Richmond, Indiana A.A.R.S. Rose Garden
Visit the Richmond Rose Garden's official website at http://richmondrosegarden.com/.
Visit | History | Volunteer | Donate | Map | Links
Visit
The Richmond Rose A.A.R.S. Garden is open 365 days a year, and no admission is charged for visiting the garden. The garden is wheelchair accessible and restrooms are available in Glen Miller Park at the concession building.
The Richmond Rose Garden, along with the Richmond-Friendship Garden and E.G. Hill Memorial Rose Garden, is located in Glen Miller Park and faces U.S. 40 East at 2514 East Main Street, Richmond. For directions please see the map below.
The peak bloom periods of the garden are in June and September, but gorgeous roses can been seen throughout the summer months.
For a fee, the Victorian Gazebo with electrical outlets can be reserved for weddings and special events. Please call (765) 983-7275 for details.
History
Richmond defined itself as the "Rose City" in the early 1970's. The reason for the Rose City designation is that Richmond was the home of Hills Rose Growers. The E.G. Hill Company and the Joseph H. Hill Company together with the Hill Floral Products Company were the premier rose growers and marketers of cut roses, accounting for the sale of millions of roses annually in the U.S. and around the world.
It was only natural then to honor our rose heritage by establishing a public Rose Garden to be enjoyed by our own residents and visitors to our city.
The idea of the Rose Garden became a reality in 1985 when the Rose Garden Project Committee was formed with the purpose of establishing a public garden. Many good ideas later, and with generous amounts of community funding in hand, the first roses were planted in June 1987. The walkways of historic star bricks, from older residential areas of Richmond, were donated to the Garden by the city and installed in June 1988.
To the west is the formal E.G. Hill Memorial Rose Garden which was started in 1937 to honor the Hill companies, and the historic Charles House, both of which are maintained by the Richmond Parks Dept.
The Richmond-Friendship Garden is the newest addition to the garden project emphasizing our friendship with the German City of Zweibruken. The garden lies between the A.A.R.S. and the E.G. Hill Memorial gardens. It is of German design and features many German roses, a gift from the famed Europas Rosegarten of Zweibrucken. The elegant rose sculpture wrought by The Magaw's of Boston, Indiana symbolizes that friendship.
Late in 1988, after only two seasons, the Richmond Rose Garden earned the highest distinction of being designated an All America Rose Display Garden by the All America Rose Selection Board (A.A.R.S.). The only other garden in Indiana to receive this recognition is in Fort Wayne.
As one of only 130 plus A.A.R.S. Public Display Rose Gardens in the nation, the Richmond garden will annually receive a selection of new All America Rose varieties approved by the A.A.R.S. Selection Committee. All current winners and many of the previous winners, dating from 1946, are also among the plantings.
In addition to providing the garden public an opportunity to preview A.A.R.S. winners before they are marketed, the public may also see how various rose varieties perform under local climate and soil conditions.
For a detailed history of the garden, please read the "History of Richmond's All-America Rose Garden" compiled for the Garden's 10th Anniversary by Donald Royer, available in PDF form. (Note, this is a large, 22 mb .pdf file.)
Today visitors experience the beauty of this flourishing twenty year old garden that highlights over 100 varieties of All American Selections® Roses, amidst blooming annuals, perennials, and ornamental trees that add an interesting texture to the garden.
Volunteer
The Richmond Rose Garden is maintained almost exclusively by local dedicated volunteers who offer their talents in rose care as well as significant amounts of time tending the garden. Volunteering can involve anything from weeding for two hours, adopting and maintaining one of the beautiful beds, to becoming involved in the volunteer committee that meets once a month to consider and address the needs of the garden.
The garden is always in need of willing hands. A PDF copy of our garden Volunteer Guide will offer an idea of the opportunities available to help in the garden, as well as giving some wonderful Rose Care tips.
If you are interested in volunteering to work in the garden, please call the Wayne County Foundation at 765.962.1638.
If you are interested in attending an open committee meeting you are invited to join us at noon at the Wayne County Foundation building at 33 South 7th Street, Richmond, Indiana on the fourth Tuesday of every month between February and November.
Donate
No admission is charged to visit the garden, and the only source of funding is through generous donations from community members, visitors, and travelers who find value in the garden. No tax dollars are used to maintain this garden. While any visit to the garden promises to be beautiful, the underlying needs to maintain that beauty are costly. Please consider making a donation toward the maintenance of the garden.
As a unique memorial or honorary gift, for a donation of $100, the back of a historic star brick can be inscribed with words of your choosing and added to the Memorial Walkway.
[Memorial Brick Order Form]
The garden also welcomes corporate donations toward specific needs and projects that will both benefit the garden and highlight the businesses involvement in the community. If your business would be interested in this sort of tax-deductible gift there are many needs and opportunities available.
For details about all giving opportunities, call the Wayne County Foundation at 765.962.1638
Gifts may be mailed to:
Wayne County Foundation
Rose Garden Fund
33 South 7th Street
Richmond, IN 47374Online Donations: please reference the RICHMOND ROSE GARDEN FUND.
Map
Links of Interest
A.A.R.S. Information
Additional Rose Resources
- American Rose Society: Rose Care Articles
- University of Illinois: Rose Garden Information
- Types of Roses: A Visual Compendium
More about the Richmond Rose Garden
Video courtesy of Vincent Ward
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| Email: | info@waynet.org |
| Phone: | 765.939.0857 |
| Mail: | 50 North 5th St. Richmond, IN 47374 |
| Director: | Board of Directors |
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