Step into this Sparkling Garden
Story by Judy Goppert / Photography by Matt Kocourek
Nestled in a backyard amongst the tall trees lies a hidden secret garden filled with colorful glass to reflect the sun, the moon, and your mood. Crafted by the greenskeepers who own this space, Jan and Knute Rosché are true garden aficionados.
When they built their home in 1990, their property was a blank slate with a few foundation plants. Moving from California, they found they had a lot to learn about gardening in the Midwest! Both enjoy working in the Monet Garden at the Overland Park Arboretum where they have gained area knowledge about plants and techniques while getting to know fellow gardeners.
Upon entering this special haven the Roschés created, one finds themselves immersed in a world of colorful glass that blends harmoniously with nature. Many of the glass pieces are art they discovered during their travels. Last spring, they traveled to Holland and Belgium and came home with many ideas and more enchanting additions.
“We think of our yard as our sanctuary, Knute calls our garden ‘Chihuly light.’ We plant for four-season interest, hundreds of spring bulbs, annuals, flowering trees, and shrubs. Our favorite trees are Japanese Maples, dogwood, and Black Gum which turns the most spectacular shade of red in the fall,” Jan added. “When we travel, we love to visit botanical gardens including Keukenhof in Amsterdam, a trip we took last April. We have also visited Butchart in Canada, other places in Europe, and even in Japan. We also love the botanical garden in St. Louis, where we were both raised.”
She has a keen eye for finding glass pieces for the garden, which has become a visual display of shimmering light.
“A lot of our glass was also purchased in Seattle, St. Louis, Canada, and Alaska. We look for unique shapes and colors of glass and are continuously adding to our collection garden,” Jan noted. “We also purchase from glass blowers on Etsy. I started collecting glass balls, which has grown into an enormous glass collection. We both love the color and sparkle of glass in the garden. We were enamored with glass blowers in Seattle, where Dale Chihuly has a permanent exhibit. We spent one weekend just visiting the glass shops and had pieces shipped back. We are fond of statuary as well as other accents and find places to fit in artwork wherever we can. We also love bird houses which are often used.”
Every nook is decorated with some sort of unique piece. The little house snuggled at the base of the Maple tree was made by some of their gardening friends to cover up damage on the tree’s trunk. Complete with wooden stepping stones, an arbor, lush greenery, a bright blue door, and a porch housing potted plants, the twig arch greets the garden fairies as they enter this magical spot. “We have very skilled friends who made a problem area become a featured item,” she smiled.
The Peace Pole that stands among the greenery and brightly colored glass holds the statement Believe there is Good in the World which is the Rosché’s motto. “It’s our belief that there is good in the world. Around the Peace Pole we plant Persian shield plants, green Japanese Forest grass, and begonias, which mimic the colors of the Peace Pole,” shared Jan.
Another visually appealing item is the concrete statue called “Girl with a Basket.” This cutie honors their four granddaughters. Planted are masses of red and yellow tulips, daffodils, and alliums in the spring to embrace the statue. During the summer, the bed is filled with bright red salvia and sunny coreopsis.
Three white trellises scattered about the yard were designed for climbing vines and displaying metal art collected over the years. Sapphire indigo clematis, porcelain vine, and silver lace vine show off their wares as their leaves stretch toward the sky. A sun and moon, yin and yang, the tree of life, and a nautical compass are the cherished art hung to be admired.
“The yellow and blue stars were purchased in Seattle,” she continued, adding, “We have multiple seating areas to sit, rest and reflect. In addition, our patio is a Pavestone patio covered with a white pergola and Doric columns.” Jan loves to do table settings, incorporating the glass art as centerpieces. They both love to entertain outdoors when the weather warms.
“We astound people when we are asked if we bring in our glass for the winter, we don’t bring it in, and it doesn’t break,” she smiled. “The fountain is one of my husband’s favorite pieces. It is surrounded with curved trellises, decorated with eye-catching red Mandevilla vines.”
One year, we had a family of owls that lived in our backyard,” Jan shared, her eyes twinkling. “The male would bathe in our fountain while Knute sat on the patio!” Truly the Rosché’s have created a perfect setting not just for themselves, but for many friends of nature.
