There are fewer sweet-smelling, pretty-looking places in San Jose than its Municipal Rose Garden. The gardeners and horticulturalists who work here tend to over 3,500 specimens, all immaculate, and many of them award-winning. This is the ideal location for a romantic stroll with a loved one, or simply somewhere to get away from tech-crazy Silicon Valley. No wonder this place earned the title of America's Best Rose Garden.
Amble at your own leisure and breathe in the fragrant aroma of thousands of different roses. Of course the flowers you see here will depend on the season, though the beds are planted to ensure that a day doesn’t go by when there isn't a certain species in full bloom. If you're not a rose connoisseur, not to worry every rose variety is meticulously labelled, which means you can make a note of those which you'd like to have in your garden back home. Those in the know about blooms will be excited to see newly hybridised and new rose varieties, including “Voo Doo”, “Bon Bon” and “San José Sunshine”. Also expect to see floribundas, grandifloras, miniature roses and climbers. As well as the roses, there is a the two-tiered water fountain, arbour, and a 'cathedral' of redwood trees, which encircles the flower beds.
San Jose Municipal Rose Garden is a popular spot for picnics. If you're eager to secure a spot close to the rose beds, have breakfast early, and get started on lunch before the masses descend.
The garden is said to be at its most fragrant in early May, when many of the roses are at their peak. April through to November sees the garden flourish with an explosion of colourful blooms. Entrance to San Jose Municipal Rose Garden is free. It takes under 10 minutes to drive here from downtown San Jose, and there is no charge for parking.
