The Daily Dig

The Morcom Rose Garden is a 7 acre rose garden located on Jean Street in Oakland Ca. Surrounded by winding paths, graceful stairways, dramatic water features, it doubles as a natural habitat that attracts and provides sanctuary for a variety of birds and wildlife. During the peak bloom of 2009 I stopped by to get some photos of the roses blooming and came away with some beautiful images. (click main image for additional photos)

Originally called the Morcom Amphitheater of Roses, reflecting one of the key design elements conceived by Arthur Cobbledick the Landscape Architect who created the garden plan in the 1930’s.  Arthur’s son Bruce, a garden activist in Oakland who was, and continues to be a driving force behind the creation of The Mediterranean Garden, and the gardens at large at Lake Merritt's Lakeside Park (http://gardensatlakemerritt.org/), has donated the original garden drawings and his knowledge of the garden that was designed to highlight the rose in a formal garden surrounded by a rugged natural setting. Mayor Frank Morcom planted the first rose in 1933, and for nearly eight decades the Morcom Rose Garden has given the people of Oakland a stimulating and restful place to enjoy the rose, one of the worlds most treasured flowers.

The design of the rose garden has changed very little in its nearly 80 year history, but what has changed is the City of Oakland’s ability to care for this garden, its aging infrastructure, the roses themselves, and the surrounding natural background.
If you live in Oakland, and are interested in helping keep this amazing gem in top form please stop by the friends of Oakland Rose Garden web site and sign up and volunteer.
http://www.friendsofoaklandrose.org/