Here in Kansas City, we’re enjoying a winter wonderland. Over the weekend, we got 7+ inches of a beautiful, wet, heavy snow — the kind that makes trees branches hang heavy and snowmen come alive. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and if you ask Blaze and Beau, it makes our daily walk extra fun.

But, as fun as the snow can be, I can’t help but think of spring. I just ordered about 400 seeds for container annuals, and I’m starting to browse through all of the plant catalogs that are arriving in my mailbox. (Like a kid with a toy catalog at Christmas, I circle the plants I want!) So it seems especially fitting that today’s post should highlight a stop on last year’s Master Gardener Tour that inspired a number of the flowers on my “start from seed” list!

As I teased in my overview post awhile back, this garden took advantage of its sunny location to grow some show-stopping annuals. Owner and Master Gardener Joan says she is inspired by English gardens and the Tuscan countryside. She also loves to bring in ideas from Florida, a favorite winter getaway.

This was stop #1 for us on the 2018 Johnson County Master Gardener tour. It was my first time on a private garden tour (gasp!) but will certainly not be my last!

As we walked up to the home, we were greeted by a beautiful front garden featuring a mix of annuals and perennials. The well-manicured boxwood and barberry shrubs provided the perfect foundation for brightly-colored annuals and a few whimsical pieces of art.

Once we tracked down the name of the beautiful pink flower tucked in a container alongside the Persian Shield (Angelonia), we followed a pathway past a cute front courtyard through the side garden. This took a lot longer than you would expect for the relatively short distance, considering how often we had to stop to take pictures.

I mean, how can I just pass by a plant with a color combination like this chartreuse and purple spiderwort? It just pops in bright shade!

And c’mon, like I’m supposed to ignore this incredible container planting that I’m going to attempt to replicate next year?

Well, we did finally make it to the back garden, where a purple clematis welcomed us and beckoned us to “come on in!”

The back garden was a mix of sun and shade, and the colorful theme continued throughout. It was clear that a gardener lived here. The Carharts added in an outdoor living space, complete with fire pit, in 2014. When you have a lovely garden, it’s important you have a place to sit and enjoy it!

While much of the garden did see sun, shadier areas were filled with various shades of green and climbing vines, creating a welcome retreat from the late spring heat.

One of my favorite annuals used throughout the garden was a yellow Portulaca. While I’m generally not much for yellows and oranges, this was a perfect sunshine yellow that made me happy just looking at it. I may have to add a spot or two of yellow in my garden this year.

The most amazing thing to me was that work on this garden only began 6 years ago — compared to many gardens on the tour, this was still a “new” garden!

At each garden on the tour, I learned something new, discovered a new must-have plant, and fantasized about having all the time in the world to garden. In the Carhart garden, I found some new annuals to try and learned that the right color of yellow can make me smile.

Next up we’ll dive deeper into a garden 30+ years in the making…one that reminds us that masterpieces take time to create! Stay tuned…