With a cool breeze blowing on a warm morning, curious minds wandered around the yards of Little Apple homeowners.
Saturday marked the 36th annual Manhattan Area Garden Tour, organized by the Riley County K-State Research and Extension Master Gardeners. Featured were five private gardens and the K-State Gardens at 1500 Denison Ave. The tour — themed “Blooms, Birds and Butterflies” — was free to attend with $10 donations recommended to benefit K-State’s gardens, which are celebrating 150 years in 2025.
Frank Schmeidler and Ralph Diaz, who live on Kearney Street, appeared in the tour for the first time since 2012. Their garden is about 25 years old, with a variety of plants. Visitors could expect to see lilies, Taylor juniper trees, Japanese maples, hostas and conifers.
Schmeidler said the longevity of the event — 36 years, with more than 168 gardens showcased — is because of people enjoying gardening, yet they may not know what exactly they should or could be doing.
“So going around and seeing what other people have done in similar situations, I think it gives them a chance to kind of have an idea of what to do in their yards,” Schmeidler said. “Or, they just enjoy gardens.”
He said those who have started gardening should not be afraid to try things.
“It’s going to be trial and error … everything was with me,” Schmeidler said. “I planted roses back here, and it was total shade. So you live and learn; plants either make it or don’t.”
While one garden was making a return, another made its tour debut.
Ridge Drive residents Cynthia Webster and Fred Tennison moved to Manhattan from St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2021. Gardening is something they’ve had more than 40 years of experience with. Work began in the spring of 2022 by removing three large trees in the backyard that were getting too close to the house. Since then, their garden has grown with perennials (peonies and hydrangeas), annuals (zinnias and dahlias) as well as arborvitaes.
Webster said preparation for the tour started as early as April, and finished by Friday night.
“Everything from mulching all the beds to any kind of cutting and edging that needs to be done,” she said. “Adding any new plants, weeding, mowing. Then, just maintaining and being creative.”
One of those creative ideas that came to mind for Webster was a Peter Rabbit-themed vegetable garden.
She said gardening is work, but it’s “enjoyable work.”
“Get out there and do it. Everyone loves flowers; you can never go wrong,” Webster said. “Even if it’s just a pot.”
Other participating homeowners on this year’s tour were Jim and Sally Lindquist, Sharingbrook Drive; Sarah and Christopher Uher, Hickory Court; and John and Jelane Cook, Timbercreek Parkway.