The Gardens

Children's Garden

Children of all ages are invited to learn about the outdoors through plant and play exploration in our two acre Children’s Garden.

David T. Beals III Woodland & Stream Garden

The David T. Beals III Woodland & Stream Garden is a shady respite featuring a bubbling brook, overlook decks and plenty of native perennials.

Fountain Garden

Offering beautiful stonework, sun-loving annuals, and cooling sprays, the Fountain Garden is a favorite summertime spot.

Heartland Harvest Garden

The Heartland Harvest Garden is a premier edible landscape featuring beautiful plantings with a dual function of providing food.

Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden

The centerpiece of the 12-acre lake, the Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden features a variety of aquatic plants.

The Memorial Garden

Located adjacent to the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel, the Memorial Garden offers a peaceful space to ruminate during difficult times.

The Perennial Garden

The first garden at Powell Gardens, the Perennial Garden features 3.5 acres of perennials, including daylily and peony collections, and spring flowering trees.

Visitor Center Landscape

The Visitor Center is the central hub for happenings in the Gardens. It is surrounded by a beautiful landscape featuring annual terrace beds, beautiful walks, and a large expanse of green space.

Conservation

In alignment with the mission of Powell Gardens, our conservation efforts pursue the protection of the Midwest Spirit of Place as experienced within our ecological communities.

Powell Gardens’ stewardship actions are a dynamic application of restoration strategies, including engaging valuable partners, as we work to restore the living landscape which supports our botanical gardens. Actions to preserve and uphold the integrity of our ecological communities include reintroducing prescribed fire across the landscape, balancing competition from invasive species, and improving biodiversity within our habitat reconstructions through thoughtful species additions.

Powell Gardens is passionate about connecting people to the landscape of our region throughout the seasons through educational courses, citizen science projects, and conservation volunteer opportunities. We encourage our visitors to observe our restoration progress throughout the Powell Gardens landscape.

Ona’s Prairie

Ona’s Prairie, located in Southwest Pettis County, MO, is a 40-acre tallgrass prairie supporting a diversity of plant and animal species.

This natural community was given to Powell Gardens for education and research in late 2019 due to a bequest from Ona Gieschen. Today, our staff continues to care for this ecological treasure.

Click here to learn more.