VOLUNTEERING IN THE INTERNATIONAL ROSE TEST GARDEN

Volunteers have always played a very important part in maintaining the garden.

With over 10,000 rose plants and only one full time employee in the winter and just two in the summer, the International Rose Test Garden relies heavily on a wonderful group of volunteers to help maintain the garden in such beautiful condition. In 2004, nearly 500 volunteer hours were spent in just this garden alone. There were 34 people who helped throughout the whole season, which starts in May and goes through October or until it gets too cold and wet.

The primary job that the volunteers do is “deadheading” the roses – which is cutting off the spent or faded blooms. The three main purposes of dead-heading are to improve appearances, to prevent the plant from using up its energy in setting seed, and in repeat-flowering roses, to encourage further flushes of good-quality flowers.

It’s very easy to learn, and there is a Volunteer Orientation here in the garden to show you how.

The Volunteer Orientations for 2005 are scheduled for:

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - meet at the kiosk at 9:00am
Saturday, May 21, 2005 - meet at the kiosk at 9:00am
Saturday, June 4, 2005 - meet at the kiosk at 9:00am

Volunteers may continue to work in the garden after the morning training session.
If someone can’t make it to one of the Orientations, we will help him or her on their first day of volunteering. Anyone who completes the training will be allowed to deadhead in any of our 3 rose gardens – Peninsula Park, Ladd’s Addition or the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park.

We are set up for volunteers Monday through Thursday from 7:00am to 2:00pm, and also Monday evening. Time is very flexible. Some volunteers come in for an hour or so when they have the free time. No one needs to have a certain day or time as we are always set up and ready.

Deadheading is really very easy and no special skills are needed – just the will to help the garden and have fun meeting people from all over the world in the city’s most beautiful setting.

For more information or to sign up, contact Harry Landers at the Rose Garden Office at 503-823-3636.

Other Volunteer Opportunities:

Volunteers are needed for both garden and non-garden work. In addition to dead-heading, garden tasks include planting, pruning, sign painting, and garden improvement projects. Non-garden tasks include strategic planning, fundraising, updating educational materials, leading garden tours, maintaining inventory records, and coordinating volunteer efforts.

To volunteer in the Rose Garden Store contact Penny Cruz at 503-227-7033. Proceeds from the Rose Garden Store go to benefit the Rose Gardens.