'Memorial Day' Blooming on a Fall Day in Illinois

Memorial Day Is To Honor Those Who Have Died in America’s Wars

Planting a ‘Memory Garden’ of roses gives you a connection to your loved ones that can keep your memories of them alive. It’s a deeply rewarding endeavor and can be a family project. Here’s how:

  1. Decide who you want to memorialize, perhaps order or make a plaque or bench for spending time and reflection. The Gardens of the American Rose Society offer ways to memorialize loved ones in their rose gardens in Shreveport, LA.
  2. Choose a location with 6-8 hours of sun. Some roses can do fine in partial shade. Both Europeana & Iceberg became covered in partial shade in my Texas rose garden and continued to flourish. This article discusses roses in partial shade by Al Whitcomb.
  3. You can order ‘Memorial Day’ from Jackson & Perkins’ online to plant as a tribute to loved ones. The most often asked question I had at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show is “Where do I find the varieties of roses I have?”, Jackson & Perkins online is an excellent source for Weeks Roses, Star & Certified Roses, since they are wholesale rose growers.
  4. Here are some ideas of roses suitable for a Memory Rose Garden, and ‘Memorial Day’ is a rose that tolerates heat very well. It’s included in the June issue of the American Rose Magazine article I wrote ‘Some Roses Like It Hot’ .
    1. ‘Memorial Day’ The All-America Garden Selections said “This One Is Definitely a ‘Year of the Rose’

      Memorial Day Blooming in the Garden in Illinois
      Memorial Day Blooming in the Garden in Illinois
    2.  ‘Veteran’s Honor’

      'Veterans Honor' Picture 'Veterans' Honor in Peak Form: Picture Taken May 18th, 2017 in Illinois Garden
      ‘Veterans Honor’ Picture ‘Veterans’ Honor’ in Peak Form: Picture Taken May 18th, 2017 in my Illinois Garden
    3. ‘Let Freedom Ring’

      Let Freedom Ring photo by Dr. Tommy Cairns
      Let Freedom Ring photo by Dr. Tommy Cairns
    4. Mr. Lincoln

      Mr. Lincoln photo Tommy Cairns
      Mr. Lincoln photo Tommy Cairns

“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”

James A. Garfield
May 30, 1868 Arlington National Cemetery

In 1873, New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday

During that first national celebration, former Union Gen. and sitting Ohio Congressman James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves. The tradition of laying wreaths on the graves of our soldiers that lost their lives to War is carried out in cemeteries by devoted families all across our great country to this day. In fact many family members place wreaths on graves of veterans that have passed away as well even though Memorial Day is expressly to honor our war dead.

By the late 1800s, cities all across America observed Memorial Day. Several states had declared it a legal holiday, since it was widely established as a national holiday throughout the country.

When Is Memorial Day?*

In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be celebrated on the last Monday of May. “Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery each year with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Traditionally, the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.” 

* PBS.org educating folks on the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Roses Evoke Fond Memories

Memorial Gardens are becoming more popular as a way to honor and pay tribute to those that have passed on. Roses are especially popular as a flower to plant ‘In Loving Memory” because they are a trigger to so many fond memories of loved ones in our life either by their name that is like the loved ones name or our loved ones loved roses as their favorite flower. So this Memorial Day is a good time to plant a Memorial Garden and start your very own Garden of Memories. We’re only a Website away to answer your questions about rose growing. Have a blessed Memorial Day.

American Rose Society,                                                                                                             8877 Jefferson Paige Road                                                                                       Shreveport, LA 71119                                                                                                                           tel: (318) 938-5402                                                                                                                              Contact: Carol Spiers

 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save