Powell Gardens offer beautiful views in Kansas City
Kansas City’s Powell Gardens provide visitors with beautiful scenery. We recently spent a couple of hours in the botanical gardens, southeast of the city.
Powell Gardens are about a 50-minute drive from downtown Kansas City. The botanical garden is actually located near Kingsville. The drive actually goes by fairly quickly.
Visitors can take in a variety of plants and flowers on more than 900 acres. The gardens are situated fairly close together, for the most part.
The longest we walked was about a half mile before seeing a garden. That was from the visitors center to the Perennial Garden. However, you can enjoy the walk because you get a view of the grounds next to a small lake.
Once at the Perennial Garden, we saw some beautiful flowers. Lilies were the dominant flower we viewed, but there were so many attractive flowers to look at.
You have to love the colors of the flowers you encounter on a walk – pink, orange, white, purple, red. Powell Gardens offer a visual masterpiece.
I liked the use of artwork along the paths. The lake had sculptures, which allowed for some nice photo opportunities and views. The artwork enhances the beauty of the nature.
We strolled through the Rock and Waterfall Garden. Small streams with miniature waterfalls gave the impression you were in the woods.
We eventually made our way to a small chapel. It was designed by Fay Jones, who was once a student of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The chapel is reminiscent to another Jones’ design just outside Omaha (Family Holy Shrine).
The chapel’s nave has a beautiful view of the lake in the background of the altar. The pews were comfortable to sit and meditate for a few moments.
Outside the chapel is a beautiful waterfall, with woods as the backdrop.
As we walked along the lake, we admired some colorful roses.
Powell Gardens are home to a special summer exhibit featuring Legos. Nature Connects 2 is a series of 27 sculptures set to a nature theme. I was impressed that the Gardens have them spread out around the grounds. When we saw them in Omaha earlier this year, they were inside the Visitors Center (of course, it was the middle of winter). More than 300,000 Legos were used to create the art.
A lily is located near a walking bridge, and allows visitors a view of the lake and chapel in the background.
The Island Garden, which is located in the middle of the lake, gives another great view of flowers and plants – from water lilies to more.
An eagle from the Legos exhibit is located on a tree, appearing to scan the area for a possible meal.
A family of ducks uses a flower bed as possible protection from the eagle.
As we took in more beauty of the botanical garden, we checked out more flowers.
Along the way, we saw a large sculpture of rabbits at play.
Then, among the flowers and the sculptures, we eyed a real family of geese eating along the lake shore. They and several other geese were moving away from the water, as storm clouds started moving into the area.
Powell Gardens did a great job positioning the Nature Connects 2 animals. A woodpecker was attached a tree, so it gave an appearance it was working on the tree.
We enjoyed a stroll through the garden area to the Barn and Silo Overlook. The overlook, inside of a silo-designed tower allows visitors a great view of the Quilt Gardens. The gardens actually resemble quilts our grandmothers may have made back in the day.
The cool thing about theses gardens is that they are part of the world’s largest edible garden. Fruits, vegetables and herbs are raised here. Chefs will visit the garden and put on cooking demonstrations, using the items in the gardens as ingredients.
The gardens even have their own tractor and trailer, though, I’m not sure the last time it ran.
A sundial from the Lego exhibit is located in this area.
We encountered a group of cicadas making their way out of the ground. They were flying around, landing on us, trees and other vegetation. A few of the bugs found landing pads on apples and peaches.
Along the way, we viewed another Lego display of a family working in the garden.
The gardens’ water fountain is an acknowledgement to Kansas City’s reputation as the “City of Fountains.” The fountain is surrounded by shrubs, trees and flower beds.
Nearby, a Legos display highlights a butterfly working on a flower to gather pollen.
We actually made the visitors center our last stop during the visit. Magnolia flowers highlighted the floral arrangement in the area.
A Legos display focused on squirrels and birds competing for the prize in a bird feeder.
The visitors center has a charming indoor waterfall.
Outside the center, visitors get their first glimpse of Nature Connects 2 with a hummingbird and flower.
We had an enjoyable visit to Powell Gardens. We recommend making Powell a stop when visiting the Kansas City area.
For more information, please visit www.powellgardens.org.
Disclaimer: Thanks to the Kansas City Visitors Bureau for the complimentary tickets. However, all opinions and views are ours.
