On April 21, members of the Weeders Garden Club toured the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College 1833 W. Southern Avenue, Mesa, with Master Gardener Marylou Coffman. The Rose Garden is host to nearly 9000 rose bushes and 300 varieties, as well as some lovely garden furniture like a 6 seater patio set, and this endeavor began as a partnership between Mesa-East Valley Rose Society and Mesa Community College. The partnership has resulted in the largest public rose garden in the desert southwest and it is the only significant public rose garden begun since 1974. The garden provides a beautiful setting for both students and the general public to enjoy our nation’s national flower, the Rose, a symbol of “Love, Friendship, Beauty and Peace.” This garden is maintained by the Deadheaders and Pruners, all of whom are volunteers from the community as well as volunteers of the Mesa-East Valley Rose Society.

The Rose Garden at Mesa Community College has been constructed and planted in phases with the first and second phases planted from 1997 to 2000. Phases One and Two contain approximately 4,000 roses. The seat wall and terrace patio area in the East Garden were dedicated to two of Arizona’s favorite roses, former Governor Rose Mofford and the Honorable Polly Rosenbaum, former State Representative.

With Phases One and Two completed work began on Phases Three and Four. Phase Three, The Veterans Rose Garden plantings began the winter of 2003 and was completed in 2005. The garden was designed to honor “Past, Present and Future” members who have or are serving in the five branches of the United States of America military. All roses planted in this garden are varieties with patriotic names. There are over 60 varieties with names such as About Face, America, Fourth of July, Peace, Purple Heart, Stars and Stripes and Veterans Honor. The garden features our National, State and POW flags along with those of the five service branches all surrounded by nearly 2,000 roses.

Phase Four includes roses symbolizing “Love, Friendship, Beauty and Peace” and was completed in 2011.

The Rose Garden is open to the public at no charge and can be enjoyed every day of the year. It may indeed be time to stop and smell the roses! The roses in our Sonoran Desert Climate are most beautiful during the months of April, May and June, and again in October, November and December.

There is a need for volunteers not only for pruning, weeding and deadheading, but grant writing to keep the gardens going and growing.

April has been a busy month which included a visit to a Community Garden at Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale on April 28, 2016.

April also included an Arbor Day Celebration on April 29 at the Mc Croskey House at Tumbleweed Ranch in Tumbleweed Park, Chandler. Our Weeders Garden Club supports the McCroskey House throughout the year working in planting and maintenance of the 1917 era gardens. This year we donated a Desert willow (Chilopsis, scientific name) tree in honor of Arbor Day and enjoyed a sack lunch after the dedication.

Our garden club season ended on May 12 with our May Flowers Luncheon.