Discover creative gardens on MGGKC Garden Tour June 11 & 12
22
June 2021 | kcgmag.com
daylilies, bee balm, and vegetable gardens fill up the sunny spots. There is always something blooming in this happily reclaimed and rejuvenated garden.
Photos by Scotty Moore.
An Urban Secret Garden With Historic Provenance! Even from the street, this garden offers breathtaking views of mature trees and evergreens; however, like a secret garden reminiscent of Frances Hodgson Burnett, the real treasures lay within the garden walls. Roses are the gardener’s favorite bloom, but the garden is also decorated with a variety of pollinator favorites, including coneflowers and orange milkweed—bright patches of color beneath the dappled shade. The garden is harmonized with formally clipped evergreen hedges that dictate order and neatness, while rowdy pink phloxes vie for attention from the borders. A container of impressively large red and green caladium sits regally near a water bath for birds, but a rustic bench with inviting pillows beckons the visitor to rest in the shade and observe the butterflies and other wild garden visitors. This garden proves that one need to live in the country to steward a patch of ecological diversity—even within an urban area, secret gardens can flourish and grow. This garden belongs to a house designated a historic landmark in Blue Springs. Built in 1908, the renovations were completed just ten years ago (the owners purchased the home in disrepair after the former tea house had been abandoned and used afterward for disreputable purposes). The owners explain, “We removed the parking lot, added a two-car garage, a patio, and an outdoor fireplace. Our goal was to keep the integrity of the 1908 home but modernize it for today’s living.” Somewhat restricted by the requirements of living in a historic landmark, the owners are not to change the outside of their home without formal approval, but the garden has been a place to make their own. When they first arrived, only mature maples, pines, elms, and a family of ancient yews lived on the grounds. Birds and wildlife were scarce. The owners first removed the yews to make room for transplanted specimens from
their former garden: “Initially, our goal was to insulate the front and side yard of our corner lot from the busy street. We discovered that our soil was amazingly rich and black. As time went on, we added more beds and more plants, leaving enough room for our two dogs and our grandchildren to run and play. We now have dozens of birds that nest in our Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae and our bushes. We have hundreds of bees and insects to help pollinate the yard.” As for advice that the owner has for others look-
ing to start their own urban secret gardens: “Google is your friend: learn all you can about the plant you’ve selected and don’t be afraid to break the rules about placement. That said, always be cognizant of sun and water needs.” When you visit the garden, look for surprising places where lilies sprout up out of rose shrubs as well as inventive plantings that play with color texture. Hostas, turtlehead, toad lilies, peony trees, and ferns dress the shady parts of the garden, while coneflowers, lilies,
A Thriving Garden in Both Sun and Shade—In Spite of Clay Soil! Twenty-five years ago, the grounds of this garden consisted of sun-baked clay and rock, fully exposed to the elements and the summer heat. Over time, however, the determination and hard work of these homeowners have transformed this space into a refuge with both shade and sunshine, populated with plants that are tolerant of the Missouri clay. The garden has been an invitation for foxes, raccoons, possums, and many, many birds that visit the trees and blooms from the wild spaces bordering the garden. A fish pond—complete with a waterfall and koi—provides soothing sounds of trickling water. When you come for a visit, notice how the Boston ferns soften the shady borders and the tricolor beech that provides interest year-round. If you are fortunate enough to see the garden in the springtime, you can also appreciate the bright orange azaleas that provide contrast to the greens around it, as well as the pink and white dogwoods and yellow magnolia that imbue the new year with a profusion of early color. Advice that these home gardeners have for others? One word: “Patience!” Visitors are invited to tour these gardens and more on June 11th and 12th from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Blue Springs, MO. Tickets are $15, and children under 12 can come for free. This year’s garden tour will also coincide with a Dig-and-Divide Plant Sale (Garden Tour tickets are not required for the Plant Sale). Tickets for the June 11th and 12th Garden Tour are on sale at most lawn and garden centers as well as at the gardens on tour days. For more information and locations of gardens, please go to mggkc.org/ garden-tour.
