You got to stop and smell...
You got to stop and smell the roses.
You got to count your many blessings every day.
You’re gonna find the way to heaven is a rough and rocky road, if you don’t stop and smell the roses along the way.
--”Stop and Smell the Roses” by
Mac Davis, Doc Severinsen
1974 Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.,
Colgems-EMI Music Inc.,
Songpainter Music
The words from this ‘70s song still ring true in the fast-paced ‘80s. Juggling career, personal interests, family and friends is quite a challenge, and finding some personal quiet time each day is recognized as an excellent way to reduce the stress brought on by today’s life styles.
Taking time to stop and smell the roses is surprisingly easy in Southern California, where a number of notable rose gardens are located in some logical and some surprising places. One would expect to see rose bushes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, but not, perhaps, at the Westminster Civic Center. These gardens not only provide beauty and serenity, but they are also an excellent resource for those seeking information on growing roses.
Many of the 10 locations listed are display gardens for the American Rose Society (ARS) and/or the All-America Rose Selections (AARS). The AARS bestows awards each year on those varieties judged to be the best new roses. Candidates are tested in display gardens and can be recognized by labels bearing numbers rather than names, because these roses haven’t been named and are not yet available to the public.
Most of the gardens use the term “heritage” to designate the oldest varieties, “modern” for newer hybrids. If the object of a visit is to select roses to grow yourself, don’t forget to take along a pad and pencil to note favorites.
A. C. Postal Memorial Rose Garden, Mission Historical Park, Laguna and Plaza Rubio streets, Santa Barbara, (805) 564-5435. Refurbished in 1985, this one-acre garden near the Santa Barbara Mission contains 1,200 rose plants. Most of the 105 modern varieties are labeled. There are also 45 heritage varieties, presently unmarked. The garden is open for self-guided tours every day from sunrise to sunset. There is no admission charge.
Exposition Park Rose Garden, Exposition Park, Exposition Boulevard and Figueroa Street, South-Central Los Angeles, (213) 748-4772 or (213) 485-5529. Established in the early 1900s, the garden covers 7 1/2 acres and has 16,000 rose plants. Most of the 200 varieties are labeled. The garden’s beauty and four gazebos make it a popular site for weddings. The garden is open for self-guided tours daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission. Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, (818) 405-2141. A total of 130 acres are open for public viewing, devoted to a variety of different theme gardens. The 3,000 rose plants are on three acres and include 1,500 varieties. Clair Martin, curator of the rose garden, describes the garden as a “living museum,” displaying roses from ancient Greek and Roman times to the newest hybrids. The gardens are open Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Advance tickets are required on Sundays. Guided tours are available daily. There is no admission charge, but a parking donation of $2 per adult is suggested. Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, (818) 793-7193. Garden plots of roses surround the stadium between the fence and the structure as well as outside the fence. A test garden for AARS for the past two years, the Rose Bowl has more than 3,500 rose plants and 150 varieties, all of which are labeled. The grounds are open for self-guided tours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no admission charge.
Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge, (818) 790-5571. Located just off Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway), the gardens include about five acres of roses, including AARS winners since 1940 and a total of about 3,000 rose plants. The gardens are open daily except Christmas from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $1.50 for senior citizens and 75 cents for children 5 to 12. Children under 5 are admitted free. Information for self-guided walking tours is available at the entrance; tram rides with a driver-guide are also offered for $1.50 per person.
Pageant of Roses Garden, Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3900 S. Workman Mill Road, Whittier, (213) 699-0921. This 3 1/2-acre garden is just off Interstate 605. It contains 7,000 rose plants, with 600 varieties, including AARS winners, miniatures and rose trees. An audio-visual presentation and brochure to assist with self-guided tours are available at the information center. The garden is open daily, 8 a.m. to sundown. There is no admission charge.
Westminster Civic Center, 8200 Westminster Blvd., Westminster, (714) 895-2860. The 20-acre center is dotted with more than 1,000 rose plants, many of which are labeled. These grounds are open for self-guided tours every day from dawn to dusk. A brochure with a map showing where the different roses are located is available at the Community Services and Recreation Building on Westminster Boulevard. There is no admission charge.
Fullerton Arboretum, Yorba Linda Boulevard and Associated Road, Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton, (714) 773-3579. All of the 120 rose plants, including 25 modern and nine heritage varieties, are labeled at the 30-by-200-foot garden on the northeast corner of the Cal State Fullerton campus. Another 10 heritage plants are next to the Heritage House. A brochure available at the main gate of the arboretum includes information on the roses. The garden is open for self-guided tours daily from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Free admission.
Fairmont Park Rose Garden, 2225 Market St., Riverside, (714) 787-7301. The half-acre garden contains 1,200 rose plants. There are about 20 varieties, including AARS winners and all are labeled. The garden is open for self-guided tours daily from dawn to dusk. There is no admission charge.
Inez Parker Memorial Rose Garden, Balboa Park, Park Boulevard, San Diego, (619) 236-5717. The half-acre garden with its 2,500 rose plants is directly across from the park fountain. There are about 200 varieties and most are labeled. The garden is open for self-guided tours every day from dawn to dusk. There is no admission charge.
