The rose garden at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton will be temporarily closed for renovations this spring.
The garden will be closed starting next month and will reopen in early May in time for blooming season, according to Montgomery Parks.
The renovations will provide a series of environmental improvements. Staff will install more diverse and “ecologically friendly plantings,” improve soil and install irrigation.
The new rose garden will have more than 200 roses. They will attract more wildlife and extend bloom time from May to November, according to Montgomery Parks.
Horticulture staff and volunteer students from Blair High School will remove the aged plants next month. The roses that are removed will be composted and “returned to the gardens as nutrients for other plants to thrive.” Then, drip irrigation will be installed, and other additions including compost, planting, and top dressing with leaf mulch from Pope Farm Nursery.
The original hardscaping, commemorative bricks, screen fountain, wisteria arbor, Apache crape myrtles, and memorial benches will remain in place.
The renovation is possible through a $5,000 donation from the Friends of Brookside Gardens, which offsets the $15,000 project.
