What a beautiful rose garden. This was the first time I went and it was impressive.
Rolling green lawns and colorful showy blooms highlight the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, named "America's Best Rose Garden." Hardly a day passes when some species is not in full bloom, with more than 3,500 plantings and 189 varieties featured. Early May brings acres of fragrant, majestic roses at arguably their most beautiful stage. San Jose's 5 1/2-acre Municipal Rose Garden - a one-time prune orchard - is today one of the most attractive of its kind in the world, drawing thousands of visitors each year.
HISTORY
The Garden has a natural grass stage surrounded by a cathedral of redwood trees and a view of the roses. The Garden is operated and maintained by the City of San José.
The Garden was championed by early members of the Santa Clara County Rose Society, and on November 20, 1927, the San José City Council voted to set aside 5.5 acres of an 11-acre tract of land at Naglee and Dana Avenues just outside of downtown San José and the Rose Society pledged to provide roses for the Garden. Groundbreaking took place April 7, 1931, and six years later, on April 7, 1937, the Rose Garden was officially dedicated.
Many of the Garden's original features including the reflection pool in the center of the structural entrance, garden vases, the two-tiered water fountain, miniature rose beds and arbor have been donated through the years by the community and the Rose Society.