Hello, Park of Roses volunteers, donors and visitors. I hope 2018 started out well for all of you. No doubt some of you are settled at home, happily thumbing through garden catalogs and dreaming of spring.

I love welcoming a new year- it’s like getting chance to start over. If you are a gardener, or a just a garden lover, then hope springs eternal for you that this year will be even better than last year.

And last year was very good in the Park of Roses! Here are some of the highlights.

New West Entrance to Rose Garden

In June, a dedication ceremony was held to celebrate the beautiful new west entrance to the rose garden. It consists of ten stone pillars connected by decorative iron fencing. Climbing roses will soon cover the fence and create a living wall of color most of the year.

The pillars were designed by Columbus Recreation and Parks Department and funded by donors from Clintonville and greater Columbus. Each pillar has a bronze plaque with an inspirational quote and the donor’s name. Some donors were volunteers and at least 2 pillars were dedicated by local businesses- Mozart’s Restaurant and Experience Columbus.

Special Project Volunteers

Another joint project between CRPD and the Park of Roses Foundation was the formation of a partnership to bring in corporate and organizational volunteers for special one day events. Projects were determined by the staff garden supervisor and tools were provided by Columbus Recreation and Parks. Groups from SafeLite AutoGlass and  Americore helped weed, mulch and edge rose beds. For more information, contact volunteers@parkofroses.org.

Big Give Donation

In October, the Columbus Foundation sponsored a huge fundraising campaign for central Ohio nonprofits. They raised more that $18 million dollars in 26 hours. This produced a record number of donors and financial support for the Park of Roses Foundation. Twenty nine donors contributed over $4,700.

The Big Give won’t be back until 2019, but you can make a donation whenever you want. Go to The Columbus Foundation and type in Columbus Park of Roses Foundation.