Heritage Rose Garden - Saturday Volunteers Needed!

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Guadalupe River Park Conservancy is currently seeking volunteers to help maintain our Heritage Rose Garden with our ongoing Saturday workdays that are hosted from 8:30am-11:30am.

Did you know our Heritage Rose Garden holds the largest public collection of roses in the Western hemisphere with over 3,000 varieties and more than 4,000 planted roses? That's right... and it's located in the heart of downtown San José in Guadalupe River Park.

Join us for a morning of gardening! We will be completing a wide variety of seasonal tasks including planting, weeding, deadheading, mulching, and pruning, among others. No gardening experience is required - we would be happy to teach you on site! We will be meeting at the Heritage Rose Garden Shed to kick off the volunteer service event - more details on our Google form.

Please note that the minimum age to volunteer in the Heritage Rose Garden is 14 years old. Adult chaperones are required to attend with individuals age 15 and younger.

In addition, please note that:

• We provide all necessary tools and have gloves to borrow. If you prefer to use your own pruners, loppers, or gloves, feel free to bring them to the event.
• Restrooms will be available in the Rotary PlayGarden starting at 10:00 AM,
• Please bring your own water bottle as the water fountain will be unavailable for use at this time.

Volunteers are asked to arrive by 8:30 for a contactless sign-in, workday instructions will follow. We will be providing all necessary tools for the workday, but if you would prefer to use your own pruners and/or loppers, feel free to bring them to the event. The workday will begin at 8:30 and will run through 11:30, although the workday may be shortened due to inclement weather such as rain or extreme heat (seasonal). School groups and corporate teams must contact the Volunteer Coordinator to schedule events.

Be sure to check your email for event updates!

History:

The San Jose Heritage Rose Garden, or the "Sangerhausen of the West," is an unexpected jewel located in downtown San Jose. The purpose of the rose garden was to provide a safe haven for important rose species and to connect the public with the rare and beautiful flowers. Special emphasis was placed on choosing types of roses that would supplement the Municipal Rose Garden’s collection.

The criteria for choosing the roses that would be placed in the new garden included:

1. Rose varieties that were in danger of becoming lost or inaccessible
2. Rose varieties whose genes contributed to the best roses ever
3. Rose varieties that were so great that the public should have the opportunity to view them
4. Rose varieties that would become rare in the future

To sign up, please RSVP with the following link:

https://forms.gle/FKYH9PgMV7fBQTvx7

We look forward to seeing you in the park soon!