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| A Park of Roses is not just a park; it is an idea, a feeling, a symbol of the search for beauty and high human values. Both Portland and Timisoara have a Park of Roses, with a similar surface, started in the same historical period, with a similar evolution up to a certain time. In 1945 communism was imposed to Romania. Has this affected the evolution of a park? How much the two parks are still alike, how much of the idea behind the Rose still exists? And if the Park in Timisoara needs some improvements, is there any lesson to be learned from Portland? |
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The Park of Roses is automatically for me a part of Timisoara, as are the streets and the houses. Until recently I was never interested in its history and in the people that make its existence possible. Now that I want to know more, I found out very interesting details. In 1870 on this location was started a nursery for fruit trees. 1928 is the year of starting a park of roses with about 2000 varieties of roses. In 1941 there were still 1400 varieties. During the Second World War the park was turned into a pasture land for the horses of the German and later for the Russian army, with disastrous consequences. In 1970 there were 776 varieties. Presently in the park there are thousands of roses, belonging to about 600 varieties. Last year 55 new varieties were brought from prof.Wagner Stefan from Cluj and more than 5000 new rose bushes were planted in the park and on the streets. Much of what exists is practically kept from 40-50 years ago. What I think is remarkable is that the rose marches on the main boulevards of the city, on the side of the large sidewalks or on the middle axes of the road. The effort to plant so many roses is extraordinary, those that take care of it have all my respect. There are still things to be improved, and this pertains to the spirit of a Park of Roses. The necessary work to maintain the park is significant and it is done with difficulty by a limited number of employees. The phenomenon of voluntary work, largely used in Portland, doesn't exist. The same, community work is not used. And unfortunately some people steal some of the roses. I will strive to obtain precise supplementary information about the Park of Roses. Until then, probably a number of pictures could much better transmit the beauty of this park (click on any picture to enlarge)
Roses fill the streets of the city.
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The Park of Roses in Portland has a surface of 44 acres and thousands of roses belonging to about 550 varieties. The park is exceptionally well kept, even though there is only one full time employee, a gardener, with two helpers. The difference in work comes from voluntaries. Retired ladies clean the fallen petals and leaves. People condemned for minor offences do community work in the park. The roses are kept like a treasure, it is forbidden to enter the park with cut flowers, because of the fear that the roses could be contaminated. As we speak about a spirit of the rose, I think this is obvious in the whole city. The Rose is the symbol of Portland, you can find it on taxis, busses, even carved on sewage caps. There are several organizations that support the park: Royal Rosarians, Portland Rose Society, American Rose Society, The Park administration. The passion for roses is so high that rose lovers in Portland traveled in Europe during the First World War to collect varieties of roses to save them from disappearance. Every year Portland organizes a Rose Festival, probably the most important international event of the city. During the festival that lasts a month there are parades, rose plantings, rose beauty contests, etc. Unfortunately I was in Portland in a time of the year when roses were not in bloom. But you can make a tour of the Park on Internet. I hope that by the end of the Rose Festival I will receive additional pictures that I will post here. (top) |
