ROSES DISPLAY GARDEN BLOOMS THANKS TO TENDER CARE

The roses that bloom in the northwest corner of Capaha Park are a result of 38 years of attention from Cape Girardeau garden clubs.

The garden, established in 1953, has over 700 roses, tended to by members of the Cape Girardeau Council of Garden Clubs.

"The rose is the perfect flower," said Betty Kuss, a garden club member, as she carefully pulled weeds from one of the beds.

Council of Garden Clubs President Nadine Davis, with clippers in hand, said: "I think everyone loves roses. They are fascinating."

Members of five garden clubs that make up the council prune, mulch and feed the roses. Each club is assigned a designated bed to maintain during the season.

Member clubs of the council are Cape Girardeau Garden Club, Four Season Garden Club, Ramblewood Garden Club, River Hills Garden Club and Rose Hills Garden Club.

Carol Levy, Rose Garden chairman, said: "Roses take intensive care. This is a big endeavor and takes a lot of people."

The garden requires 80 hours of hard work each week to maintain.

Davis said, "Through the years, the rose garden has been maintained by members of the garden clubs."

Weeding, mulching, pruning, and application of chemicals require money as well as time.

Davis said that several years ago so much work was necessary in the garden that the garden clubs couldn't do it all. "Finally, in desperation, we got the city to help us," Davis said.

The city Parks and Recreation Department now helps with mowing and applying chemicals on the beds. The city has built a new entrance to the garden and has hung a plaque commemorating the first rose gardeners.

Interest expressed by the city has spurred garden club members to become more involved at the rose garden, Davis said. "Now we have a renewed interest among garden club members," she said.

"The rose garden is one of the city's tourist attractions," Davis said. "Periodically we have a guest book here, and we have had visitors from different states, countries all over."

Levy said: "We have a wide variety of roses here. It is a good place to come and learn about roses. You can also learn about good roses to grow in this area."

The garden contains climbers, hybrid teas, hybrid perpetual, shrub roses, floribundas, grandifloras and miniatures.

Davis said: "Some of the roses have been here since the garden was established, especially the rambling and climbing roses along the edges. Many of them have been here since the beginning of the garden."

One rose in the northeast corner of the garden has been recognized as a rare, old rose.

Levy is developing a map for the garden for visitors to follow as they stroll through the beds. The beds are marked but are sometimes hard to identify.

Besides being a tourist attraction, the garden is one of three display gardens in the state. The others are in St. Louis and Kansas City.

Flower companies send samples of roses to the garden clubs to be raised in the garden. Roses are tested for tolerance and growth in this area and climate.

The garden has been a display garden almost since it was established.

Davis said: "We still report back on the roses. We're judged on how well we take care of this garden."

From the very beginning, garden club members have worked in the garden and helped keep it inviting to its thousands of visitors each year.

"Roses are like people: they respond to love," the late Arla Harris, one of the co-founders of the Rose Display Garden, once said.

She, along with a close friend, the late Gladys Stiver, "dirt gardeners" and horticulturists, had the vision and dream of this rose garden.

In the spring of 1953 they presented their idea to a city beautification committee of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. It was approved and Harris and Stiver were named co-chairmen of the garden. An overall committee was appointed with one member from each of the garden clubs.

The Council of Garden Clubs gave $1,000 to begin the project. Along with other gifts from individuals as well as funds from flower shows and pilgrimages, they financed the project.

Only a few roses were planted the first year. In early March 1955, an irrigation system was completed and actual planting began. Roses have been planted in the garden almost every year since.

The original co-chairmen continued their work throughout their lifetime. Their work is continued today by new generations of rose gardeners.