With spring 2024 in full swing, there are plenty of of flowers blooming in the Bay Area and beyond. And we’re even lucky enough to be home to the self-proclaimed “America’s Best Rose Garden” just a short drive from San Francisco. Thousands of visitors are flocking to the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, which has exploded into a vibrant spectrum of pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows. The expansive 5.5-acre garden has over 3,500 plantings in over 150 different varieties and is completely free to visit.
The garden is situated on the site of an old prune orchard and is exclusively devoted to rose family varieties, 75% of which are hybrids. Plantings include miniature roses, climbers, both clusters and single-bloom stems, and low-growing rose shrubs. The garden is unique in that something is always in bloom all year round, but the best time to visit is in May. While now is the best time to visit the garden, you can still expect plenty of blooming flowers until November.
San Jose Municipal Rose Garden is known for its extensive hybrid varieties, which are tested by the All-American Rose Selections rating organization. The organization sends new hybrid varieties to San Jose’s garden for evaluation in an array of categories such as health, amount of blooms, color, and form before they can be released to the public as an official new rose variety.
All varieties are marked in the garden, and you can refer to a detailed map of the garden. The varieties are creative and always interesting to look at, with names like “Rainbow Knockout,” “Gourmet Popcorn,” “Tequila Supreme,” and many more.
The famous garden’s origins date back to 1927, when the Santa Clara County Rose Society petitioned the city of San Jose to establish a dedicated space for growing roses. It still has many of its original features, which include a reflection pool, garden vases, a two-tiered fountain, and more.
The garden has first-come, first-served picnic areas available, as well as restrooms, barbecues, and street parking. It’s a great way to spend a warm May day in the Bay Area, and you can get some good inspiration for your garden at home.
The San Jose Municipal Rose Garden is free to visit from 8 a.m. until 30 minutes after sunset. It is located at the corner of Naglee Avenue and Dana Avenue in San Jose.