Educating Gardeners Like You Since 1958


Our Mission: To educate and inspire members of our community to become more complete gardeners.

Spring LilyPalooza

We brought in a special selection of lily bulbs just for you this Spring.

All of the bulbs are ready to be planted this month in your garden and are ready to burst right out of the ground and provide you with blooms this year.

Martagon lilies are best suited for the shadier spots of your garden than most lilies. They thrive at the edges where they get bright light but are especially protected from the hot south and west sunlight. They don’t require a lot of dividing and once settled can provide years of bloom with stems increasing in size and number of blooms.

Asiatic lilies are the workhorses of the lily world. They are durable, fast growing and form masses of bulbs over time.

Trumpet lilies herald in summer with their classic trumpet shaped blooms which nod and dance on the breeze. They are generally fragrant.

Oriental lilies are what first come to mind for many when a lily is mentioned. Most are a bit flouncy with ruffled petal edges and soft colors. They are most fragrant of the lilies often having a spicy fragrance over a floral one. While not generally long lived in our climate they make an affordable short lived perennial or cut flower in your garden that will put on a show unrivaled by most other plants.

Orienpet lilies are a hybrid between the Oriental and Trumpet lilies above. They form thick, stout stems that hold aloft their large often fragrant blooms and are a real garden lily. They are generally long lived in the garden unlike their Oreintal parents and sure to please for years to come.

All Lily bulb orders to be picked up Tuesday, April 9, 2024 from 6:30-7 p.m. at the Gardemers Connect Free Speaker Series program, Lily Addiction: Not That Bad, Really! with Art Evans from 7-8 p.m. at the Merriam Community Center Meeting Room, 6040 Slater, Merriam, KS 66202

or

Please contact info@gardenersconnect.org or 913.302.4234 to schedule a pick up day in Raytown, MO 64133. Orders out by 8 am for contactless pickup.

Speaker Series

  • Lily Addiction: Not That Bad, Really! with Art Evans

    Tuesday, April 9, 2024
    7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

    Gardeners Connect Free Speaker Series

    Free, Open to the Public, No Reservations Required

    Merriam Community Center
    Kessler/Loomis Rooms
    6040 Slater
    Merriam, KS 66202

  • Everything I Learned From a Tomato with Sky Kurlbaum

    Tuesday, May 14, 2024
    7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

    Gardeners Connect Free Speaker Series

    Free, Open to the Public, No Reservations Required

    Merriam Community Center
    Kessler/Loomis Rooms
    6040 Slater
    Merriam, KS 66202

  • Growing Trees as Mother Nature Intended with Matt Evans

    Tuesday, November 12, 2024
    7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

    Gardeners Connect Free Speaker Series

    Free, Open to the Public, No Reservations Required

    Merriam Community Center
    Kessler/Loomis Rooms
    6040 Slater
    Merriam, KS 66202

Member Garden Visits

Open your garden to other Gardeners Connect Members. You pick the date, time and number of attendees your garden can accommodate. Email info@gardenersconnect.org for more details in opening your garden.

All Member Garden Visits are rain or shine. Any cancellations or changes will be emailed to attendees and updated on the website.

Please check here for the latest information regarding any Member Garden Visits.

Diversity & Inclusion

Gardeners Connect is a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization and community, which is open to and welcomes everyone regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, or country of origin.  We are committed to acceptance, non-discrimination, and equal opportunity for all and believe diversity in our members and participants greatly benefits our organization and community. We are committed to making everyone feel welcome, accepted, respected, and appreciated.

 A welcoming and diverse garden is a great garden.

Discover the Benefits of Membership.

Our members make it possible.

We believe that every great gardener should have the opportunity to keep learning no matter their skill level. We strive to offer those opportunities in everything we do from our excellent speakers to our newsletter filled with pertinent garden information and articles cultivated especially for the Midwestern gardener.


  • Gardeners Connect newsletter published every other month and delivered to your mailbox.

  • Access to Member Garden Visits to private gardens.

  • Access to our online speaker series.

  • Travel with Gardeners Connect on guided tours both here in Kansas City and beyond.

  • Be a part of members only workshops.

Gardeners Connect is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 1958 to promote and encourage among citizens of the metropolitan Kansas City area and beyond an interest in horticulture and related garden activities, to carry on an educational program pertaining thereto, and to provide a place or places where such activities may be conducted in order to attain a more attractive and beautiful community.