One year after crews took a backhoe to the old Murray rose garden, city officials have almost fulfilled a promise to replant, repair and make better.
Last week, the first of 180 rosebushes were planted in a new garden, located on the site of the old (Murray Park, near State and 5300 South). On Monday, grass will be laid in an area surrounding the garden.
While work had been done before the rosebushes were planted, those involved in restoring the rose garden say last week's planting offered tangible proof that the garden is coming back to life.
"Seeing the roses was just really exciting," said Kim Sorensen, Murray City's park superintendent. "It was the first day we really had a chance to see what it would look like."
The garden was once a tangle of rosebushes both overgrown and old. Some bushes may have dated back to the 1950s, according to Becky Hansen, horticulturist for Murray City Parks & Recreation.
And most of the bushes were not producing roses any more.
For the past 10 years, Hansen was charged with pruning and maintaining the old rose garden. The first time she looked at it, she told park supervisors that it would be best to take the garden out and start over. The beds were choked with grass. The garden was so large, it was impossible to properly care for the roses.
It also blocked views into the park from State Street.
"For the last 10 years, I've tried to prune and take care of it, but it never looked nice," said Hansen. "It was not anything that would stick out in someone's mind."
The city initially balked at suggestions that the garden be replanted. It was a memorial garden, dedicated to soldiers who "served their country."
Five years ago, however, city officials agreed that something should be done to rehabilitate the garden. The mayor and City Council allocated $2,500 in the city budget for the garden. A committee was created to oversee the redesign of the rose garden. Other donations were solicited. While some residents fought the restoration project, those involved say the end result is better for the city.
"I think it adds to the city," said Dick Stauffer, a former city councilman and main proponent for the rehabilitation project. "I think it adds to the ambience, and it makes Murray a better city."
The new garden sits in the center of about an acre of land. It's well-manicured and accessible. The beds are bordered by a circular cement pathway — something that Hansen says will help with weed control and allow most anyone to wander through the garden.
In the center of the garden is a pergola, or arbor. It was purchased with donations from residents for about $9,000. The pergola originally cost about $19,000, but was obtained at a discount.
"Most parks in today's world are very active," said Sorensen, who helped find the pergola. "This is a very passive area where people can stop, walk on a slow pace, stroll through the roses, enjoy the roses and the scent."
The new garden still includes a memorial bed, with roses like Veteran's Honor and one named Memorial Day. There is a peace garden, which is planted with roses like Chicago Peace and Pink Peace. Other areas include a fragrance garden and a "president's" garden.
Murray Mayor Dan Snarr served on the redesign committee for the rose garden. One goal of the committee was to ensure that the garden was visible from the new IHC hospital being built in Murray, on the northwest corner of 5300 South and State.
"We wanted to make it a visible part of the city, not only to people driving State Street, but also from the IHC tower," said Snarr. "We felt they could look down on that and see a beautiful rose garden."
Stauffer said he hopes residents take ownership of the garden and ensure it doesn't fall into disarray again.
"I think I'll be down there putting amongst the roses, cutting off the old dead blooms and making sure it's not choked with weeds again," he said. "Before, a single person couldn't go down and look at the old garden and make a difference. Now it's easy for other citizens to become interested in it."
In the coming months, city officials and volunteers will be completing other aspects of the garden — adding more roses and perhaps labels to identify the roses. Last week, a group of Scouts, led by Michael Hansen, planted trees along the garden's south side.
The trees should add a buffer between the garden and a business to the south.
To access the Murray City rose garden, enter Murray Park from either State Street or 5400 South. The garden is in the southwest corner of the park.
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com