Garden Tour offers inspiration, tranquility
Friday, Apr. 12, 2024
WICHITA — The popular Garden Tour returns for 2024 with an inviting array of thoughtfully designed flowerbeds, shady woodland backyard retreats, and calming water features. Sponsored by the Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners, this year’s tour includes five distinctive private gardens as well as one newly established community garden, all providing inspiration and information for creating your own gardening dreams. Each garden will be open for your touring enjoyment for three days only: Friday and Saturday (May 31st and June 1st) from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and Sunday, June 2nd, from noon to 4:00pm. Tickets are $10 per person, and children 12 and under are admitted free with adult.
Enjoy meandering through the tranquil and imaginative landscaping on the tour, and find new gardening ideas along the way. Highlights from the tour this year include both sun and shade gardens, colorful southwest-inspired landscaping, a huge columbine bed, dozens of water features, an integrated vegetable-flower bed, sunken gardens, fun She Sheds, a Pink Flamingo garden, and many unique DIY decorating ideas. All plants will be labeled, and Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will be on-hand at each garden to share more about the garden and answer your gardening questions.
Advance tickets are available for $10.00 per person at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center at 21st & Ridge Road and online at: https://tinyurl.com/Gardens2024. Online tickets can be presented at any of the gardens during the tour (May 31 - June 2), and will be exchanged for a physical ticket. Tickets will also be available at the gardens on the days of the Tour for $10 each (cash or check only). All proceeds benefit the Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners’ educational community outreach programs throughout Sedgwick County.
For additional ticket or event information, please contact the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center at 316-660-0100.
Featured Gardens
Stroll Through a Woodland Garden
7712 Harmony Ct., Wichita, 67209
The cabin style home, sounds of running water and the cool shade of 64 trees on this one-acre lot create a “Mountain Hideaway on the Plains”. A large bronze elk strikes a regal pose to greet you as you enter the garden, while nearby, several bronze deer statues play in the woodland garden. From the back patio enjoy the containers full of colorful annuals. A weeping white pine and Great Blue Heron statue watch over a small babbling brook leading to a koi pond with water lilies. Go for a walk down one of the flagstone pathways, where you’ll discover a variety of Hostas, a Cedar of Lebanon tree, pecan trees, aromatic Eastern Red Cedars, and all this garden has to offer.
Growing a Neighborhood Garden
802 Amidon, Wichita, 67203 (corner of Murdock & Amidon)
Riverside Garden is a Community Garden where individuals can rent a space to grow any plants they choose. This property spans two city lots at the corner of Murdock and Amidon, and has been this garden’s home for only two years. It is a great sunny place for the flowers and vegetables that are planted each year in the more than 30 raised and in-ground beds. You may find large squash, tomatillos, 8-foot tall okra stalks, a plentiful variety of tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, rainbow Swiss chard, giant zinnias, fragrant basil, and bee-filled cucumber beds. To support the idea of community, there is a large, covered pergola with seating, used for neighborly “Coffee & Dirt” get-togethers, as well educational meetings or a place to sit in the rain and enjoy the garden.
Cottage Garden with a Southwest Flair
209 N. Battin, Wichita, 67208
A cozy cottage feel is the best way to describe this one-third acre property. There are many shade and sun gardens nestled around the lot, along with beautifully colored southwest pottery. The layout of flowers and shrubs in the beds is intentionally carefree - a clump of coneflowers here, a patch of daylilies there. As you wander the property you sense the naturalness of the plan and the design skills of the planner. Toward the back of the yard, there is a delightful she shed, two magnolia trees nearby, and a beautiful pollinator garden full of Shasta daisies, yarrow, bee balm, bird houses, and cheerful pieces of art.
Antiques Garden show
3356 E. Bellaire St., Wichita, 67218
Cultivating a pollinator and bird friendly habitat is the number one priority in this garden. This pesticide-free garden encourages a healthy pollinator population, including its very own beehive. In addition to hearing the hum of insects and chirping of birds, there is a quirky collection of antiques on display. Unique planters and handmade stepping stones are tucked into every corner along the path. There are more than a dozen fun water features to delight you while you meander through the garden. Be sure to look for the collection of over 200 caladiums that are starting to emerge.
Levels of Garden Beauty
7061 S. Mark Twain, Derby, 67037
Throughout this one acre landscape you will enjoy a blend of garden styles that progress from intentionally cultivated to natural wilderness. This certified wildlife habitat includes rock walls which create a sunken landscape, and separate the garden into tiers. Every level will give you plenty of inspiration for your own garden. As you step off the back patio of the home, a water feature surrounded by plants awaits. A large collection of Hostas can be found throughout the garden, but out of necessity, many deer resistant plants are utilized too. A wooded area across the back of the property connects to the Arkansas River. A carefully curated collection of antiques blends seamlessly throughout every level of this property, perfectly tying it all together.
Plant Collector’s Paradise
1332 N. Dry Brook Ct., Derby, 67037
When you can’t decide what plant is your favorite, you get one of everything! From columbine and hydrangeas to coneflowers and ornamental grasses, this garden has it all. A variety of planting conditions from full sun to full shade help these plant collectors find the perfect spot for any new plant they add to their collection. To obtain three seasons of color and encourage pollination, vegetables are planted side by side with flowers. Fairy gardens, gazing balls and other wonderful pieces of garden art collected over the last four decades add to the charm and will delight your eyes. For ultimate inspiration, enjoy the relaxing sound of the water feature and watch the swimming fish.
For more information, contact Matthew McKernan at 316-660-0140, or mckernan@ksu.edu.
