By Don McLoughlin
Don McLoughlin is the Chair of the Brookdale Park Conservancy, a certified Rutgers Master Gardener, and a member of the Master Gardeners of Essex County. He has volunteered in the Brookdale Park Rose Garden since 2015 and has led the Master Gardener, Conservancy, and community volunteers in the Rose Garden since 2020.
Few flowers have captured the hearts of people around the world as much as the beautiful rose. Known in some parts as the Queen of Flowers, the rose is the official 'national floral emblem' of the United States as authorized by an act of Congress and proclaimed by President Reagan in 1986.
Brookdale Park Rose Garden. Photo Credit: Don McLoughlin
Fossil records show that wild roses have been around for over 30 million years in the northern hemisphere. People have been cultivating roses for thousands of years, first in China, ancient Rome, and later in Europe, the US, and throughout the world.
Roses are classified into three major groups - 'species' roses (the original wild roses), 'heirloom, antique, or old garden' roses (those cultivated before 1867), and 'modern' roses (those cultivated since 1867 when La France, the first-ever hybrid tea rose, was developed). The majority of roses you see available today are the modern roses, many of which have the advantage of blooming throughout the season (whereas most wild roses only bloom once).
Entrance to Brookdale Park Rose Garden. Photo Credit: Don McLoughlin
The Brookdale Park Rose Garden was created in 1959 and was not actually part of the original park plan from the 1930s. It was built as an effort to 'dress up' the existing large flagpole that stands in what is now the middle of the garden. Today the Rose Garden is maintained by volunteers from Master Gardeners of Essex County, the Brookdale Park Conservancy, and community volunteers.
Morning Magic. Photo Credit: Don McLoughlin
The Rose Garden has 25 beds with 500+ rose bushes, representing about 140 different rose varieties and a full palette of colors, shapes, and fragrances.. It is quite the collection! While there are many, many different types of cultivated roses, the most common ones in Brookdale Park are shrub roses, hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, and rugosas. The Brookdale roses begin blooming in May, reach peak in early June, quiet down a bit for the summer, have a second peak in September, and then keep blooming after that, a few until almost Thanksgiving.
Peppermint Pop and Music Box roses. Photo Credit: Don McLoughlin
Here are just some of the many roses you can find in the Brookdale Park Rose Garden. How many have you seen?
Lotte's Love
Peggy Martin
Mother of Pearl
Chrysler Imperial
Dark Desire
Rainbow Knock Out
Olivia Rose
Darcey Bussell
Bukavu
Morning Magic
Therese Bugnet
Dublin Bay
Ketchup & Mustard
Miracle on the Hudson
Lyda Rose
Betty Prior
Teasing Georgia
Music Box
Campfire
Candycane Cocktail
Purple Pavement
Belle Poitevine
Above and Beyond
The Fairy
Darlow's Enigma
Top Gun
Ice Cap
Vineyard Song
Earth Angel
Knock Out
Bubblicious
Blanc Double de Coubert
Rose Books and Information
A Year of Roses - Stephen Scanniello
Roses Without Chemicals: 150 Disease-Free Varieties That Will Change the Way You Grow Roses - Peter E. Kukielski
The Rose Doctor: A Key for Diagnosing Problems in the Rose Garden - Gary A. Ritchie, PhD
Consulting Rosarian Manual - American Rose Society (www.rose.org)
Dublin Bay rose. Photo credit: Don McLoughlin
Kids Activity
Come visit the Brookdale Park Rose Garden and see if you can find:
the rose bush with the biggest flower
the rose bush with the smallest flower
the rose bush with the best fragrance