Garden Inspiration Weekend is finally here!
Niki Kenniff
Agriculture & Horticulture
Program Assistant
The Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners will host the Garden Tour, Native Plant Sale and Garden Art Sale will all be taking place on Saturday, June 3rd and the Garden Tour will continue on through Sunday, June 4th.
The Garden Tour will highlight 6 unique local gardens in Douglas County.
One garden on the tour highlights the transformation from lawn to garden with an emphasis on water conservation/management. When viewing this eclectic garden, visitors may not think that it began as a plain, grassy lawn twenty-five years ago. Rather than putting all that work into plain grass, they began removing it one section at a time. Now, instead of grass, portions of the garden are a flower garden, a vegetable garden, and an herb garden, creating a mix of function and aesthetics.
Another garden featured on the tour might be described as a cross between a Japanese garden and an English garden. The home-owner tries to add a major feature each year – a new area, focal point, or bed. He loves reusing quality materials that need a new home. Most of the materials in the gardens’ décor were discovered on Craigslist and Marketplace, or scavenged from junk piles.
One garden in Old West Lawrence can be best described as eclectic and focuses on a combination of shade-loving annuals and perennials. Visitors will notice the giant hostas, which are among the homeowners’ favorite plants because, besides being shade-lovers, they grow dependably from year to year. Multiple water features and unique artwork delight visitors.
Another garden located just northwest of Lawrence might be described as “cottage garden design; in that it is a bit messy,” the homeowner shares. Neat and tidy is not their goal. Each plant is chosen for its attractiveness to native wildlife – pollinators, birds, and especially hummingbirds. While each plant choice is intentional, they don’t necessarily plant with a plan, just an idea to attract those creatures. They purchased the property because of the woodlands, and because it is bordered by two city parks that can’t be developed, which means that the home will always have woodlands to the east and west.
| Your Garden Tour ticket will provide entry to six beautiful private gardens. Tickets are $15. Anyone 10 and over will need to purchase a ticket (online purchase). Tickets purchased at the Douglas County Fairgrounds can be purchased using a credit card, cash or check. Tickets purchased at one of the other gardens must be paid with cash or check. More Garden Tour details. |
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| Garden Art Sale – Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or until the art has been sold held in the open Pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Lawrence. More Garden Art details. |
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| The Native Plant Sale will be held in the open Pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 2120 Harper Street in Lawrence, Kansas on Saturday, June 3rd, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or until plants are gone. Click link to view plant list. https://dgemgks.com/2023-native-plant-sale-plants/ |
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