Thanks to our sponsors for this garden: Paradise Ponds & Waters Hardware & Garden Center
Owners: Laurie & Ken Pitts
Address: 1205 Meyer Drive
Plan to shop! Vendor at this garden: Second Chance Design by Mike & Sandy King
Highlights:
- Magnolia tree
- Asiatic lilies
- Shade gardens
- Unique perennials
- Native plants and pollinators
- Woodland path
- Fairy and gnome gardens
- Rain garden area
- Pond
- 6 different seating areas
Things to NOT miss:
- Mannequins dressed as characters from Jane Austen’s novels
- Quotes posted on fences from Jane Austen’s novels
- “Since this garden celebrates author Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, you must meet Lizzie and Darcy from Pride & Prejudice, dressed up in authentic Regency clothing! They look very much at home in the sort of garden Jane loved and wrote about.” Garden owner, Laurie Pitts
Favorite Plants:
- All the interesting shade plants in “The Woodland Path”.
- “To me, it (Woodland Path) is a bit like stepping into a magic forest.” Garden owner, Laurie Pitts
Challenges:
- Patience
- “Developing the patience for the agonizingly long time it takes to go from planting to blooming. Someone once said ‘Gardening is the slowest performing art.’ What makes it worse is that you only have one season to get it right!” Garden owner, Laurie Pitts
Gardening Tips:
- Grow native cultivars, but they can be hard to find.
- Join Kansas Native Plant Society to learn more about these beneficial plants and where to source them.
How would you like someone to describe your garden?
- A four-season space
- A little wild
- In Pride and Prejudice, the Bennett’s garden was described as “a pretty-ish piece of wilderness.” I hope people see beyond the pretty blooms into a four-season space that is also a little wild.” Garden owner, Laurie Pitts
Educational Recommendations:
Hypertufa pots (Washington State University Master Gardeners)
Container Gardening (Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners)
Central Kansas Lawn & Garden Blog 