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This website has been developed specifically for Kansas farmers and ranchers involved in AgriTourism, rural properties where the traveler has an opportunity to experience farm and country life far from the hustle of the city.
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June 2006 Featured Destination:

Grassland Gardens
Science and Art Equals a Career!

Trish Remley lives in “tall grass country,” that beautiful part of north and central Kansas where the tall grass of the prairie seems to roll endlessly in the wind like ocean waves, undulating to the horizon in all directions, interrupted only by the occasional farm house, tree, or pond.

So you can see why we were a bit intrigued when we first learned about Trish, and her business, Grassland Gardens, where Trish sells-what else-tall grass!

Well, to be fair, Trish sells Ornamental Grass. It’s not like she’s trying to “sell ice in Alaska” just because she sells ornamental grasses in tall grass country; Grassland Gardens features more than 50 varieties of ornamental grasses, most of which are not even native to the United States. She also grows a large variety of flowers selected and grown specifically for dried floral bouquets and arrangements.

The 500-acre farm is located 7 miles west of Miltonvale, Kansas, and about 38 miles north of Salina. Chad and Trish Remley purchased the land approximately 10 years ago when Chad went to work for the Kansas Natural Resource Conservation office in Salina. More than 2.5 acres are planted in ornamental grasses and flowers, with the remainder of the land used for wildlife and rented for cattle pasture.

Trish, who has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in agronomy, became interested in grasses and dried flowers before they moved to Kansas. She was doing soil erosion research at the University of Missouri, and one of her friends in horticultural was showing her the broad range of flowers that can be dried successfully. Another was working with ornamental grass.

“Both seemed like a neat fit,” Trish said. “These special decorative plants appeal to both the scientist and the artist in me. With their simplistic beauty, ornamental grasses add a different dimension, height and movement, to your garden. Particularly here, in Kansas, they are a natural complement to the ecosystem.”

The grasses range from the “little bunny” miniature grass, which grows to about 8” in height, up to some as tall as 7 foot. A few of the plants are native cultivars, but many of the plants are from different parts of the world, and are often more vivid blues and reds than the native varieties. 'Purpurascens' - Flame Grass, 'Bluetenwonder', 'Cabaret', 'Cloud Nine' and 'Heavy Metal' switch grass , and Penniseturn 'Rubrum' - Purple Fountain Grass, are among the many names that grass lovers will discover growing on the farm.

There are grasses with variegations/stripes that run the length of the blade, and others that band, or run across the blade. They also come in all sorts of textures, widths and colors-with many different shades of greens, blues, reds, yellows, and burgundies. Some grasses even turn colors in the fall, such as the Japanese Silver Grass Bluetenwonder, which turns shades of red and pink, or the Malepartus, which turns a deeper shade of red in the fall.

How does one choose between fountain grasses, big bluestems, northern sea oats, feather reed grasses, switch grasses, and Indian grass? One of the best ways is to take the Fall Tour at Grassland Gardens. The majority of Trish’s customers like to stroll the fall gardens when the grasses are at their full splendor.

“The fall tour lets them see the size and color of the plant, how several sizes and colors work together in the garden, and what annuals and perennials work together with the grasses for a breath-taking impact,” Trish said.

“I have plants that love full sun and others that only need partial sun. Plus, we trial all the grasses here in the field before we'll sell them, so we know they will do well with local temperatures and rainfall."

" The fall tour lets them see them all, and then place their order for the spring.”

In the spring, Trish will divide the plants and customers with fall orders will pick them up in one gallon or 2 gallon containers, ranging in price from $7 to $12. Of course, there are always customers throughout the year, but the fall shoppers are probably the most excited, since they have seen the end product.

Trish also sells some perennials and other plants that she feels complement the grasses to complete the yard planting, including butterfly bushes, catmint, blue mist spirea, sedums, pen stemons, and agastache. Beautiful display gardens at the farm help visitors visualize how it all works together.

Spring also is the time that Trish puts in her flowers and plants that she will grow during the summer and cut at precisely the right moment to capture their full glory as dried floral arrangements. She plants 50-60 varieties of flowers, seed pods, broom corn, wheat, and oats, starting the plants from seed and then transferring them to the field.

Guests are invited to walk the grounds and learn about the individual plants; each plant is labeled to help guests appreciate the variety. Plants include caspia, lamb's ear, globe amaranth, celosias, nigella, basil, yarrow, larkspur, lavender, sea holly, globe thistle, oregano, fennel, feverfew, peonies, german statice, baptisa, salvia, oats, broomcorn, sweet annie and many more.

Three years ago, the Remley’s built a large drying building with an attractive porch and shop that invite visitors to browse the dried flower arrangements, garden accessories and decorations. Visitors can also enter the 25’ x 40’ drying room to see the vast range of colors and plants being prepared. Suspended from the rafters by ropes and cords, the plants were all picked at the peak of their color brilliance and then air-dried to maintain the shape and color.

The new store and drying house invite guests inside! Drying flowers and plants are suspended from the rafters. Dried floral arrangements may brighten every room.

Grassland Gardens customers come mostly from within a 60-mile radius of the farm, Trish told us, although she has several regular customers who drive 2 or 3 hours each way. She has also received email requests from all over the country, and will ship the floral arrangements, but not the grasses.

Another source of income has been the tour groups that come to visit. Garden clubs, Red Hat groups, bus tours, and school groups are frequent guests. Visitors are provided an instructional tour, if they’d like, and they are welcome to stroll the gardens and share the peaceful setting of beautiful grasses and flowers with the abundance of butterflies that find the farm their home. The gardens also attract many migrating hummingbirds in the spring and fall. Tours are $3 per person, with a minimum group fee of $25.

Trish also provides a luncheon tour through an arrangement with a nearby Bed and Breakfast, the Rustic Remembrance in Glascoe, Kansas, owned by Larry and Madonna Sorell. Guests may have lunch at Grassland Gardens, or at the Bed and Breakfast, which is located at the Lazy S Farm (greenhouse, vegetables, and organic hogs.) The Remley’s and the Sorell’s also have a common brochure promoting the two farms, which was funded by the County Tourism Board.

To market her dried floral arrangements, Trish initially started with the craft shows and the Home and Garden Show in Salina. Over the last several years, she has gathered approximately 700 names for her direct mail list, and she sends them post cards to remind them of her three major annual events: the Spring Open House, the Fall Field Day, and a Holiday Open House the third weekend in November. She’ll also advertise these three events in a few area newspapers, but does not otherwise buy much advertising.

The website, www.grasslandgardens.com, has been a major marketing tool, Trish told us. One of the advantages is that customers can see the full list of all the varieties of grasses and dried flowers and plants that she has available.

“My next project, or hopefully soon, is to add the photographs and descriptions of each plant,” Trish said. “That will let my customers see how the plant will look, know what kind of soil conditions are required, and all of that information. It will really help them make a good decision.” She is also collecting email addresses, and hopes to begin an electronic newsletter soon.

Trish is also weighing how to expand the business. “Right now, two and a half acres is a lot of plants to physically manage by myself. I start them all, I replant them, and I handle the weed control and fertilizing. Then I cut flowers every two or three days, hang them for drying, and so on,” she said. “So I’m exploring ways to increase the tourism aspect of the business, rather than growing and selling individual plants. It’s just so beautiful here. I know more people would love to come visit.”

We certainly agree.

To learn more about Grassland Gardens, visit their website at http://www.grasslandgardens.com

 

Read about other featured farms and ranches in Kansas AgriTourism.