TITLE: Recognizing the Tyler Rose Garden.

SUMMARY: Recognizing the Tyler Rose Garden.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Tyler Rose Garden is a beloved local landmark and a focal point of the city that is renowned as the Rose Capital of America; and WHEREAS, The rose industry has long played an important role in the economy of Smith County; when a peach blight wiped out much of the local fruit industry in the early 1900s, many farmers turned to growing roses, which proved ideally suited to the region's climate and soil; by the 1920s, the rose industry had developed into a major business, and by the 1940s more than half the U.S. supply of rose bushes was grown within 10 miles of the city; and WHEREAS, The Texas Rose Festival was established in 1933 to publicize the industry, and the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden got its start in 1938 as a Works Progress Administration project; though work paused during World War II, the garden opened its doors in 1952, with nearly 3,000 rose bushes donated by local nurseries; and WHEREAS, Today, this 11.7-acre property is composed of more than 32,000 bushes and 600 cultivars and is believed to be the largest public collection of roses in the United States; the garden features rose bushes arranged as a formal landscape, interspersed with lawns, concrete walkways, fountains, walls, and water features; the site is home to numerous events, including the annual Texas Rose Festival; and WHEREAS, The Tyler Rose Garden was recognized by the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association as one of its 2018 Great Public Spaces in Texas, and the garden was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019; and WHEREAS, For more than seven decades, the Tyler Rose Garden has been a treasured community asset, and its popularity with residents and visitors alike is a source of great pride to East Texans; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th Legislature, hereby honor the Tyler Rose Garden and extend to all those associated with this historic landmark sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for the Tyler Rose Garden as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate. Hughes President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 25, 2021.