Mike Montague

Springtime in Kansas City

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The spring is a great time to explore Kansas City. The fountains, statues, and parks that make KC special are at their most beautiful this time of year. Here are few great parks, which you might want to explore during your time in the city.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN TRAVELHOST KANSAS CITY!

Powell Gardens

Powell Gardens is a 915-acre botanical garden in Kingsville, Missouri, about 30 miles east of Kansas City. It features 6,000 varieties of plants, with 225,000 plants in seasonal displays, and is open to the public, for a fee, during daylight hours. It is by far the biggest and best garden in the KC area. The garden dates to 1948 when the land was purchased by George E. Powell, Sr. Since then, the site has been a dairy farm, a Boy Scout camp, an agricultural and natural resource center, and since 1988, a botanical garden

The gardens include walking and nature trails, fountains, rocks and waterfall garden, as well as many different special garden areas. The huge Visitor Education Center includes a glass-topped conservatory, Café Thyme, Perennial Gifts and meeting spaces.  Powell Gardens is also the home of the Heartland Harvest Garden, the nation’s largest edible landscape. Go to taste this new garden experience today! More information at www.powellgardens.org.

Kauffman Gardens

This 2-acre garden is part of the Kauffman Legacy Park in the heart of Kansas City. Powell Gardens, in partnership with the Kauffman Foundation, manages and maintains the garden. The Kauffman Memorial Garden is a serene and tranquil garden enclosed by beautiful limestone walls. Its brick paths lead to many places to sit and relax. The garden showcases five designs beginning with a beautiful entrance allee of Peking Tree Lilacs shading billowing blue Endless Summer Hydrangeas and other seasonal flowers. Altogether, the garden features 7,000 plants, varieties that include vintage and modern perennials, annuals, shrubs, bulbs and trees. More information at www.powellgardens.org.

Loose Park

At 75-acres, Jacob L. Loose Park is one of Kansas City’s most popular, beautiful and historical. The park is well-known locally as being a major site for the Battle of Westport where Confederate forces were routed by Union forces in the area in which the park is now located. Kansas City’s municipal rose garden in Loose Park is the realization of a dream that began in 1931 when a group of citizens established the Kansas City Rose Society. The first garden contained 120 rose plants. Today, there are about 4,000 roses of nearly 168 varieties in the 1.5-acre garden. More information at www.kcparks.org.

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

The 300-acre Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens was founded to keep the city at the forefront of environmental and ecological issues. About 85 percent of the property in southern Overland Park is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of eight natural ecosystems. The remaining portion includes traditional botanical gardens, trails, and the visitor’s center. The park also offers amazing hiking trails, classes, programs, and tours. Stop by the Arboretum Café for a snack or luck. More information at www.opkansas.org.