Many people do not realize that the rose garden in San Mateo Central Park was developed and is maintained by the San Mateo Arboretum Society. The rose garden was one of the visions of our founder, Marion S. Panaretos, and is one of our contributions to Central Park and the San Mateo Community.
The original rose garden was established in 1993 and is located within the eight formal beds surrounded by boxwood hedges, to the south of the gazebo. The rose bushes were donated to us by the Jackson Perkins Company, one of the foremost names in the world of roses. The roses Brandy and Precious Platinum remain as two of the original plantings.
Several years after the planting of the original rose garden, the gazebo was added. It now forms the center of the rose garden and a brass plaque in the brick floor of the gazebo informs us that the garden is named to honor Marion. The surrounding undeveloped land then became incorporated into the rose garden, bringing it to the size which it is today.
In 2023, two arbors matching the gazebo in design were added at the East and West entrances of the rose garden. Gracing the East arbor are the climbing roses Purple Splash and Perfumed Breeze. Lace Cascade and Raspberry Cream Twirl flank the West arbor.
The garden is home to over 150 roses and 100 varieties with 86 roses in 12 beds, arbors with 4 climbing roses, 8 formal hedged beds each with 5-7 roses of the same variety and a circular bed with 5 roses.
Scented roses are always sought after in any rose garden. Fragrance is subjective, but here are some of our favorites: Scentimental, Dee-Lish, Bronze Star, Lady Emma Hamilton, Boscobel. and Secret. For those seeking something different, there are the dusty roses, whose colors are muddled. These include Hot Cocoa and Dark Night. The rose Ketchup & Mustard has petals that are a different color on the top than they are on the underside. And Bronze Star opens as a rich yellowish-orange bud that becomes paler in color as the flower matures.
The rose garden also serves as a testing ground to help us learn which varieties do well within our area. Many roses have withstood the test of time, but some favorites are Julia Child, Iceberg, Dick Clark, Gemini, Eden and Hannah Gordon.
A visit to the rose garden can provide welcome moments of peace. Benches offer a place to rest, and the play of sunlight in the early morning and early evening add to the magic that is always in the air.
The San Mateo Arboretum Society, in collaboration with San Mateo City Parks and Recreation, maintains the rose garden for the public’s enjoyment. A team of trained SMAS Rose Volunteers tends to the pruning, dead heading, feeding, watering, and all of the other requirements that are needed to keep rose bushes health and vibrant.
The Arboretum Society conducts annual pruning workshops each January, when the community is invited to learn and practice the proper pruning of roses.
The beds and roses in the garden are labeled making identification easy. If you have questions about a particular rose or anything in the garden, feel free to Contact us. We are happy to hear from you!
LIST OF ROSES BY BED/LOCATION
BED A
State of Grace
Melody Perfume
New Day
Scentimental
Royal Amethyst
Apricot Candy
Bolero
1. STATE OF GRACE
2. MELODY PARFUME
3. NEW DAY
4. SCENTIMENTAL
5. ROYAL AMETHYST
6. APRICOT CANDY
7. BOLERO
BED B
Fragrant Plum
Lady Emma Hamilton
Charles Darwin
Hot Cocoa
Sugar Moon
Strike It Rich
Chihuly
Neptune
Pretty Lady Rose
Brilliant Pink Iceberg
Jubilee Celebration
New Zealand
Easy Does It
Julio Iglesias
1. FRAGRANT PLUM
2. LADY EMMA HAMILTON
3. CHARLES DARWIN
4. HOT COCOA
5. SUGAR MOON
6. STRIKE IT RICH
7. CHIHULY
8. NEPTUNE
9. PRETTY LADY ROSE
10. BRILLIANT PINK ICEBERG
11. JUBILEE CELEBRATION
12. NEW ZEALAND
13. EASY DOES IT
14. JULIO IGLESIAS
BED C
Dick Clark
Gemini
Over the Moon
Brother Cadfael
White Licorice
St. Swithun
Pink Promise
Marmalade Skies
1. DICK CLARK
2. GEMINI
3. OVER THE MOON
4. BROTHER CADFAEL
5. WHITE LICORICE
6. ST. SWITHUN
7. PINK PROMISE
8. MARMALADE SKIES
BED D
Geoff Hamilton
Good as Gold
Mr. Lincoln
Fragrant Wave
Bronze Star
Colorific
Eternal Flame
1. GEOFF HAMILTON
2. GOOD AS GOLD
3. MR. LINCOLN
4. FRAGRANT WAVE
5. BRONZE STAR
6. COLORIFIC
7. ETERNAL FLAME
BED E
Queen of Sweden
Melody Parfumee
Dee-Lish
About Face
Iceberg
Queen of Sweden
Radiant Perfume
Butter Cream
Peter Mayle
South Africa
Radiant Perfume
Viva
1. QUEEN OF SWEDEN
2. MELODY PARFUMEE
3. DEE-LISH
4. ABOUT FACE
5. ICEBERG
6. QUEEN OF SWEDEN
7. RADIANT PERFUME
8. BUTTER CREAM
9. PETER MAYLE
10. SOUTH AFRICA
11. RADIANT PERFUME
12. VIVA
BED F
Cinnamon Dolce
Fragrant Wave
Sunshine Daydream
Sheila's Perfume
Passionate Kisses
1. CINNAMON DOLCE
2. FRAGRANT WAVE
3. SUNSHINE DAYDREAM
4. SHEILA’S PERFUME
5 PASSIONATE KISSES
BED G
Lasting Love
We Salute You
Eternal Flame
1. LASTING LOVE
2. WE SALUTE YOU
3. ETERNAL FLAME
BED H
Queen Mary
Queen of Elegance
Golden Celebration
Yves Piaget
Anna's Promise
Ch Ching
Pearly Gates
Just Joey
Blanc Double de Coubert
Life of the Party
Tiffany
1. QUEEN MARY II
2. QUEEN OF ELEGANCE
3 GOLDEN CELEBRATION
4. YVES PIAGET
5. ANNA’S PROMISE
6. CH CHING
7. PEARLY GATES
8. JUST JOEY
9. BLANC DOUBLE de COUBERT
10. LIFE OF THE PARTY
11. TIFFANY
BED I
Sunstruck
Claire Austin
Apricot Candy
Boscobel
Midas Touch
Secret
The Alnwick Rose
1. SUNSTRUCK
2. CLAIRE AUSTIN
3. APRICOT CANDY
4. BOSCOBEL
5. MIDAS TOUCH
6. SECRET
7. THE ALNWICK ROSE
BED J
William Shakespeare
Lady of Shalott
Black Magic
Elle
Touch of Class
Wollerton Old Hall
Julia Child
1. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 2000
2. LADY OF SHALOTT
3. BLACK MAGIC
4. ELLE
5. TOUCH OF CLASS
6. WOLLERTON OLD HALL
7. JULIA CHILD
5. TOUCH OF CLASS
6. WOLLERTON OLD HALL
7. JULIA CHILD
BED K
Strike it Rich
Eden Climber
Honey Perfume
Dark Night
Princess Charlene de Monaco
Teasing Georgia
Lasting Love
Girls' Night Out
Violets Pride
Walking on Sunshine
Hanna Gordon
Beverly Eleganza
1. STRIKE IT RICH
2. EDEN CLIMBER
3. HONEY PERFUME
4. DARK NIGHT
5. PRINCESS CHARLENE de MONACO
6. TEASING GEORGIA
7. LASTING LOVE
8. GIRLS NIGHT OUT
9. VIOLETS PRIDE
10. WALKING ON SUNSHINE
11. HANNA GORDON
12. BEVERLY ELEGANZA
BED L
Commonwealth Glory
Dick Clark
1. COMMONWEALTH GLORY
2. DICK CLARK
FORMAL GARDEN – HEDGED BEDS & CIRCLE BED
Ketchup & Mustard
Brandy
Tahitian Sunset
Bronze Star
Precious Platinum
Henry Fonda
Celestial Night
Strawberry Hill
HEDGED BEDS
HB1. KETCHUP & MUSTARD
HB2. BRANDY
HB3. TAHITIAN SUNSET
HB4. BRONZE STAR
HB5. PRECIOUS PLATINUM
HB6. HENRY FONDA
HB7. CELESTIAL NIGHT
HB8. STRAWBERRY HILL
CIRCLE BED
1. KEW GARDENS
Kew Gardens
