Water, water … essential to life and to our environment. And yet, too much in the wrong place can result in washed out gardens, flooded basements, polluted aquifers and over burdened storm sewers.

Kansas Citians are turning to prairie plants with their deep root systems to help contain excess storm water in an attractive and environmentally beneficial way.

Learn how to design, select plants, construct, plant and care for an attractive urban prairie rain garden.

 Volunteers from Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City (MGGKC) will plant the garden in Loose Park immediately following the seminar. The public is invited.

 Contact John Quick, Kansas City Rose Society (KCRS), for more information. Phone: 913.378.8589/Email: jquick8209@aol.com.

AN URBAN PRAIRIE GARDEN
By John Quick, KCRS President

The Kansas City Rose Society (KCRS) is constructing an “Urban Prairie Garden” in Loose Park. The garden is designed to receive storm water from the northwest slope of the park that now flows into the main and west rose gardens, causing flooding, soil erosion and damage to rose plants in the gardens.

In a unique partnership, KCRS has joined with the Garden Center Association (GCA) and the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) to fund the project. The Kansas City, Missouri Parks & Recreation Dept. (P&R) will construct the garden, and the Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City (MGGKC) will assist with the seminar presentation and planting of the garden.

Garden Design

The garden will be shaped to fit the surrounding contours of the area. It will feature a natural stone inlet spillway to slow water flowing into the garden, and a stone overflow outlet to accommodate excess water.

Garden capacity is sized to insure it will empty within 24 hours of a storm, thus functioning as a “mosquito death trap”. The depth of the garden will be approximately 8 inches.

Plant Selection

Plants were selected for their ability to withstand the harsh and variable Midwestern weather conditions. Their extensive root systems, once established, will enhance the ability of the garden to filter and absorb storm water.

The plant selections are as follows: