Alan Rhodes

OWNER, RHODES GREENhouse llc and prairie whisper gardens

Playing in the dirt and growing flowers has been a part of Alan’s life since childhood. Growing up in Overland Park, Kansas, he planted flowers as his mom’s Mother’s Day gift. While attending KU, he worked for a local garden center at their tree farm in southern Johnson County, lining out and watering row after row of trees and shrubs. During that time, he helped build one of their first greenhouses. As this greenhouse filled with Spring flowers and plants, Alan had an “Aha!” moment.  Childhood memories flooded in and the idea of Rhodes Greenhouses was born.

In 1975 he built his first greenhouse on his parents’ farm in Gardner, Kansas. Eleven years later, Alan purchased 60 acres outside of nearby Spring Hill, Kansas and moved 10 greenhouses to the new and current location.

Rhodes Greenhouses, LLC now has almost 2 acres of covered greenhouse space.

Alan’s philosophy has grown and evolved with his daily contact while growing plants. He believes all of us share a love and bond with gardening that reconnects us to our natural world.

Cathie Rhodes

OWNER, RHODES GREENhouse llc and prairie whisper gardens

Cathie grew up in St Louis and along the way has lived on both coasts as well as multiple places in the middle.  Kansas has been her home now for almost 30 years. Each place she has lived, there has been some sort of gardening involving vegetables and flowers. Her father always had a vegetable garden and included flowers with his veggies. The taste of “home grown” was a part of her childhood.

She has been involved with Rhodes Greenhouses since 2012. Together, she and Alan have merged their mutual interests and passions. Alan, indulging Cathie in her passion for cooking, is often her sous chef as together they prepare almost “gourmet” meals with the produce they harvest from their gardens.

Even as a young child, Cathie had a camera and has captured photos of people and scenery. Today, that has expanded to photographing wildlife and wild flowers as she and Alan hike and discover new places. The many butterflies who visit our property and the Native flowers they land on, provide many opportunities for her to play with her camera.