We live in a society that champions speed and
efficiency. Smartphones make it easy to
communicate without verbal communication and almost eliminate the need for face
to face contact. These advances in
technology, frequency of relocation, and busier schedules have all contributed
to an overall sense of isolation in our society. We truly have to work to be a part of a
community, but it is a refreshing experience to be a part of something larger
than ourselves. Gene Strowd was a man who
championed community, and over four hundred and fifty roses stand as a
testament to that fact in the Gene Strowd Community Garden in Chapel Hill,
NC.
Gene Strowd was a rosarian on the national level, but his heart
was obviously dedicated to his home community of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Mr. Strowd used roses as a way of engaging
with people and bringing beauty into the lives of those he came in contact
with daily. In 1987, he proposed the idea of a
community rose garden where everyone was welcome to come and experience the
beauty that only roses can provide. Gene
Strowd, along with the Chapel Hill Rose Society and the Chapel Hill Parks and
Recreation Department, designed the layout of the garden and construction began
in 1988.
Climbing Iceberg
As you walk into the garden, you get a sense of what Gene
Strowd hoped to accomplish by planting a rose garden in the middle of Chapel
Hill. There are benches around the
garden where you can sit and have a face to face conversation with friends. You will hear joyful giggles from the
playground that is located directly adjacent to the garden, and if you take time to sit in the gazebo at the back of garden you will see how many
people from the community take time to stop and smell the roses. The copper fountain in the center of the
garden provides a soundtrack to the rose garden with soothing sounds of trickling
water, and the brick pathways lead you
through the fragrant beds of roses that encourage you to take time out of your
busy day to enjoy pure beauty.
Raised Brick Bed
Both Gene and his beautiful bride, Irene, have passed on
from this world, but through Strowd Roses, Inc their commitment to the
community of Chapel Hill and Carrboro continues on to this day. Not only does Strowd Roses, Inc fund the
maintenance of the Gene Strowd Garden, they also provide funding for community
organizations that improve the quality of life for the community of Chapel Hill
and Carrboro.
Living in a society where speed and efficiency are often championed
over personal connection, it is refreshing to step into a world of beauty where
we can slow down and enjoy the people around us. Gene Strowd and his wife Irene dedicated
their lives and their money to promote a community where helping one another
and enjoying togetherness was advocated for above all else.
Witherspoon also provides professional rose care services. We offer preventative and corrective spraying for pests and diseases, fertilizing, pruning, mulching, and planting.
Give us a call at 1-800-643-0315 to request a FREE onsite estimate.
When we think of traditional rose gardens we think of these
elaborate layouts and designs of the most famous rose gardens around the
world. Rose gardens are often built that
way to showcase the exquisite flowers and to offer visitors a true sensory
experience by way of sight and smell.
Grassy paths take you around curving rows of roses bordered by clipped
boxwood hedges; climbing roses cover expansive arched walkways; tree roses
stand like soldiers at a sentry post neat and orderly.
Summer, of course, is the best time to visit the acres
dedicated to our nation’s most beloved flower; and if you have the means,
international rose gardens offer an even greater splendor of travel. If you can only venture a short distance from
your home base, you’ll likely find that there is a rose garden within reach of
your destination.
I have met many rose enthusiasts over the years while working
for Witherspoon. Some have traveled far
and wide to visit rose gardens. It’s a
passion I don’t think I’ll quite grasp as roses are not necessarily my
favorite, but I have come to have an
enthusiastic respect for this treasured flower.
From a horticultural standpoint it’s really quite an amazing shrub which
continuously blooms its heart out from the beginning of the growing season to
the end. Most other ornamental shrubs
will offer a period of bloom either early, mid or late in the growing
season. How the rose manages to keep up
with itself is a great mystery.
There are a handful of roses that have their specific special time to
put on their show, but overall most modern roses will reliably give the display
over and over again.
Close to home in the Piedmont of North Carolina you’ll
discover an impressive variety of public rose gardens. We’ll start with our very own rose garden on
the grounds at Witherspoon in Durham where you’ll find a restful sitting area
in the gazebo overlooking the entire rose garden. The rose garden has approximately 2000 bushes
of varying type from the miniature to the tree rose to the climbing rose. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the smells and
sights of a rainbow of color in our rose garden.
Down the road, in either direction north or south, and you’ll
find the Strowd Rose Garden in Chapel Hill or the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on Duke
University’s campus in Durham. Strowd’s
garden is all roses; Gene Strowd was an impassioned rose gardener and a beloved
community resident. Within the Sarah P.Duke Gardens you’ll find not only roses, but a grand botanical garden filled
with many ornamental plants delighting every season of the year.
The Raleigh area is not without its own places to visit to
see roses. The first that comes to mind
is the quietly hidden rose garden at the Raleigh Little Theatre. Nestled in a small valley surrounded by
towering trees, this is one of Raleigh’s best kept secrets. Also, in Raleigh, is the JC RaulstonArboretum where you can see another superb botanical garden of ornamental
plants, including roses, of course.
As you travel further outside the Triangle area you can
visit the Rose Garden in Wilson, Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, and the McGillRose Garden in Charlotte. For rose
enthusiasts in North Carolina this is quite a list of places to visit.
I’ve heard, though not experienced, that the International Rose Test Garden in Portland is an exceptional sight. This garden serves not only public enjoyment, but also serves as (hence its name) an international test site for new roses for commerce. The Portland area as a whole is abundant with places to visit to see all kinds of ornamental plants.
The home of the American Rose Society in Louisiana is where
you’ll see The Gardens of the American Rose Center. The 118 acre garden area highlights over 65
distinct rose gardens and 20,000 rose bushes.
Thinking about these elaborate places might prompt you for a
mini vacation with only the rose in mind.
For the most ardent rose enthusiasts this is no big deal because they’re
so enchanted by the rose. For those not
so passionate, but still admirers, you may have yourself a journey of a
lifetime discovering new places to enjoy roses and rose gardens.
