El Paso is home to many hidden gems that people may not be aware of. With spring around the corner, the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden will soon give people a breathtaking sight full of life and color.
Located in Central El Paso at 3418 Aurora Ave., the garden is home to over 200 types of roses. Visitors will come across miniature roses, native roses and, remarkably, low-maintenance roses developed by the Texas A&M Agriculture Program, otherwise known as Earth-Kind roses.
The garden was created by the Rose Garden Society of El Paso in 1958 and has been maintained by volunteers from The El Paso Master Gardeners since 2007. The El Paso Master Gardener is an organization that works with the Texas A&M Agriculture Extension Service and the city of El Paso. They provide community gardening lessons, answer individual questions and are responsible for multiple local gardens.
Eduardo Rascon is a horticulturist from El Paso County under the Texas A&M Agriculture Extension Service. He said the Rose Garden Committee is made of volunteers whose responsibilities include pruning, cleaning, pulling weeds and planting seeds to keep the garden area clean and presentable.
The rose garden is a four-acre walk-through area where guests can connect with nature by taking in the fresh scent and the bright colors of the roses that bloom around April. UTEP Forensic Science student, Andrea Flores, said the garden is an ideal place to relax and enjoy a gorgeous view.
“I feel like the city is very overwhelming sometimes, it’s nice to have a place where you can just calm down,” Flores said.
The garden has more than one purpose as the space can be booked for events such as weddings in El Paso. People also take photos in the garden to feature the green environment.
UTEP criminal justice student, Aleka Lozano said the city benefits from the garden by giving people a space to do things.
“It’s a little spot, where it’s kind of known in the community,” Lozano said. “People take pictures or like graduation pictures and stuff like that, so I think it’s cool that it’s there.”
People who are not familiar with the space said the walkthrough garden opens the opportunity for the city to expand its greenery and garden selection. Seth Elguea, a UTEP aerospace engineer student, said the city can gain more color.
“I just think that El Paso needs a lot more color in it, everything here is very bland and kind of dreary,” Elguea said.
Lozano said the city should look at the UTEP campus as an example of how more greeneries can be incorporated around the region.
“Here at UTEP, how they have like different plants, and like it’s kind of nice to be out here, something similar to that,” Lozano said.
Rascon said their organization is looking into incorporating more native plants that require less water and more sun in El Paso. The local environment and ecosystems will benefit because animals like insects and birds can thrive. As spring starts creeping up, the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden is the perfect opportunity to get out and celebrate the new blooming season. The community is invited to attend the open house that will be available in early April.
“In the second week of April there is an open house because majority of the roses are in spectacular bloom,” Rascon said.
People can visit the local getaway to get a sense of what nature has to offer. The garden will be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., beginning March 1, through Nov. 30. For more information about the garden and gardening events visit its website.
Melissa Herrera is a contributor at The Prospector and can be reached at [email protected].
