The story of life in the Flint Hills is both shaped and preserved by the limestone bedrock of the landscape.

To survey the layers of this composite rock is to review the history of the land and the people who make a home here.

Each of the gardens featured in this year’s Flowers in the Flint Hills Garden Tour in Marion makes use of the native rock. In much the same way, the stories of the families who built the featured gardens are told within them and shaped by them.

Kevin and Kris Burkholder’s garden at 431 Elm St. is the result of intensive labor and a desire to create backyard havens where their family could grow and enjoy the outdoors. Unwilling to sacrifice their vision, the Burkholders were undeterred by a steep, 6-foot drop at the edge of their property. They constructed a massive limestone retaining wall with the help of friends. The wall took an entire summer to build.

The resulting structure surrounds and protects “Kid Heaven,” where their two daughters play on a large swing set and trampoline, as well as a fire-pit area nearby where adults can relax.

The garden at the home of Keith and Mary Ann Conyers, 146 S. Lincoln St., is composed of several smaller “retreats,” replete with reminders of family and tradition.

The garden as a whole is built on a framework of limestone brought in from a family pasture. Much of the shade in the garden has grown as a result of a Conyers tradition: Each of the Conyers’ 11 grandchildren is commemorated with a tree, planted the year they were born.

The trees remind Keith and Mary Ann Conyers of family far and near, and remind visitors that family is connected across distance by the framework of its traditions, much as the garden itself is built on a framework of limestone.

Central Park is familiar to many in Marion. The gurgling Brooker Springs within it is central to the story of this town. Water flowing from limestone is one of the things that motivated settlers to build a town 151 years ago, and its lush surroundings are featured on this year’s tour.

When Marian Crofoot moved with her husband to Marion, she envisioned a home and gardens designed for sharing with friends and hosting events.

The foundation of the garden at her home at 412 S. Thorp St. includes a fusion of materials from her former home at Cedar Point and her new home.

Soil was brought in from Chase County, and the limestone hardscape features stone from both counties.

But her plans were put on hold following the death of her husband and her own health concerns until her daughter, Pam Bowers, joined her mother and set out to bring to fruition what her mother had dreamed.

The resulting garden is a fusion of the gardening styles of both mother and daughter. Bowers constructed the backyard gardens so that her mother has lush, beautiful views to greet her from every viewpoint in the house. She also has followed her own desire to grow as a gardener and try new things.

Bowers has learned to plant flowers that flourish in the shade and has recently added vegetables to her repertoire.

As Pete and Teeny Williams worked to tame the land at 96 Lakeshore Drive, they unearthed an abundance of stone, including large limestone boulders.

Rather than fight what nature had given them, the couple incorporated the rock into the landscaping. The boulders showcase containers of flowers, and the smaller stones can be seen throughout.

Limestone is as much a part of the fabric of this garden as the personalities of its owners. A full-size buckboard Pete made for Teeny as a birthday gift accompanies a statue of a cowboy and a large jug. Not far away, a vibrantly embellished cellar door is a colorful focal point.

The garden is full of color, in fact, and not just from the many flowers and trees. Pete and Teeny have added their touches (sometimes with a paintbrush) to every inch of their “Peaceful Acres.”

Tour-goers in 2010 who enjoyed the creek-side garden of Rocky and Shirley Jo Hett at their home will be pleased to see they are featured on the tour again this year.

The Hetts have tamed portions of their 600-acre ranch at 2052 Timber Road to allow visitors to experience the Flint Hills on a grand scale.

Visitors will see tall grass prairie, cottonwood groves, and a variety of native flowers.

Sections of quarried hillside on the Hetts’ property reveal limestone faces where visitors can observe the history of Kansas through billions of years in the strata and characteristics of the stone.

Another stop, a sculpture garden at Gallery 101, 106 E. Main St. is more than the work of gallery owner Jan Davis. It has been a family enterprise, with Davis’ husband, Jim, and son, James, working to beautify the gallery’s exterior and rejuvenate a portion of Main Street in Marion.

A copper fountain, constructed by Jim and Jan, will soon be joined by one their son is planning.

James is planning to construct a fountain from a large piece of standing limestone with water cascading down the front, surrounded by more large slabs of limestone.

This garden is the product of a family coming together to make a vision a reality. And, just as artistic ability has been passed down from mother to son, so the future of this garden will be shaped by the vision of a younger generation.

Also on this year’s tour is a small wildflower garden outside USD 408 Performing Arts Center, 127 S. Lincoln St.

The garden tour will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and will begin at Marion City Library, 101 Library St. Tickets are $5 and are available at the library. For more information, call the library at (620) 382-2442.