Memorial Rose Garden Honors Loved Ones In A Fresh New Way

The Memorial Rose Garden inside of Riverside Park has recently received a makeover. A renovation was given to the memorial site that now has a fresh new look. The garden transitioned from double rows of roses to single roses, which will help with keeping the plants healthy and flourishing.

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The rose garden was created in 1979. In 1996 the site was officially renamed 'Memorial Rose Garden,' after the community's help and the Adopt-a Rose Program paid massive homage to loved ones.

Prior to the renovation, the rose garden featured individual dedication plaques, but many of those had become damaged or unreadable after years of exposure to natural elements. Now, two plaques are honoring 1,400 loved ones.

The plaques are placed right upfront, so they are one of the first things you can view when you enter the garden. The 1,400 names are broken down into two plaques. Both are mounted on the fence to the left of the entrance. The first features honorees with last names beginning A-L and the second features the names of honorees with last names beginning L-Z.

There is a third plaque that sits across from the two plaques sitting on the fence. This plaque has information that serves to educate visitors about the history of the rose garden. It talks about the garden's founding, which was created in 1979 and became a when it became a memorial site.

In a press release, the City of Victoria informed the public that the new plaques were designed to be "longer-lasting" to ensure "honorees will be remembered by visitors to the garden for years to come."

The rose garden functions as many things; people come to take a nice relaxing stroll through the garden; some come to relax in the gazebo and sip their coffee. Others come to take prom photos, as with the blooming roses in the background. Couples can even reserve the area for weddings.

The new plaques are a fresh way to remember and honor loved ones in a beautiful space. The plaques are a great addition and will be around for a long time. To reserve the Memorial Rose Garden gazebo for a wedding or other event, contact Parks & Recreation at 361-485-3200.