Explore the Rose Garden at MCC

Spring is prime time to experience the glory of nearly 9,000 rose bushes in bloom in the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College. And for those not content to just stop and smell the roses, there’s a self-guided tour via cell phone available by dialing up the numbers shown on signs posted at eight different flower beds in the garden.

"Most people don’t know about the tour,” said garden volunteer and rose show judge Lynn Twitchell. “It’s free and it’s informative.”

The tour begins at the entrance to the garden and winds through 36 rose beds. Visitors will gain information about the more than 300 varieties of roses, including the most famous rose in the world, the peace rose.  Facts about the history of the garden and the Blue Star Memorial are also included.

The audio tour is powered by OnCell Systems and plans to add more stops to the tour are in the works.

For a more personal touch, visitors can arrange for a guided tour by an expert rosarian or volunteer. These tours can be scheduled on the garden’s website. 

"When I take people on tours, I find they are interested in the history of the specific roses, such as the peace rose or the Lincoln rose,” Twitchell said.

Her favorite section of the garden is the Veterans Garden, containing 2,500 roses with patriotic names such as "About Face, America, Fourth of July and Peace.” Veterans groups and individuals use this section for ceremonies or private reflection.

The Rose Garden began as a partnership between MCC and the Mesa-East Valley Rose Society in 1997. It’s the largest public rose garden in the desert southwest and is the last public rose garden established since 1974.

Students use the garden for academic purposes and nearby residents use it as a source of ideas for their own gardens.  The peaceful atmosphere creates a place for other special events, such as craft fairs or weddings.  The garden has become a local landmark that honors the rose as an international symbol for friendship, love, beauty and peace.

The garden is maintained by nearly 800 volunteers who donated nearly 4,000 hours of service in 2010 and about 2,660 hours of service in 2011.  It is located on the Southern and Dobson Campus along Southern Avenue.

For more information on the Rose Garden and to view many beautiful rose photos, visit www.RoseGardenatMCC.org.

When to Visit

The roses are most beautiful from October to early December and again during the months of April, May and June.

The Alumni Association will be hosting an event in April.  Invitations will be sent out via email.  Contact Jennifer LaForge at jenner@mesacc.edu if you need to be added to our list!

© MCC Office of Institutional Advancement