The Rose Garden is the fulfillment of the vision of Laguna Niguel resident Cathy Greer. The space was originally a community garden. Squirrels, rabbits and other critters loved to eat the plants, and over time, community gardeners stopped using the garden plots. In 1998, Cathy began planting roses in the abandoned plots and asked a close friend and fellow rose enthusiast, Kent Southard, to help with the physical labor. Her garden design was inspired by the famous Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge.
The garden is planted with a variety of roses, with a large portion consisting of varieties of David Austin English Roses. These roses have softer colors and more intense scents than some other varieties of roses. The gene in roses responsible for color is also responsible for scent; roses with more color typically have less scent. You may detect anise (licorice), myrrh, citrus and fruit, and the traditional tea rose scent as you walk through the garden.
In keeping with the Preserve’s Mediterranean garden theme, the roses are pruned to allow each variety to achieve its more natural height and shape, as opposed to the more regimented style of rose pruning where each plant is cut to the same size and height. David Austin roses love our climate, reaching heights unseen in their native England. Thanks to Southern California’s sun and long growing season, there’s almost always something in bloom. The greatest peak bloom almost always occurs around Mother’s Day, when for several weeks the garden looks like a magazine cover
Recent improvements to the Rose Garden include the rebuilding of the garden’s low stone walls and the installation of automatic irrigation. As the garden has become fully planted, and the roses have come into maturity, the space has truly has become a thing of beauty and a tribute to Cathy, whose inspiration continues to grow and thrive.
