Named after a police officer who was fatally shot in line of duty in 1985, the farmstead has annuals, bulbs and other flowers beside old farm implements. The old-fashioned garden, surrounded by a white picket fence, contains farm crops, a butterfly garden with a butterfly house, a vegetable patch and a maze of winding brick walkways. It also features flowers for low water maintenance, herbs, ground covers and a shade garden containing columbine, hostas, bleeding hearts and lilies. Guided tours are available. And in case you get hungry, the farmstead has a concession stand with kiddie-delights like hot dogs, chips, candy bars and drinks.
Picnic tables are nearby.
Plants to come include a Prairie Medicine Garden, a Discovery Garden for children and an old English-type maze with shrubs to create a secret garden effect. But the highlight is the Erickson Water Garden with four water falls and a bog area with over 100 natural plantings designed to attract birds and butterflies. Such plants as wild flowers, buddleia and milk weed along with Indian grasses and ecchinaacea are there to enjoy while you walk or picnic-a great thing to do since the arboretum has many tables and grills and a pavilion that can be reserved in advance. To raise funds for a Visitors Center and an Environmental Education Center, Friends of the Arboretum are hosting a pancake breakfast and plant sale at the park May 9, during which Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners will be speaking and answering questions. The metropolitan area is booming with undiscovered floral treasures just waiting to be explored.