Great News! We’re looking forward to our garden tour on June 10, 2023.

2023 Tour Gardens

Proceeds from the tour are used for the club’s grant program, which provides funds to Shawnee schools, churches, museums, and non-profit organizations to support their gardening projects which help fulfill the club’s objectives.

Tour tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite by clicking here, or at the following locations:

• Family Tree Nursery (Overland Park and Shawnee)
• Wild Birds Unlimited (Shawnee and Olathe)
• Earl May Garden Center (Shawnee)

Rossbach’s Sun and Shade

Part sun and part shade, the Rossbach’s garden represents nearly 30 years of experimentation to learn what grows best in their rock-filled, heavy clay soil. You’ll see a variety of foliage and flowers, as well as a raised vegetable bed and an herb garden. A large compost bin provides rich organic matter to condition the soil throughout the growing season. In recent years, the Rossbach’s have been planting natives, both for lower maintenance and to attract pollinators. They look forward to showing you their new garden beds!

Thowe’s Small Spaces, Big Impact

The Thowe garden reveals that you don’t need a huge yard to make a big impact! To make the most out of every inch of their property, two small business interior designers who love their cozy Roeland Park home were spurred to create a more sprawling and beautiful outdoor living space. As their house is quite small, they wanted an outdoor living space to host outdoor parties for family and friends to hang out, relax and barbecue. After an 18-month process of construction and plantings, the Thowe’s completed their outdoor sanctuary in the spring of 2022. Visitors will enjoy seeing the creative use of space—from a fire pit with seating for 10, to a dining table that seats eight, to a raised bed garden using a corten steel fence for privacy. Softening the fence with honeysuckle vine as well as a variety of low-maintenance perennials planted on both sides, the Thowe’s have also tucked in a variety of potted plants for additional color and flare. Adding further interest, another area of the yard includes plantings handed down by the home’s previous owners, including rare varieties of daylilies and black-eyed Susans.

Geib’s Whimsy Waters

With its backdrop of the woods and whimsical touches such as a lamppost, the Geib’s charming gardens, designed for their children to play and imagine, could be mistaken for Narnia. The fun paths and bridges lead around two ponds and a bubbling stream. Life is about changes—so too with gardens. This once deep shade woodland garden now has a fresh landscape of maples, daisies, yarrow, lavender, iris and many other sun loving plants. Terracing adds further depth and interest, as does the front yard vegetable and herb garden. As you wander, note the various plant selections and placement. Come enjoy a playful walk about the garden, take photographs and make lists!

Hostetter’s Birds and Butterflies

A 30-year work in progress has resulted in a yard that has more square footage in planted gardens than grass. Many heavily planted beds, a fair-sized water feature and a lot of rock work has resulted in a very relaxing backyard that the birds and butterflies also enjoy. Shade beds include several dozen varieties of hostas, ferns and epimediums. Semi-shade beds have clematis, heuchera, pulmonaria and persicaria. Butterfly gardens and a banana grove are highlights of semi-sunny areas of the garden, as well as a newly planted bed of native flowers and grasses. Another highlight is the water garden which features taro, carex, sagittaria, lizard tail and watercress. Come and enjoy this garden showcasing a variety of selected plants!

Caspari-Epperson Garden Oasis

Welcome to the Caspari-Epperson garden oasis, where you are instantly wrapped in soothing nature! With over 10 trees, this mostly shaded garden didn’t stop these garden enthusiasts from having a lush green landscape. The backyard holds a variety of shades, variegations, heights and structures—bleeding hearts, hostas, coral bells, Solomon’s seal, hellebore, ferns, lilies, candytuft, hardy hibiscus, astilbe, ‘Jane’ magnolia, beardtongues, phlox and ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas—all beautiful when in full bloom. Loving to experiment with different types of sun and shade annuals, the Caspari-Epperson’s also have many pots throughout their gardens, adding further interest and color. Four hybrid rose bushes grace the side of the house and butterflies enjoy the plantings in the sunnier corner of their yard, where you will also find an abundant herb garden.

Adding to their oasis setting are two water features. Their waterfall is thoughtfully integrated into the landscaping under their new deck, producing a peaceful sound they enjoy while entertaining friends and family, or when relaxing in the nearby hammock. The ponds are home to several koi, shubunkins and goldfish, as well as a variety of plantings, including calla lilies, cannas, papyrus, elephant ears to name just a few. Come explore this lovely garden oasis!