Urban Garden Coming Up Roses

Everything’s coming up roses at Pearl City Urban Garden Center, including two writing contests for elementary school-children.

Honolulu Rose Society (HRS) will celebrate the establishment of its new, themed rose gardens at the Pearl City center by inviting students in grades K-6 to write up their answers – in 30 words or less – to the themes “What Peace Means to Me” and “What a Hero (Heroes) Means to Me.” Deadline is Feb. 15, and entries (limit one to each contest) should be mailed to the society at P.O. Box 1932, Honolulu, HI 96805, or sent to honolulurosesociety.org.

This year HRS is renovating its Peace Rose Garden and will establish a Heroes Rose Garden directly across from it at the entrance to the Urban Garden Center.

Five varieties of roses have been selected to represent peace and commemorate “those who have served as advocates and/or those who have sacrificed in the name of peace and/or conflict prevention/resolution.” Contest winners will be chosen Feb. 27, and six winners will receive $100 each at the Rose Garden’s grand reopening April 12. Their answers also will be engraved on small plaques on the gardens’ benches.

Ultimately, the society aims to create areas in the garden where visitors can sit and reflect on peace and remember its heroes. It also will conduct the HRS Rose School this spring, offering four comprehensive classes on planting, fertilizing, pruning and maintaining roses. Classes will meet at 10 a.m. March 15, April 26, May 24 and June 28 at Pearl City Urban Garden Center. For fees and details, visit the website.