Reinvesting in the Heritage Rose Garden – Guadalupe River Park Conservancy

Reinvesting in our Heritage Roses

The Heritage Rose Garden serves as a community garden for recreation and leisure. Featuring over 2,000 varieties of roses, it is a safe haven for roses and a feature destination in San José.

Time has left its mark

It has been almost 30 years since the establishment of the unique Heritage Rose Garden. While the gardens have been maintained and loved throughout the years, time has left its mark. Aging paths, broken irrigation, and some gaps in roses are among the years’ impacts.

Ongoing Maintenance

Thanks in part to the Mel Hulse Fund, named after the late Heritage Rose Garden Volunteer Director, the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy has been able to fund ongoing maintenance in the gardens; install trellises to assist rose bush growth; and install new rose varieties as older plants have experienced hardship, pruning, fertilizing, and new mulch.

The Heritage Rose Garden is maintained by the South Bay Heritage Rose Group and Guadalupe River Park Conservancy volunteers every Saturday morning.

Donate to the Mel Hulse Fund

What’s coming to the Garden?

Thanks to Congressmember Lofgren Community Project Funding, gardens restoration funding, as well as ongoing support from City of San José Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, revitalization efforts in the Heritage Rose Garden will focus on garden enhancement through installation of new signage, trellises, seating, and trash cans, as well as garden path repairs.

Updating irrigation systems [In Progress]
Installing new climbing rose trellises [In Progress]
New trash cans and seating [Spring 2025]
Planting new roses [Ongoing]
Installing new paths [Expected 2026]