On a recent picture-perfect Midwestern day, I needed some rose therapy. I headed down to Rockford, Illinois, to
Sinnissippi Gardens--a little over an hour’s drive from my house.
Because of the perfect weather, and the fact that it was a Friday afternoon, many people were walking dogs, jogging, and sightseeing along the Rock River, which borders the gardens.
Sinnissippi Gardens features an All-American Rose Selection (AARS) accredited rose garden with about 2,000 rose plants of 62 varieties, including the year’s newest award-winners. (Since AARS is now gone, the new roses are trialed by the American Rose Trials for Sustainability (A.R.T.S.) and Earh-Kind. See Pat's--
The Common Weeder--comment at the end. Thanks, Pat!)
The rose garden adjoins the
Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens complex, which I’ll share in a later post.
This summer, the gardens have an installed
light show. I didn’t stick around to see it at night, but you can see highlights from their
Instagram feed.
As you walk from the conservatory toward the rose garden, the views are grand.
As are the views from the rose garden back to the conservatory.
The trellis is the focal point of the rose garden and gives the entire area simple architectural interest.
A 32-foot floral clock planted with annuals changes every season.
The highlight this time, for me, was the roses, and I lost myself in the beauty for a few hours. Here’s a sampling of the roses, in no particular order:
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| 'Winnepeg Parks' Canadian Shrub Rose |
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| 'Wild Ginger' Griffith Buck Shrub Rose |
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| Unmarked Floribunda |
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| 'Sweet Fragrance' Grandiflora |
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| 'Sunshine Daydream' Grandiflora |
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| 'Strike It Rich' Grandiflora |
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| 'Serendipity' Griffith Buck Shrub Rose |
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| 'Rainbow Sorbet' Floribunda |
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| 'Queen Elizabeth' Grandiflora |
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| 'Prairie Clogger' Griffith Buck Shrub Rose |
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| 'Nearly Wild' Floribunda |
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| 'Modern Fireglow' Canadian Shrub Rose |
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| 'Honeysweet' Griffith Buck Shrub Rose |
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| 'Flamingo Kolorscape' Shrub Rose |
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| 'Easy Does It' Floribunda |
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| 'Prairie Star' Canadian Shrub Rose |
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| 'Double Knockout' Shrub Rose |
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| 'Hawkeye Belle' Griffith Buck Shrub Rose |
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| 'Dick Clark' Grandiflora |
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| 'Cinco de Mayo' Floribunda |
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| 'Morden Blush' Canadian Shrub Rose |
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| 'Cherry Parfait' Grandiflora |
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| 'Glowing Peace' Grandiflora |
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| 'Champlain' Canadian Shrub Rose |
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| 'Carefree Beauty' Shrub Rose |
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| 'Aunt Honey' Griffith Buck Shrub Rose |
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| 'Winter Sunset' Griffith Buck Shrub Rose |
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| 'All the Rage' Shrub Rose |
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| 'Quietness' Griffith Buck Shrub Rose |
If you live near Rockford or you're planning a visit nearby, it’s definitely worth a trip to
Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens. In the summertime, be sure to check out the rose garden.
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Happy Independence Day to friends and gardeners in the U.S.! And to everyone: Peace be with you.
