For the second year, a curated selection of botanic container designs inspired by artworks from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s collection will be on view throughout the Visitor Center Terraces.

Featured designers include:

• Ferrell Richardson and Marydee Richardson of The Cottage Rose
• Jessica Teliczan of Paradise Garden Club
• Andy Ozier
• Amyann Kahler and Amy Loux of Daylight Flora
• John Rufenacht
• Katie Mabry van Dieren of The Strawberry Swing
• Cody and Ariel Roelofsz of Ursa & Vixen Seed Co.
• Bill Jennings and Richard Triggs
• Brian Morely of Bergamot and Ivy Design
• Miriamne Marlowe
  

Tuzzy-Muzzy | Rachel Youn
Garden Gallery breezeway
Daily during festival | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Rachel Youn (b. 1994, Abington, PA) received their BFA from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. Youn uses sculpture and new media to poke fun at hierarchical narratives embedded in objects and lifestyles. Sourcing from home furnishing stores and oriental goods peddled on craigslist, their work collapses notions of authenticity and artifice through the lens of identity. Youn has exhibited widely and is a recipient of the Regional Arts Commission Artist Support Grant and the Vermont Studio Center Fellowship. Most recently, they received the 2020 Great Rivers Biennial Award and opened the solo exhibition “Gather” at the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis.

As the title of this work suggests, Tuzzy-Muzzy, draws inspiration from the rise in popularity of the nosegay during the eighteenth century. Embedded with humor, the flower garland writhes, wiggles and rests. The faux flower selections included serve as a nod the collecting frenzies of the time including orchid mania.

April 20-24 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Visitor Center Grand Hall

During opening weekend (April 20-24, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.), Kansas City Ikebana fills the Grand Hall with individual arrangements and a stunning group creation. Club members draw inspiration from Evening Effect, a French piece by Jean-Baptiste-Armand Guillaumin from the Nelson-Atkin Museum of Art’s collection. The display allows guests to enjoy many interpretations side by side.

Garden Gallery
Daily during festival | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Victorian-era brought about a heightened interest and enthusiasm for observing the natural world. The Garden Gallery (formerly Seed to Plate Greenhouse) has been transformed into a Victorian-inspired greenhouse mimicking the spaces where enthusiastic hobbyists and amateur botanists alike would daydream, study, and play in the dirt.

Frozen in time, the botanic display imagined by Lead Horticulturist, Eric Perette, showcases plants from Powell Gardens’ collection that were considered rare alongside a variety of edibles, offering a highly visual and educational display of plants in various stages of growth. Visitors will observe different propagation and growing methods, seeing and learning firsthand how a single seed or cutting transforms into a fully mature and fruiting plant.

Generously donated by Jonathan and Nancy Lee Kemper, a collection of Longshadow Planters dots the spring landscape. Look for seasonal arrangements on the Visitor Center Terraces, in the Fountain Garden, and at the Missouri Barn.

May 14 & 15 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Missouri Barn
Included with admission | Members receive free admission

Celebrate the emergence of spring with the season’s newest creatures! Baby goats, bunnies, chicks, and lambs from Storm Dancer Farms will be onsite for the whole family to cuddle and pose with.

May 15 | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Show your botanical tattoo or botanical name during check-in to receive a Powell Gardens botanical sticker, free drink, and one entry into a Marketplace gift basket drawing. Promotion can only be used once per guest and only on May 15, 2022.

Thursday, April 12 | 10-11 a.m.
$15 | 10% less for members

All young garden explorers are welcome to participate in Family Program: Herb Planting. Attendees will channel their creativity and paint their own terra cotta pot. While the paint dries, Powell Gardens’ gardeners will teach a brief lesson on growing herbs in pots. Children will plant their own herb seeds to grow at home!

This program is recommended for ages 6 and below. Tickets to Family Program: Herb Planting includes admission to Powell Gardens’ spring festival, Painted Garden, a value of $12.

Adults do not need to register. Only register children who will be making a herb pot to take home.

Register: Herb Planting

Saturday, April 30 | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
$60 | $42 for members

In this Lunchtime Lecture, learn about one of the most interesting times in botanical history. Tulip Mania refers to the time during the Dutch Golden Age when prices for the recently introduced bulb reached extraordinarily high levels.

Join Education Manager, Caitlin Eckard, for a deep dive into the social history of Tulip Mania as well as the lasting effects on the Dutch economy after the bust of tulip sales. After lunch, attendees will tour (weather permitting) one of Powell Gardens’ spring flower collections.

A boxed lunch and non-alcoholic drink are included with class registration. Tickets also include admission into Painted Garden, Powell Gardens’ spring festival, at a value of $12.

Register: Tulip Mania

Saturday, April 30 | 2-3:30 p.m.
$50 | $33 for members

Have you thought about what the bouquet of flowers you’re sending really means? Historically, different flowers have been thought to represent big ideas or feelings like love, friendship, sorrow, and patience. Join Education Manager, Caitlin Eckard, to uncover the meaning of various flowers and colors.

After the presentation, attendees will make their own pressed flower artwork to take home. Tickets include general admission to Powell Gardens’ spring festival, Painted Garden, a $12 value.

Register: Language of Flowers

Saturday, May 7 | 11 a.m. – noon
$20 | $8 for members

Anyone can grow beautiful roses! Laura Dickinson, an American Rose Society Master Consulting Rosarian, will share how to choose the right varieties and understand the growing conditions that help them thrive. Additionally, Dickinson will teach attendees the history of roses, how new roses are developed, and how to select the best roses for your garden. Learn basic rose care and leave with tips to successfully grow these beautiful blooms at home.

Register: All About Roses

Tuesday, May 10 | 1-4 p.m.
$90 per class | $240 for three-part series
*10% membership discount only applied when signing up for an individual class in this series

Ona Gieschen’s Native Prairie, located just outside of Sedalia, Missouri, is owned and managed by Powell Gardens. The Native Prairie Series, a series of workshops taught at Ona’s Prairie by staff Conservationist, Julie Copley, aims to provide participants valuable perspective on this critical Midwest ecosystem. Each workshop will highlight topics surrounding the tallgrass prairie such as biodiversity, management, and conservation, as well as include a discussion of the highlighted prairie plant species for additional community context.

In the first workshop, participants will receive an introduction to tallgrass prairies, including ecological perspectives and distinction amidst other grassland types. Additionally, identification of the major plant families found in this ecosystem as well as techniques for plant identification will be presented. The plant of focus for this class is Painted Cup (Castilleja coccinea).

Participants can sign up for all three classes in the series or select individual classes based on the topics presented. Classes will be held outside at Ona’s Prairie, so please wear close-toed shoes, long pants, hats, and bug spray. There will be a picnic area and water available for a break time. Portable toilets will also be onsite.

Register: Tall Grass Prairie

Daily | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Visitor Center

Visit The Marketplace at Powell Gardens for grab-and-go food options alongside locally made and garden-inspired gifts.

Daily | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Marketplace at Powell Gardens

Located in The Marketplace, the Painted Garden Dessert Bar features specialty cookies and cupcakes along with Annedore’s Chocolates.

Daily | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Visitor Center Grand Hall

Botanical beers, wine, soda, and snacks are available for purchase in the Visitor Center. Pick up a seasonal beverage before heading out to experience spring in the Gardens!

10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Missouri Barn

Visit the Missouri Barn for refreshments. ReFresh serves beer, wine, soda, and snacks. Ascend to the top of the silo for a bird’s eye view of spring blooms.