Spring is passing in the blink of an eye, but we still have a few more blooms to enjoy! The latest is Golden Gate Park’s Rose Garden, whose peak bloom starts in mid-May and goes all the way through June.
The award-winning rose varieties are situated in over 60 rectangular rose beds, which are maintained by a group of dedicated local gardeners. Explore dozens of colors and varieties including the lavender-pink “Lavender Lassie,” the pale pink “Sally Holmes,” and late-summer orange and red Eglantines. Roses are labeled throughout the garden and include hybrids, miniatures and climbing varieties.
Although peak bloom is primarily in the summer months, some varieties are capable of blooming twice a year. Visitors can find yellow “Golden Showers” and multi-color “Joseph’s Coat,” “Altissimo,” and “Royal Sunset” around Christmas.
The American Rose Society’s SF chapter started the Rose Garden here in 1961 as a testing site for trial varieties. Assistant Superintendent of Parks Roy Hudson ultimately designed the garden’s layout.
San Francisco Recreation & Parks rents out the Rose Garden for weddings, and it has a 150-person capacity.
Find the Golden Gate Park Rose Garden between JFK Drive and Park Presidio Drive. Pair it with a visit to the de Young Museum, which is right across the street.
Featured image: FASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons