Everything’s “Coming Up Roses” at Empire Mine State Historic Park

Visitors to Empire Mine State Historic Park will have a special opportunity to take home a living piece of history on Saturday August 17, 2024. Fledgling heritage rose bushes have been propagated and nurtured by dedicated park volunteer docent Marsha Lewis. They are now ready to find their “forever home” and adorn the gardens of the first 50 fortunate park visitors to secure these enduring symbols of beauty and hope.

The roses for sale were selected from the formal gardens at Empire Mine. The plantings represent a virtual timeline of rose history from the oldest cultivars that predate 1300 to the nineteenth century. Ten groupings are represented on the estate garden grounds: Gallica, Damask, Alba, Centifolia, Moss, Bourbon, Hybrid Perpetual, Hybrid Musk, Hybrid Tea, and Hybrid Rugosa.

The roses will be on display at the park entrance area Saturday August 17, 2024. In the past, the roses have sold out quickly, so we have instituted a limit of one rose per family for the first hour of the sale from 10:00 am until 11:00. If roses are still available after 11, the limit per purchaser will be lifted. The transactions will be performed with cash only, to facilitate smooth and efficient processing.

The roses are ready to plant, and will need frequent watering to become established in their new location according to Marsha Lewis, Program Lead for the Garden Tours and Rose Propagation Program.

Each rose bush purchased comes with an information sheet and planting guide.

All proceeds from the sale will go to Sierra Gold Parks Foundation, the non-profit park cooperative association supporting Empire Mine State Historic Park, South Yuba River State Park, and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park.

Additional information:

For garden enthusiasts, knowledgeable docents lead garden tours every Saturday and Wednesday at 10:10 a.m. through October. The tours are included with the price of admission to the park’s historic core ($5/person, age 6 and above).

https://www.sierragoldparksfoundation.org/