Tucked away in the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Center, more commonly known to students as North Farm, sits the Veterans Memorial Rose Garden.
The garden features three arbors and a central gazebo, surrounded by raised brick rose beds and pathways. Visitors must cross an arched wooden bridge from the parking lot to the main garden.
Construction on the Rose Garden started in the spring of 2006 and finished in the fall of 2007. By then, more than 30 varieties of roses were established at the garden.
The Rose Garden is used in many different capacities. A multitude of events are held in the gazebo for organizations both from Mississippi State University and around Starkville, including weddings and bands.
Jim McKell, an Oktibbeha County Master Gardeners volunteer, attended the his nephew’s wedding at the Rose Garden.
“I attended a wedding there, and it’s such a beautiful place. The roses look really nice, and it was a very nice event,” McKell said.
The director of the garden, Guihong Bi, emphasized the importance the garden has on the community.
“The mission of the garden is to serve as a bridge between the community and university,” Bi said. “We want this to be a place that honors veterans and gives back to the community. We strive to promote community involvement and are finding ways to expand that.”
Mississippi State also uses the Rose Garden as a teaching aid. The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences sends students to the garden for multiple classes and to examine the roses. Photography students also use the gardens as a picturesque place for a photo shoot, while landscape architecture and turf management students go out to the gardens for research.
That research is another main purpose of the Rose Garden. Charles Weatherly, a volunteer in the Master Gardener Program, helped set up the garden.
“The reason those roses have been changed out over the years since 2006 is that we’ve found more desirable roses that require less work,” Weatherly said. “Recent research has allowed the garden to learn things like watering less and the best insecticides to fight the major diseases. So, one of the purposes was to research more desirable varieties but it is also a good place to relax.”
Bi agreed that the roses have been improved.
“The roses in the raised beds receive no chemical sprays, limited fertilizer, limited pruning and dead heading,” Bi said. “These roses are low-maintenance, disease-resistant varieties.”
Weatherly also described his favorite rose, the Aloha variety, which he likes for its adaptation to shade.
“My favorite is a loved one called Aloha because it can tolerate some shade. Most roses require full sun, but it would tolerate some shade. Plus, it was grown by my favorite aunt. She gave me a cutting, and I put it in the Rose Garden,” Weatherly said.
According to Rose Garden experts, the best time to visit the gardens is in early fall or late spring. The roses will be in their best blooms, and the weather will be cooler for relaxing and walking.