Garden Tours Showcase Drought-Resilient Beauty
Friday, April 11, 2025
WICHITA — The annual Garden Tour is back for 2025 with an inviting array of thoughtfully designed gardens that emphasize water conservation, sustainability, innovation, and support for pollinators and wildlife. Sponsored by the Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners, this year’s tour includes four inviting private gardens as well as two beautiful gardens on the Wichita State University campus, each offering their own unique beauty and endless ideas for your own garden. Each garden on this year’s Garden Tour will be open for tours for three days only: Friday, May 30th and Saturday, May 31st from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and Sunday, June 1st, from noon to 4:00pm. Tickets are $10 per person, and children 12 and under are welcomed free with adult.
This family-friendly event has something for all ages, from eye-catching brightly colored annuals to one-of-a-kind garden art. Each garden has something special to offer and inspire all, from the beginner to the most seasoned gardeners. Highlights from the tour this year include many varieties of Hostas, numerous ponds and water features, striking mature trees, shade tolerant perennial plant options, dramatic garden views, and peaceful outdoor entertaining spaces framed by native plantings. All plants will be labeled by name, and Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will be your tour guides at each garden to share plant details 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: www.sedgwick.ksu.edu/gardentour. Online tickets can be presented at any of the gardens during the tour (May 30 - June 1) 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 Gardener Volunteers’ 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:
Land of Oaks and Country Living
Over 30 towering oak trees stand guard over this tranquil country oasis, casting shade over the carefully landscaped gardens. This collection of oak trees, including 15 different varieties, is just the beginning of this expansive property, but will surely give any gardener great ideas for drought tolerant trees that will grow well in South Central Kansas.
With such large trees, shade gardening is highlighted in many ways, including a large Hosta collection. As you explore this property further, an emphasis on water conservation comes into sharp focus. Scattered throughout the gardens, drought tolerant native plants are used for both saving water as well as supporting pollinators. The use of drip irrigation systems also emphasizes the use of water-wise gardening practices.
This garden is a canvas of color, where vibrant art pieces and pots brimming with cheerful annuals brighten up every corner of this property's many small gardening spaces. As you stroll the gardens, Hostas, Iris, Baptisia, coral bells, and a large silver maple tree will offer you a cozy, comfortable feeling. The sounds of splashing water features nearby will have you looking for a spot to sit and take in the loveliness of the scene.
The owner, who has lovingly tended to this space for 32 years, has seen it bloom into something truly special. Always open to family and friends, you'll discover a multi-purpose, family-friendly garden perfect for a quiet moment or lively conversation with friends.
Small Spaces with Big Splashes of Color
As you step onto the property, you’re immediately welcomed by towering trees, majestic stone columns, and beds of rugged Colorado River rock, creating a mountain-inspired atmosphere. What truly makes this space stand out is its fascinating history: at the heart of the backyard lies a 48-foot-long, 33,200-gallon swimming pool, hand-dug by the original owners back in 1948. Through the years this site has served as a staple of community activities, including a practice pool for many local high school swim teams.
Now the backyard and pool blend comfortably into the garden design. Surrounding the pool and scattered throughout the garden, you'll find an array of whimsical painted chairs, bright pieces of art, and an explosion of color from flowerbeds, pots and containers brimming with native and annual flowers. This property blends history, nature, and artistry into a flourishing and welcoming haven, making it a truly unique and captivating space.
This garden space is constantly evolving as the owners work to expand the spaces each year, experimenting with new plants. Depending on the season, the property will be blooming with the homeowner’s favorite flowers, including salvia, ‘Gold Mound’ Spirea, Coreopsis, Russian sage, Dianthus, pincushion flower, and speedwell. 'Vicaryi' golden privet, boxwoods, barberry, Hosta, and creeping Jenny fill in the gaps to enhance the year-round charm of the gardens.
Water management is key for both lawn and flower beds, so there is an abundance of native plants incorporated into the yard. When they are in full bloom, the gardens come alive with a flutter of butterflies and a flurry of hummingbirds, creating a scene straight out of a nature lover's dream.
WSU’s Innovation Campus in Bloom
The gardens at Woolsey Hall blend sustainability with beauty on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus. Adjacent to a LEED (Leadership & Energy Environmental Design)-certified building, the gardens required the incorporation of native plants and water retention areas to meet certification standards. While limited water may be used to support the gardens, plant life is anything but lacking! Bold, winter-hardy hibiscus make a striking impression, artfully paired with grasses, perennials, greenhouse tropicals and houseplants.
Wander through terraced gardens, lined with concrete stepping blocks to discover a delightful mix of structured landscapes and free-flowing natural beauty. Glimpse back over to the nearby pond, surrounded by buffer strip plantings along the water’s edge that not only create a beautiful scene, but improve water quality, reduce algae blooms and enhance wildlife habitat.
Be sure to take a step back from the lush garden plantings and stroll across the Promise Bridge, a campus icon where students and parents exchange heartfelt promises, to enjoy a panoramic view of the garden.
Accept this unique invitation to wander through the gardens of Wichita State University’s President’s residence, to discover how plants and hardscaping can transform outdoor spaces into distinct outdoor rooms. Discover the many clever uses of stone in retaining walls, winding pathways, and even a rock bench. Meander along the shaded walkways surrounding the residence, with each turn offering a new perspective of the carefully curated garden.
Delight in the mix of sculptures and fountains scattered throughout the gardens, each offering unique inspiration for designing a shade garden. Vibrant containers filled with heat-loving annuals and tropical plants provide a pop of color against the brick patio, drawing your eye to the special plantings that make each corner of the garden come alive.
Source
Matthew McKernan
316-660-0140
mckernan@ksu.edu