Powell Gardens Buys Colonial Gardens

Ellen C. Wells

At the end of February, we learned that Powell Gardens, a prairie-focused botanical garden located right outside Kansas City, Missouri, has acquired Colonial Gardens, a garden center and agritourism destination in nearby Blue Springs. Colonial Gardens was a DCA Outdoor holding, and as you may recall, DCA Outdoor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy a year ago February.

A KSHB Channel 41 report indicated that Colonial Gardens will become Powell’s “second site,” operating under the new name Powell Gardens Colonial Farms. Known for its apple picking, seasonal festivals, plant and garden shopping, and school field trip destination, Powell Gardens intends for the 80-acre spot to remain a vibrant space for the Kansas City community to continue learn about nature and build family traditions.

Powell Gardens does intend to make one small change and that is to expand learning opportunities for all levels of the gardening public. It’ll do so as an extension of Powell’s Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture, becoming a dynamic hub for hands-on learning and environmental stewardship with programs such as sustainable farming, orcharding and various other workshops.

“This is about honoring what people already love while building something even greater for the future,” Powell Gardens CEO Cody Joliff said in a news release. “Colonial Gardens has deep roots in this community. By bringing it into the Powell Gardens family as Powell Gardens Colonial Farms, we’re preserving a local legacy and expanding access to education, nature and meaningful outdoor experiences for generations to come.”

This acquisition was made possible in large part by a gift from the Powell Family Foundation, a supporter of Powell Gardens since its founding in 1988, and also by the Matthew Zell Family Foundation of Chicago. GP 

The entrance to Colonial Gardens, taken during the 2022 The Garden Center Group Fall Event retail tour.