"Retain: To keep or hold in a particular place, condition, or position."

It was a common theme at the March TAWGS meeting, as we learned about stormwater bio-retention cells, acted on reserving funds for the next Garden Show, and voted to maintain a version of the Pond Tour.

Presentation:

Vivien Smith, Horticulturist from Topeka Public Works Deptartment, spoke on uses for rain gardens - specifically on the retention project on Jackson Street which began in 2003. She explained that in 1972 the Clean water Act passed, requiring cities like Topeka to reduce the harmful pollution in stormwater runoff, so the Jackson Street Drainage project started to show the city is using alternative methods to solve flooding and stormwater pollution problems.

To treat runoff before it traveled to the stormwater system, the west lane of traffic was removed and a series of bio-retention cells combined with standard underground stormwater system was constructed in its place. The cells were planted with a mixture of trees, shrubs and grasses native to Kansas, along with various wildflowers. This system helps improve runoff by slowing down the velocity of the water, filtering out harmful pollutants and reducing the chance of flooding by lowering the amount of stormwater that enters the storm sewer.

Gerald Binkley gave a nice presentation about upcoming projects as well as projects that have been done in the past. TBA has donated over $9,000.00 to W/M Park for landscaping projects in and around the water features that were put in by TAWGS. Membership and participation are down at TBA, so Gerald said that they are changing their meeting time to evenings to accommodate more people and to try to build up membership for the club.

The most recent project belonging to TBA is a large flower bed and arbor that will be located just North of the greenhouses and East of Snyder's cabin in Gage park. He had a rough drawing he shared with the group that showed a large arbor that will be an entrance to the gardens and the beds will include several large flower beds that will, in a series of phases, take up most of the grassy space west of the Rock Garden Pond.

TBA (as well as TAWGS) is working to make Topeka a destination for tourism to see the various water features and botanical gardens. In the past, bus tours came to Topeka from other cities and states to tour the gardens at tulip time and while they were here, visited other locations throughout the city. TBA would like to grow this tourism business.

Ray Schroeder shows off the plaque from TAWGS that Floyd Gruver presented to him at Ray's Retirement Party.

Floyd suggested that the city rename the Botanical Gardens "Ray Schroeder's Botanical Gardens"since Ray has spent over 40 years working on the gardens.

Several TAWGS members enjoyed the good food and fellowship at the party which was held August 6th.

Ray Schroeder, former Topeka Parks and Rec. employee, gave TAWGS members a tour of the gardens at Historic Old Prairie Town following their June meeting.

Ray said the gardens were more exotic at first, with unusual stuff for many years, but now it is a mature garden and it has changed a lot over the years.

Walking past the newly installed streambed that many TAWGS members helped build, Ray pointed out the largest pecan tree in northeast Kansas. He said it has been struck by lightning six times during its lifespan. Ray said you can hear the American Linden tree in the spring because it is full of bees. Other trees that we walked by were the Caltalpa, Moerheim blue spruce, Katsura, Golden bamboo hedge, Osage orange, park hedge, Sycamore, Magnolia, Witch Hazel (it blooms in the spring and is used for water witching) and Weeping Purple Beech.