This weekend, June 27 and 28, is the once-a-year opportunity to visit private water gardens in Lawrence, Kansas City and Topeka.

The Lawrence/Kansas City Water Gardens Tour 2015 is sponsored by The Water Garden Society of Greater Kansas City. Lawrence will be host to nine garden tour locations, with 50 more gardens in the greater Kansas City area. The Topeka tour is sponsored by the Topeka Area Water Garden Society and features nine water gardens in Topeka.

Whether you are looking for inspiration to improve an existing water garden, shopping for ideas to install a new water garden, or just dreaming of a someday water garden, both tours are sure to please.

Brad Parsons prepares his backyard water garden Thursday for the Water Gardens Tour on Saturday and Sunday.

What is a water garden? The term loosely refers to any sort of water feature that is incorporated into the landscape. Man-made landscape ponds, waterfalls, bogs, streams, and the like are most common, but simple fountains, disappearing fountains, reflecting pools, etc., can become water gardens when they are part of the landscape or when they include plants.

Water, especially the sound it makes when falling over rocks, adds an element of tranquility in a garden. Well-designed water gardens drown out the sounds of the world around them. For gardeners who like a challenge, aquatic plants and fish can also be a step beyond the tests of the traditional landscape.

Tours are self-guided, and tourgoers may pick and choose which gardens they wish to visit. Garden locations are listed online at kcwatergarden.com and in tour tickets, available at Water’s Edge in Lawrence and Westlake Ace Hardware locations in Lawrence, Kansas City and Topeka.

Tour hours for the Kansas City/Lawrence tour are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, and tickets are $10 per person age 14 and over.

Tour hours for the Topeka tour are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for the Topeka tour are also $10 per person. Tickets may be purchased at several Topeka retail locations (listed on the Topeka Water Garden Society’s website, tawgs.org) in addition to the previously mentioned locations.

The Kansas City/Lawrence tour features a few educational water gardens at schools and nonprofit agencies as well as private residences.

The Water Garden Society of Greater Kansas City is engaged in the construction and preservation of educational and restorative water gardens in the Kansas City area as well as promoting interest and enjoyment in water gardens. Proceeds from ticket sales support their educational efforts.

This is the 22nd year for the Kansas City area tour and the 24th year for the Topeka area tour.

— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show” and has been a gardener since childhood. Send your gardening questions and feedback to features@ljworld.com.