, head out to the Meadow Pavilion to catch the best sunset in Kansas City!

Lunchtime Lecture

June 17, 2023 | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

$50 | 10% less for members

Interested in learning about new topics with a horticulture focus? Then Lunchtime Lectures are for you! Subscribe to our email list and stay tuned for this month’s topic.

Garden to Glass: Prickly Pear Cocktail

June 24, 2023 | 3-4 p.m.

$30 |10% less for members

Join Education Manager, Caitlin Eckard, to learn about foraging for prickly pears and shake up a Prickly Pear Mojito! Attendees will enjoy two cocktails and a snack, then take home a Powell Gardens branded glass.

Desert Days

June 24-25, 2023 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

General admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level. Explore creative summer displays of cacti and succulents, including an agave display, succulent walls, and more.

of extended hours with daytime options like a champagne tea, educational class, and a stroll through the Midwestern landscape. Stay for an evening of music and complimentary beverage tastings! More information can be found online at powellgardens.org/calendar

Horticulture Happy Hour: Seasonal Foraging

July 8, 2023 | 4-5 p.m.

$25 | 10% less for members

Join Lead Horticulturist Lydia Brawner to learn about summer foraging! Attendees will enjoy two alcoholic beverages and learn more about summer foraging. A copy of Powell Gardens’ Midwest Foraging Exhibition booklet is also included in the class price.

Native Prairie Series 2023: Part 2

July 9, 2023 | 9:30-11:30 a.m.

$50 members and non-members

Did you know Powell Gardens supports one of just three publicly accessible remnant prairies on the Missouri side of the KC Metro? Learn more about the remnant prairies at Powell Gardens, including a dry prairie which supports Missouri’s only native cactus species!

Garden to Glass: Tom Collins Edition

July 15, 2023 | 3-4 p.m.

$30 | 10% less for members

Join Education Manager, Caitlin Eckard, to learn about the delicious gin cocktail, the Tom Collins. Attendees will learn about the history of the drink, as well as shake up their own cocktail. You can expect two cocktails, a snack, and a goodie bag with a Powell Gardens branded glass. Be sure to sign up early as these classes tend to sell out fast!

Festival of Butterflies Member Preview

July 19, 2023 | 5-8 p.m.

Complimentary admission for members for as many as their membership level allows.

Love Festival of Butterflies and members-only access? Then the Festival of Butterflies Member Preview is for you. Bask in the summer evening and experience the world of pollinators.

Festival of Butterflies Public Opening

July 20-August 6, 2023 | 9 a.m-5 p.m.

Festival admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level. This family-favorite experience invites you to discover the world of pollinators. Explore the summer season at Powell Gardens!

Lunchtime Lecture

for this month’s topic.

Artful Gardens: Pollinators in Art

July 23, 2023 | 3-5 p.m.

$50 | 10% less for members

Artful Gardens, where art and plants meet! Join Donna Houtteman with Arts Block KC for a lively conversation about artwork that features gardens as the subject matter. Which came first, art or the garden? This two-hour program includes two alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to enjoy during the presentation.

Book Club: Butterfly People

July 29, 2023 | 10-11 a.m.

$15 | 10% less for members

Join librarian and archivist Savannah Lore for our quarterly book club. For this edition, we will be reading Butterfly People by William Leach. Snacks and drinks are included.

Second Saturday

August 12, 2023 | 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

General admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level. Powell Gardens is open late! Take advantage of extended hours with daytime options like a champagne tea, educational class, and a stroll through the Midwestern landscape. Stay for an evening of music and complimentary beverage tastings! More information can be found online at powellgardens.org/calendar

Waterlily Wonders

August 12-13, 2023 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level. Enjoy displays featuring Powell Gardens’ certified aquatic collection.

Second Saturday

July 8, 2023 | 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

General admission | Complimentary admission for members based on membership level. Powell Gardens is open late! Take advantage

July 22, 2023 | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

$50 | 10% less for members

Interested in learning about new topics with a horticulture focus? Then Lunchtime Lectures are for you! Subscribe to our email list and stay tuned

AT POWELL GARDENS we believe developing an appreciation for plants is a lifelong process. We invite you to attend one of our adult programs to deepen your affection for the natural world, learn a new skill, or enjoy a unique activity with a friend. Weekend, evening, and weekday classes and programs are offered year-round. Check our online calendar at powellgardens.org/ calendar for the latest listings and updates. Want to make sure you never miss a class update from Powell Gardens? Sign up for our email list! Visit powellgardens.org/about/ contact-us to add your contact information. Already receiving emails from Powell Gardens? No need to update. Happy learning!

From the Archives: GARDENING TIPS

Garden View Volume 11, Issue 2 (2007)

THIS SPECIAL GARDEN VIEW edition reaches back into our 2007 archives for a special “In Your Garden” article just in time for the summer season!

MAY

• After spring bulbs bloom, let the foliage yellow before removing.

• Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs now as their flowers have faded. This gives the plant a full season of growth to form new flower buds in late summer/fall for next spring’s blossoms.

• Plant warm season annuals and summer flowering bulbs when danger of frost is past. Remove cool season annuals as they fade.

• Trim or shear arborvitae, boxwood, juniper, and yew hedges in late May.

JULY

• Keep watering! This month may require extra effort.

• Daylilies are in peak bloom. Purchase new daylilies now, while they are in bloom, so you can observe their vibrant colors and plant accordingly.

• Begin dividing bearded irises toward the end of the month and in early August.

• Remember to set lawn mowers on their highest setting during this season. The taller turf requires less watering and handles stress better. The only exception would be areas of disease, which should be mowed lower to allow them to dry out.

JUNE

• Watering: When hydrangea leaves droop, water them, along with rare shrubs and those that wilt easily. When viburnum leaves wilt, water all shrubs in the garden.

• Water containers every day during summer’s heat; add a wetting agent to help hold moisture. Fertilize weekly during active growth.

• Check garden plants regularly for signs of insect and disease problems; control only specific problems. Blanket spraying kills beneficial insects, too.

• In early June, check for bag worms and control accordingly. BT is recommended for organic control, which works only at the early stage.

• Make sure all plants and beds are mulched to help conserve soil moisture.

• Deadhead for extended flowering and for tidiness and appearance.

AUGUST

• Do not fertilize trees and shrubs with high nitrogen fertilizer after early August. Fertilizing at this time promotes succulent growth, which is extremely susceptible to early freezes in fall. (Use fertilizers with a first number of “zero,” which means it contains no nitrogen, to stimulate root growth, flower bud development and hardening off.)

• Finish dividing bearded iris in early August. Begin dividing daylilies.

• Sow seeds of cool-season annuals in early August.

• Begin planning for fall bulb planting; make catalog orders now.

• Purchase and plant additional nectarproducing plants to attract butterflies—this is important for Monarchs that need flowers to fuel their migration, which begins at the end of the month and continues through October.

• Continue deadheading, watering, and weeding.

SecOnd Saturdays at Powell Gardens

ON SECOND SATURDAYS (March –October), Powell Gardens is open late!

Take advantage of extended hours and visit between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Mark your calendar now for Second Saturdays on May 13, June 10, July 8, August 12, September 9, and October 14.

“The idea for Second Saturdays came from visitors requesting evening or extended hours in our surveys,” says Jenny Hayes, Director of Visitor Experience.

“We’re excited to pilot this program in 2023. Second Saturdays is the perfect time to try a new date night spot, take a golden hour walk, and enjoy music and small bites in a beautiful setting.”

Extended hours provide unique opportunities for all garden visitors!

• Adventure seekers may start a hike along the Byron Shutz Trail System in the afternoon and end the day with a drink on the Visitor Center terraces.

• For a romantic date night, try taking a walk at sunset and stopping at one of the secluded decks in the David T. Beals III Woodland and Stream Garden.

• Families are invited to play longer at Fortopia on the East Lawn or in the Children’s Garden.

Each Second Saturday will offer an education class and tea (additional fees may apply), wine or spirit tasting, snack sample, and live music. Visit powellgardens.org/ calendar to see additional details.

1609 NW US HWY 50 Kingsville, Missouri 64061-9000

816.697.2600 | powellgardens.org

WE’VE INCREASED OUR HOURS OF OPERATION! Check out our website powellgardens.org/visit for the full schedule.

Life in BlOOM

From family gatherings to date night, Powell Gardens is a convener for all of life’s milestones. Did you know that you can reserve specific Powell Gardens’ locations for your next special event? Act now and reserve your spot today by reaching out to our Private Events team at powellgardens.org/private-events or call us at 816.697.2600.