International Delegation Visits Rose Garden

A nine-person delegation from the Guizhou Botanical Garden in Guiyang City, China visited the Somerset County Park Commission Rudolf van der Goot Rose Garden at Colonial Park on Friday, September 14, 2018.

Led by Horticulture Supervisor Shauna Moore, the delegates toured the Garden that received the prestigious 2015 World Federation of Rose Societies' (WFRS) Garden of Excellence Award.

The delegates are rose researchers at the Display Plants Laboratory of Guizhou Botanical Garden and are sponsored by the Guizhou Provincial Government to learn about the management of rose gardens. Among the topics that the tour addressed were: historic information about the garden and roses planted there, curation of the collection, garden management practices, and both species and cultivars of special interest

The Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden is one-acre in size and contains more than 3,000 roses of 325 varieties. The garden was named in honor of Rudolf W. van der Goot, the first horticulturist with the Somerset County Park Commission, as a tribute to his efforts in designing and developing the garden. The Rose Garden is located on Mettlers Road (Parking Lot A) in the East Millstone section of Franklin Township’s Colonial Park.

From late spring through fall, the roses present a kaleidoscope of color, form, and fragrance. Visitors can view popular modern hybrids, species, and various classes of Old Garden Roses. All roses are clearly labeled for easy identification and only roses that thrive in central NJ are kept in the rose collections.

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