Taking Time to Smell the Roses at the Central Park Rose Garden

 There's almost nothing better than discovering a treasure in one's own backyard and that's how we felt when we visited the Schenectady Central Park Rose Garden for the first time back in 2014.  Although we've visited every year since, the thrill of the sight of over 4000 rose bushes in full bloom never gets old.  

We visited the Rose Garden this afternoon and wow, we were not disappointed.  The roses are definitely in their prime and while the cooler temps may have some folks antsy, the roses seem to be loving the weather. 

 In late 1959, Charles Brown, Jr. founded, established and designed the Central Park Rose Garden.  'Much of the first year was spent digging the beds and refilling them with clay loam and composted soil. In April of 1960, 400 rose bushes were planted to start the garden. More were added in the fall. In the following year, several hundred additional hybrid teas, floribunda and grandiflora roses were introduced to the garden.  The garden peaked in the 1970s with an estimated rose population of 7,500 bushes and the All-America Rose Selection (AARS) group added the garden to its select list of 125 test gardens around the country. This honor entitled Schenectady’s Central Park Rose Garden to become a public display garden for new rose varieties for the coming year, before they are released to the retail market and garden centers. The garden was the first recipient of the American Rose Society newly created award for “outstanding public garden” February 10, 1970.  (Information courtesy of the garden official website  (https://schenectadyrose.org/).  In 1995 the Rose Garden Restoration Committee was formed.  Its singular mission was and still is to restore, enhance and maintain the rose garden.  Thanks to many dedicated volunteers, the rose garden still exists today, a much expanded version of its original design.

Boasting over 4000 rose bushes including over 300 varieties of roses, the garden has been hosting events for over 50 years.  I'm not sure if I can think of a prettier venue for wedding photos, can you?  We had a lovely visit with Pam today, one of the garden's volunteers.  Judging from her vast knowledge and expertise, I'm guessing she's been involved in the garden maintenance for quite some time.  Perhaps the only job harder than the arduous task of the garden volunteers in weeding and deadheading all those roses is the job I have in selecting just 25 photos from the many (I won't admit how many) I took today to share. 

My only regret while visiting the rose garden was that my grandmother isn't here to share it with me.  She would have been right in her element as she was passionate about any kind of flower and I can imagine her unbridled enthusiasm as if she'd been with us today.  

Pam told us this is probably the prime week for the roses so if you're in the area and able, I'd encourage you to visit soon. Of course, the roses will continue blooming for a couple more weeks and will have another resurgence in late summer. The Rose Garden is located at the corner of Wright Avenue and Central Parkway in Schenectady NY. For more information about the Rose Garden, you can follow their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/centralparkrosegarden or visit their website:

 https://schenectadyrose.org/

Thanks for stopping by Life As I See It.  For more posts like this one, visit my blog Directory (https://www.lifeasiseeitphotography.net/p/directory.html\) and scroll down (a long way) to the Category "Gardens".  Feel free to share this post!  Don't forget.....take time to smell the roses.