Saturday, May 15, 2010

A Tale of Two Municipal Rose Gardens in One City













Civic Spending and Civic Pride in an age of Budget Cuts
























In the span of about an hour or so, my husband and I visited two rose gardens here in San Jose, the Municipal Rose Garden in the affluent Rosegarden neighborhood of San Jose and the Heritage Rose Garden, in Guadalupe Gardens, bordering downtown San Jose. Both were abundant in roses and color, and both were delightful and wondrous to behold, in this apparently bumper crop year for roses. . However, the Municipal Rose Garden was utterly pristine, showing the utmost of care and attention, apparently by City Parks workers and community volunteers from the surrounding neighborhood. Despite budget cuts, apparently, the community surrounding the garden had rallied to the cause of keeping this place special for the neighborhood, city and region. As we walked through the Rose Garden, I commented on how there was nary a dead head on a bush and what good care the garden was receiving.

On the other hand, when we landed in the Heritage Rose Garden, though I delighted in the slightly wilder look of the massing of heritage roses, climbing everywhere,, as I looked closer, I could see that this garden was receiving far less attention, apparently the result of fewer gardeners available to tend the garden , from both city and community. These massive bushes, with their beautiful heritage flowers were being degraded by scads of deadheads, that could only ultimately deplete these heritage bushes of their blooms and vitality. So, I ask my fellow citizens of the City of San Jose, how long will it be before the beauty and vitality of our parks will be thoroughly eroded.

There seems to be a civic lesson in all this. Public assets such as parks are for the good and well-being of all of us, and it behooves all of us to support them willingly through our taxes, Tea Partiers, notwithstanding, and good old fashioned community volunteerism. And, yes, tea partiers, please visit our City parks, and ask yourself if they deserve attention as a common asset. Heritage roses are worth preserving for everyone.

Karita Hummer

Municipal Rose Garden, San Jose, CA
Naglee and Dana
San Jose, CA





Friends 1yellow flowers













Guadalupe Gardens, Heritage Rose Garden

Guadalupe River Park and Gardens
Spring and Taylor Streets, San Jose, California


Grand'mére Jenny


Lupe’s Buttons

Should such beauty be neglected?
Apple BlossomPlaytimeSerenade

Dr. Robert Korns



I always feel a surge of pride when I visit this Heritage garden as I invariably recall how my Mother, quite elderly at the time, and I helped the day of the initial plsnitng of the gardens.