United States of America -- Iowa -- Polk County -- Des Moines
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes a worksheet, a garden plan, a detailed narrative description of the property and garden, a plant list, and photocopies of articles about the garden.
General:
Rosegate is a private, personal garden on a plain, sloping city half-acre, transformed into a world of four-season beauty around a cottage. Conifers and cedar fences provide year-round privacy. In spring, delicate wild flowers bloom in a "secret" garden, along with flowering crabapples and dogwoods. From May into November the collection of hundreds of roses blooms on the other side of the garden gate. With over 35 years of experience, the owner-gardeners have more than 400 roses of 10 different American Rose Society classifications: hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures, ground covers, polyanthas, hybrid perpetual, climbers, hybrid rugosas, and shrubs. There are 22 tree (or standard) roses throughout the property. Roses are chosen not only for hardiness and disease resistance but for their beauty, color, and scent. Flowering trees, ornamentals, hostas, ground covers, and perennials complete this world of beauty.
Persons and firms associated with the property and garden include: Brenton Realty Company (former owners, before 1940); Gordon and Kathryn Gammack (former owners, 1940-1945); Virginia and Kenneth W. Hull (former owners, 1945-1946); Charles H. and Letha Patterson (former owners, 1946-1948); Wallace J. Burt, Jr., and Alice Burt (former owners, 1948-1950); J. D. and Helen T. Lightner (former owners, 1950-1954); James F. Swift (former owner, 1954-1965); John Normile (architect, 1940); Herb Nelson Landscaping (landscape designers, 1965); Ann Wallace Fleming (landscape designer, 1966-1975); Oren Herndon (landscape designer and contractor, 1966-1967); Des Moines Seed and Nursery (landscape designers and contractors, 1966-1967); Bo Cleveland (gardener, 1968); Ella Crittenden (landscape designer, 1970); Jack Bloodgood (architect and designer, 1970); Russ O'Hara (landscape designer and horticultural consultant, 1970-1980); Lynda M. Chase (landscape designer and photographer, 1981-2001); E. Scott Reiter (landscape designer, 1982); Karen Strohbeen (landscape designer and artist, 1983); and William Luchsinger (landscape designer and artist, 1983).
Related Materials:
Rosegate related holdings consist of 1 folder (17 35 mm. slides)
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
