Sacramento rain will create amazing blooms. Here are 5 spots to stop and smell the roses
Stop and smell the roses? After a torrent of rain, it’s likely spring flowers will be in glorious bloom this spring — and Sacramento has plenty of community rose gardens where enthusiasts can get their fill.
Here’s why Sacramento loves its roses, and area rose gardens you can visit this spring:
Roses in Sacramento
“Sacramento has ideal climate for growing roses, it’s not too hot. It’s not too cold” said Debbie Arrington, President of the Sacramento Rose Society. The club has been around since 1940 and educates and encourages residents to grow more roses.
The hot summer’s in the Golden State capital kill most of the fungal disease that can potentially affect roses, Arrington said. Then our winters are cold enough that flowers can go into a dormancy.
The very best time to see roses in Sacramento is in April. Particularly this year. The rain will contribute to incredible floral displays throughout the cities public gardens, Arrington said.
The early spring bloom is when visitors can notice the decorative rose fragrance, she said. This is because the blooms put most of their effort into that first spring wave.
Though not technically a rose, Sacramento’s flower is the camellia, which takes on a similar bright appearance. It was adopted by the city in 1941. The flower is not native to the state, but from Southeast Asia, and was first introduced to California during the gold rush era, according to the Capitol Museum. Today, Sacramento visitors can find a camellia grove memorial on the State Capitol grounds.
Here is a list of Sacramento-area community rose gardens to visit this spring — and they are all free:
Free rose gardens in the Sacramento area
McKinley Park Memorial Rose Garden
Where: 3255 H St., Sacramento
About the garden: Popular for its cameo in Lady Bird, you can find more than 1,200 rose plants throughout the 1.5-acre garden. The rose garden was maintained by Friends of East Sacramento, but in November of 2022 the non-profit handed the park over to the city’s parks department.
State Capitol Park World Peace Rose Garden
Where: 1317 15th St., Sacramento
About the garden: The garden features 650 roses in the .42-acre park. You’ll also find inspirational messages engraved on plaques throughout.
Where: 2921 Truxel Rd., Sacramento
About the garden: The small but mighty rose garden in Natomas holds 500 different roses. It’s all run by volunteers.
Where: 250 First St., Woodland
About the garden: The Woodland Library has a garden collection of more than 500 flowers. What make’s the Woodland Library rose garden unique is its selection of Victorian roses from the 1800sm also known as old garden roses, Arrington said. The library also has its own rose club which was founded in 1989.
Rio Linda Pioneer Memorial Rose Garden
Where: 6852 Dry Creek Rd., Rio Linda
About the garden: The garden was started in 1997 and is open during daylight hours.