LAHARPE — TLC Garden Center in LaHarpe will soon add a pair of unique attractions aimed at drawing travelers to the community, thanks to a competitive grant from the state’s tourism department.
The garden center was awarded $46,496 through the Kansas Tourism Attraction Development Grant Program to help fund construction of what is expected to be the world’s largest watering can and a landscaped 18-hole mini-golf course.
The project is one of 22 selected statewide for the grant, which supports the creation of new or enhanced travel experiences designed to attract visitors and stimulate local economies through increased tourism, jobs and private investment.
KANSAS TOURISM Director Bridgette Jobe said the LaHarpe project stood out among a large pool of applicants.
“This is a little bit unusual since a garden center is not thought of as a traditional tourism site,” Jobe said during a check presentation Thursday afternoon. “What we really like is that you are providing activities for the community, as well as people coming through town and coming to stay in the community.”
Demand for the funding far exceeded what was available, she added.
“We had $1 million to give this year,” Jobe said. “When the Legislature gave us this grant, we had over $4 million in requests. It is extremely competitive.”
The funding was announced March 11 by Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland.
FOR TLC Garden Center owners Savannah and Levi Flory, the project combines two ideas they have been mulling over for years.
The mini-golf course, Savannah said, has been on the drawing board for about a decade as a good way to bring additional entertainment options to the area.
Rather than a traditional novelty-style course, the Florys plan to incorporate landscaping and plants sold at the garden center.
“We don’t want it to be like a cheesy mini-golf course, but a landscaped one,” Savannah said. “We will put little plaques in there with all the plant names, and we sell them in here. If you want to see what a plant looks like when it’s grown, just play golf and it’s right there.”
The idea for the giant watering can came later after the Florys attended a Destination BootCamp event at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, where retail and tourism expert Jon Schallert encouraged businesses to create memorable attractions.
“His suggestion was to be known for something like the ‘world’s largest’ this,” Savannah said. “That’s what got the wheels turning.”
KANSAS ALREADY has a reputation for quirky roadside attractions, Jobe said, and those kinds of landmarks can become powerful marketing tools for communities.
“It’s amazing to me when you say I have the world’s largest — it doesn’t matter what it is,” Jobe said. “People will stop. They will take a picture — they will post it online. And that’s free advertising.”
