June 8, 2024

By Stan Slaughter
Director of Education and Outreach, Missouri Organic Recycling

Three Climate-Friendly Yard Makeovers in the metro area will be on display on Saturday, Jun. 15 starting at 9 a.m. and concluding at 2 p.m.

Seeds of Life Garden, located at 245 E. Topaz in Lee’s Summit, is a renovation of two vacant lots in a sub division available from 9 to 10 a.m. The main goals behind the decision to take on this project were to demonstrate what is possible on urban, vacant ground and to share the experience with the neighborhood, city and beyond. With no water service and the prohibition of fencing due to FEMA flood regulations, the lots are not a typical yard. A major challenge at Seeds of Life is removing invasive Bermuda grass because it’s on the curb strip of both lots meaning it can escape and spread.

The plans called for creating swales to redirect and hold water where it is needed, a food forest, community garden, and plenty of native plants for the pollinators.

One big goal of Seeds of Life Garden is to educate. Stop by to look at all of this and you learn about using swales to redirect water, native/pollinator friendly plants, community gardens and food producing trees and shrubs.

Stop number two on the tour is at 8001 Blue Ridge Blvd. in Raytown from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The third stop is from 1 to 2 p.m. at 3031 NE Vivion Road in the Northland.