By Staff
June 22, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The new Rose Garden in Hendrie Park, Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) will officially open to the public on Saturday, June 23rd. The occasion will include the Hamilton and Burlington Rose Society Annual Show.
Much like the rejuvenated Rock Garden, the new Rose Garden embraces new designs and techniques that reflect a more modern, environmentally conscious approach to growing roses. One that people can implement in their home garden” said Jim Mack, RBG Head of Horticulture.
The new Rose Garden focuses on Ontario-hardy, disease resistant roses together with companion plants. Beneath these beneficial plant pairings is a trickle irrigation system. Deep roots, combined with a consistently maintained layer of mulch, means less artificial watering which promotes an eco-friendly approach.
The companion plantings and advanced irrigation system creates a garden that is resilient and sustainable; a garden growing in healthy soil working together to attract beneficial insects that stave off pests.
Opened in 1967, the original Centennial Rose Garden showcased a large monoculture of hybrid tea and floribunda roses for nearly 50 years. Despite the best efforts of RBG’s horticulture team, the collection had suffered in recent years. Using environmentally-friendly treatments could not outweigh the reality that the garden was made up of disease-prone roses, further compromised by falling under the shadow of large shade trees.
In 2017, construction began on the rejuvenated garden, sacrificing a year of roses in order to take the garden in a bold new direction.
Highlights of the new garden include approximately 3, 300 roses displaying 300 different cultivated varieties, 4, 500 companion plants and many new enhancements to the garden landscape. This includes upgraded pathways, fences, gazebos stairs and lighting as well as renovations to the Turner Pavilion Teahouse that overlooks the new garden. Education elements include an array of new interpretive signs, including the “story of roses” display, teaching visitors about the history of roses.
In 2017, Royal Botanical Gardens launched a $3 million fundraising campaign in support of the new garden and are currently raising the remaining $700-thousand. More information can be found at www.rbg.ca/rosegarden.
