A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Top United States rose gardens

by JillianScheeler

Top rose gardens to visit in the United States

Take a day trip to a rose garden

Roses have always been valued for their stunning beauty and intoxicating scent. They also have a long history of symbolism and meaning and are ancient symbols of beauty and love. In fact the rose was sacred to several goddesses such as Aphrodite and is commonly used as a symbol for the Virgin Mary. The rose also is the national flower for both England and the United States.
Many of the below listed rose gardens are only a day trip away and the majority of them are public rose gardens which are free to the public. So, take time to stop and smell the roses and visit one of these beautiful rose gardens located around the world.International Rose Test

Garden Washington Park
Portland, Oregon
Portland is known as the "Rose City" and has several public rose gardens; however, the International Rose Test Garden in Portland is the most well-known. It was founded in 1917 and is the oldest official, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States.

Rose Garden in Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle, Washington
The Woodland Park Zoo Rose Garden was planted originally to provide a free, public display of roses. Currently, the garden houses 280 rose varieties.

Lyndale Park Rose Garden
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Located in Minneapolis, the Lyndale Park Rose Garden is the second oldest public rose garden in the U.S. With over 3,000 roses of 250 varieties, the layout of the garden has not been changed since it was planted by Theodore Wirth in 1908.

McKinley Park Rose Garden
Sacramento, California
A popular setting for weddings and day trips, this Sacramento Rose Garden is home to over 1,200 roses of all different varieties. The garden is free to the public during daylight hours.

The Centennial Rose Garden, Schmidt Mansion
Tumwater, Washington
Planted on the grounds of the Schmidt Mansion, the Centennial Rose Garden is maintained by the Olympia Rose Society for the enjoyment of the public. The garden was designed to display a plethora of rose varieties and within historical context. The garden documents the development of roses from ancient times to present day.

Elizabeth Park Rose Garden
Hartford, Connecticut
The Elizabeth Park Rose Garden is the oldest municipally operated rose garden in the country. With over 800 rose varieties which amounts to 15,000 plants total, this rose garden packs a lot in on two and a half acres.

Mesa Community College Rose Garden
Mesa, Arizona
This Mesa, Arizona rose garden is a unique and important part of the city's community. The garden serves as an iatrical part of education, allowing students from kindergarten through high school and community college and universities use the gardens as botanical laboratories and study areas.

Chicago Botanic GardensGlencoe, Illinios - north of
Chicago, Illinois
The Chicago Botanic Gardens is home to 26 distinct gardens, one of them being a beautiful rose garden that houses 5,000 colorful rose bushes.

The John E. Voight Trial Garden
Hales Corners, Wisconsin
Part of the Boerner Botanical Gardens, the Voight Trial Garden was opened in 1939 and was traditionally designed with gravel walks around the garden and grass walks through the rose beds. The garden also follows the traditional European design with two circular pools and a rectangular pool filled with water lilies and other plant life on the grounds.

Tyler Rose Garden
Tyler, Texas
As part of a 14 acre park, the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the nations largest rose garden and admission to the park is free seven days a week from dawn to dusk. This breathtaking rose garden is also host to the annual Texas Rose Festival held in mid-October.

Jillian Scheeler makes it easy to provide a list of top rose gardens in united states. visit the top ten rose gardens of United States. To recieve free part mini-course visit the United States Rose Gardens Website.

About the Author
Jillian Scheeler is a spontaneous road-tripper and avid writer working on assignment for TravelPost.com - The Premier Source for Unbiased Hotel Reviews and Ratings. This article can be reprinted freely as long as all links remain active.

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How To Reap Robust Roses

by Daniel van Starrenburg

Though there are approximately 5,000 different cultivars of roses, all of them can be grouped into two main classes: bush and climbing. When deciding which type to plant, carefully consider the characteristics of both the class and variety so that you will achieve the look or function which best suits your needs.

Climbers Are A Clever Way To Cover
If you wish to beautifully cover a wall or fence, or start a trellis, climbing roses are optimal since they will grow anywhere from eight to ten feet high. A large flowered climber such as the Rosa "Don Juan" is a good choice as its large (four to five inch wide) double, dark red, fragrant flowers cover a large area and bloom from mid season through the fall. Keep in mind that these large flowered climbers need light annual pruning of unruly canes to keep them in bounds. Although their flowers are smaller (approximately two inches across), Rambler roses grow so quickly that some may develop twenty-foot canes in a single growing season!

Bush Roses Create Beautiful Borders & Boundaries
Small, bushy varieties such as the Floridbunda or Polyantha, can create a lovely hedge because most varieties will spread up to two feet wide. You may also try planting Rosa "The Fairy" or Rosa "Iceberg"; they grow two and four feet high respectively, are disease resistant and rebloom throughout the season.

Other Variations
Miniature roses are frequently used in rock gardens or as borders and edgings around other shrubs, along walkways or patios. Since they typically only grow to be 6-18 inches tall, they are excellent choices for containers and for indoor light gardens. Best of all, they only need a six-inch square area of soil to grow in.

Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras are most popularly used for cutting arrangements because they bloom all season, are disease resistant and feature elegant, long stemmed blossoms. They are also the most common species of roses given as an expression of care and love.

Shrub roses are optimal for those who want to enjoy roses without providing much tender loving care. They are known for their vigor and adaptability, and exhibit a vibrant, healthy foliage. Rosa "Carefree Beauty" is an appropriately named example, which grows to a height of four feet and features fragrant, medium pink flowers. Rosa "Harrison's Yellow" is another good choice, featuring small delicate deep yellow blossoms and is known as an old favorite of the rose species. New varieties of roses are introduced by plant breeders each year with improved cutting qualities, color, fragrance and other characteristics.

About the Author
SavATree provides environmentally sensible tree service and lawn care to homeowners as well as residential, commercial, institutional, government and historic properties in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Industry certified arborists with expertise in tree care and lawn service.

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