More than 1,500 rose bushes have been planted at the El Paso Rose Garden, so if you’re a rose lover, that’s reason enough to visit. However, there are many other reasons to visit this amazing garden right in the heart of El Paso.
The Roses
As mentioned above, the incredible roses are the main reason to visit the garden. You’ll see more than 430 varieties of roses, which are just bursting with color and fragrance. Maintained by the City of El Paso and the El Paso Rose Society since its first 200 bushes were planted in 1958, the garden is truly a city treasure that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Volunteer Opportunities
The garden offers some of the best volunteer opportunities in the city, and you’ll meet several of these volunteers on your visit. They may even inspire you to volunteer yourself! You can become a volunteer Master Gardener by training and becoming certified in horticulture through the Texas Master Gardener Association and join the more than 6,000 Master Gardeners who have contributed over 400,000 hours of time to the garden and other local horticulture projects.
You don’t have to be a Master Gardener to volunteer at the garden. You can also volunteer to perform various duties around the garden, including pruning, watering, and more. The garden depends on volunteers to keep operating, so consider becoming one to help the community and indulge your own love of roses.
Awards
The garden has brought home numerous awards from the Texas Master Gardener Association between 2015 and 2018. There have been individual Master Gardener awards, education awards, project awards, and association awards. Certainly, a garden that has won so many awards is worthy of visiting at least once (but we’re pretty sure you’ll return once you experience the garden’s beauty).
School Garden Program
The Master Gardeners at the rose garden also volunteer their time to give back to the community, many in the form of helping local schools set up gardens on their property. They know that space is at a premium in schools, so they help come up with space-saving solutions to grow herbs, tomatoes, and other vegetables at these schools to teach children about sustainable gardening.
Community Assistance
The garden also features the Ascarate Teaching and Demonstration Garden, where community members can learn how to grow a variety of vegetables, including asparagus, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, and even loofahs. Master Gardeners hold workshops, presentations, and demonstrations to provide tips and techniques for container gardening, self-watering, and keyhole gardening.
What’s more is that the garden has used the abundance from the Ascarate Teaching and Demonstration Garden to donate more than two tons of fresh produce to local food banks in El Paso. Its mission of providing assistance to the community is fulfilled in many ways, including teaching people how to garden and providing food to those in need.
While the roses are certainly the main attraction of this garden, there is so much more to it than just a bunch of pretty flowers! It’s a place where beauty meets function, and you can enjoy the roses as well as participate in activities that help your community. Call or drive over to Fox Toyota of El Paso to learn about other ways to contribute to the city or for more excellent attractions to visit!