Berkeley Rose Garden – Berkeley CA

Description

The Berkeley Rose Garden lies on the west side of Euclid Avenue in the Berkeley Hills. It was constructed in the little valley of Codornices Creek, which emerges in a viewing pool at the bottom of the garden.  The rose garden was likely begun by the Civil Works Administration (CWA) in 1933-34, as they built the adjoining ball courts.  But the Rose Garden itself was a project of  the Works Progress Administration (WPA), completed in 1940.   

“The Garden is designed like an amphitheater with wide stone terraces facing magnificent views of San Francisco Bay. A semicircular redwood pergola, which extends the full width of the garden, provides not only visual definition to the site, but a structure for climbing roses and shaded benches. The planting of 2,500 rose bushes was planned by the East Bay Counties Rose Society under Charles V. Covell. The roses were arranged one color per terrace, from shades of red at the top through bronze and pink to yellow and white at the bottom.” – Susan Cerny, Berkeley Landmarks.

“You turned out 5000 strong for one result of the [recreation] department’s efforts: the opening of the Rose Garden at Codornices Park in April.” – Berkeley Civic Affairs Report, 1940 (p. 1)

(The ball courts and rose garden are so twinned that they are shown here as both at the same location).