A Kansas garden drew national attention last week when singer Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce revealed they’d gotten engaged there.
More than 36 million people “liked” the Instagram post announcing Swift’s acceptance of that flower-filled proposal amid the secluded horticultural wonderland behind Kelce’s mansion in Leawood in Johnson County.
Though Kelce’s property is private, the Sunflower State is filled with enchanting gardens that are open to the public.
Following are seven of those.
The Lavender Patch Farm, Fort Scott
More than 1,000 plants and 20 varieties of lavender “turn the prairie purple during June’s peak bloom,” the kstravel.com website said of the Lavender Patch Farm at Fort Scott.
Visitors may wander the farm’s fields to pick lavender plants to purchase or take a tour to learn how the crop is grown, harvested and dried, that site said.
Lavender ice cream can be bought during an annual festival held annually on the third weekend of June at the farm, where handmade lotions and soaps are also among items available for purchase.
Reinisch Rose Garden, Topeka
Established in 1930, Gage Park’s Reinisch Rose Garden in Topeka features more than 4,500 roses of 180 varieties, said the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation website.
The garden is a popular wedding spot. It includes newly released rose varieties and numerous unusual varieties that are no longer commercially available, that site said.
Each April, Reinisch Rose Garden is among settings for “Tulip Time,” in which more than 100,000 tulips are planted at Gage Park, Ted Ensley Gardens and Ward-Meade Botanical Garden, all at Topeka.
Bramble’s Edge Farm, Rose Hill
Seasonal flowers, a market, workshops, tours, special events and gorgeous meadows for photoshoots are offered at Bramble’s Edge Farm, located on 8 acres at Rose Hill in Butler County in south-central Kansas, its website said.
Visitors may pick a bouquet of flowers to buy at a cost of $6 for 12 stems, the kstravel website said, adding that the farm also sells eggs, fresh produce, herbs, mints, berries, pumpkins and locally made candles and soaps.
The farm closes in the late fall and reopens in May, its website said. It offers fresh eggs and herbs, as well as photoshoot options year-round.
Ted Ensley Gardens, Topeka
This 37.5-acre garden area on the west side of Lake Shawnee features 1,200 varieties of perennials and 300 varieties of annuals, as well as roses, trees and shrubs, said the Visit Topeka website.
That site said Ted Ensley Gardens provides “a panoramic view of the lake and spectacular plantings in a beautiful and tranquil setting with meandering paths and seating areas.”
Ted Ensley Gardens also features water and rock gardens, a gazebo, a pergola and a pagoda with a meditation garden, said the website for Shawnee County Parks and Recreation.
Klamm Flowers-U-Pick-Flower-Maze, Bonner Springs
“Outfitted with loaned clippers and a jumbo water cup, visitors venture through the farmyard’s raised beds, snipping zinnias, sunflowers, dahlias, celosia, and basil for a take-home bouquet,” said the kstravel.com website.
“The fifth-generation farm hosts Sip and Snip (wine and flower picking) and flower-arranging classes,” that site added. “It also takes bookings for photo shoots in the fields.”
Visitors for $25 may pick and purchase enough flowers to fill a 32-ounce cup, which will produce a large bouquet or two smaller bouquets, the Klamm Flowers website said.
Ward-Meade Botanical Garden, Topeka
Visitors can “blend history with gorgeous grounds” by strolling through the 2.5-acre Ward-Meade Botanical Garden at Old Prairie Town/Ward-Meade Historic Site at 124 NW Fillmore in Topeka, said the travelks.com website.
“Its National Hosta Display Garden, one of only a few in the country, features hundreds of hostas,” that site said. “A National Daylily Display Garden and more than 500 varieties of flowers, trees, and shrubs round out the show.”
The site also offers an herb garden, a monarch butterfly way station, water features, a gazebo, bridges, paved trails, 10,000 annuals and the Asian Garden at Anna’s Place, said the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation website.
Botanica, Wichita
This 20-acre group of botanical gardens offers 4,000 plant species as well as sculptures, water features and a restored 1949 carousel, said the kstravel.com website.
“Open year-round, Botanica celebrates the seasons with flower festivals, concerts, traveling exhibits and the illuminating finale: gardens aglow with more than 2 million holiday lights,” it said.
Botanica’s Downing Children’s Garden features a “rainbow trail,” “sunflower plaza fountain,” “monster woods” and “salamander stream,” the Botanica website said.
Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for children, senior citizens and the military and free for children 2 and younger.
As reported in the Topeka Capital Journal
