For more than 60 years, Rosehill Gardens has shaped the look and feel of Leawood and the surrounding Kansas City area. What began as a local landscape business has grown into a trusted name synonymous with beautiful outdoor spaces and long-term community investment.
“I think being so close to the state line and always being known as the best landscape company in Kansas City has made us synonymous with Leawood, which we think of as one of the best areas of Kansas City as well,” says owner Curtis Stroud.
That legacy was built season after season, yard after yard, by helping homeowners make smart, lasting decisions. Rosehill offers a timely reminder that your landscape is not just an expense, it is an asset.
“Investment in gardening is as much about what you put in and how you put it in as it is just adding dollars to your yard,” Stroud says. “If done right the investment can continue to pay you and your yard back in more ways than just financial.”
Spring and early summer are prime planting seasons in Kansas City, but timing and plant selection matter. Rosehill curates what it calls the Rosehill Top 100, a collection of native and hardy plants proven to thrive in our climate. “Late winter and early spring are excellent months for planting all of the items on our top 100,” Stroud says. These selections help ensure homeowners are planting with confidence, not guesswork.
He continues, “This is the time of year everyone comes out of hiding and feels the need to start planting and sprucing up their yard,” he says. Big box retailers compete to get plants on shelves early, but those plants are often not grown locally and may not be ready for our soil and temperatures. “Homeowners make the mistake of sometimes getting anxious to get started and buy those plants when our climate says wait another month.”
The better approach is to treat your yard like a long-term portfolio and start with a plan. While online inspiration can help spark ideas, Stroud advises balance. “The internet and AI can tell you a lot these days. Don’t rely too heavily on that though. It can give you as much bad advice as good, but it’s not a bad starting point.”
Rosehill’s team works with homeowners to design landscapes tailored to their goals and property conditions. “We come out and give advice on where to start and will design it for you with the knowledge of what you are trying to get accomplished and what plants and landscaping will get that done,” he says.
Over the years, Rosehill has evolved alongside its customers. The company now offers expanded hardscaping services, computer aided designs and even 3D renderings. But the core has not changed. “Everything comes back to the same questions and solutions, and quality of service and homegrown plants. It’s only the presentation that has changed.”
That spirit of thoughtful reinvention is also on display at Rosehill Winery in Martin City. Recognizing that they could not compete with large retailers on sheer inventory, the team reimagined their space into something experiential.
“We recognized that we had a beautiful space and location but just couldn’t provide the variety and quantity to compete with the larger retailers so we redesigned our space into what we thought people would come to us for and that was our ability to create an ambiance people would want to enjoy,” Stroud says. Pair that ambiance with deep wine expertise, and the result is a destination that extends the Rosehill brand beyond the garden bed.
Today, visitors can still find potted plants and unique items at the winery, but they also find something more. It is a place to gather, relax and connect. It is another example of Rosehill investing back into the community by creating spaces that enrich everyday life.
Looking ahead, Stroud says the future is about people. “There are always a few people who come and go but we have many employees with years of experience and many just starting their careers. The one thing they both have in common is they love the outdoors and plants, and that’s something AI can’t take away.”
For homeowners, investing in your yard this season means planting wisely and partnering locally. For the community, supporting a business that has spent more than 60 years investing here helps ensure that Leawood continues to bloom for generations to come.