Interactive Map Showcases Avery Park’s Famous Rose Garden

Summer in Corvallis isn’t complete without a visit to the rose garden in Avery Park, and now that experience has a new component: an interactive online map that showcases the beauty and variety of roses on display in the garden, with pinpoint accuracy.

Using GIS data, the newly launched web-based map displays key information on each of the approximately 1,200 individual rose bushes in the park. Visitors to the rose garden can access the map on their mobile device. Each rose bush is represented by an individual flower icon, which displays information about the particular rose at that location, including its variety, type, and color.

The rose map was a collaborative project between the City’s Information Technology Department and the Parks and Recreation Department. GIS mapping specialists used volumes of data gathered by parks staff – including hand-drawn maps of the original flower beds – to create a digital, mobile-friendly reference tool that adds richness and context to the rose garden experience.

“This has been a great project, and a wonderful opportunity for these two City departments to work together on a really innovative tool that the public will enjoy,” said Parks Operations Specialist America McMillin, who manages the rose garden in Avery Park.

The rose garden was originally created in 1955, and nurtured for decades by the all-volunteer Corvallis Rose Society. For decades, volunteers tended to the beds, and their fundraising efforts helped create some of the landscaping features that adorn the garden today. Over the years, new types of rose were introduced until the garden reached its current size, with more than 250 distinct varieties.

The garden begins blooming in May and typically reaches peak bloom in June, with some varieties blooming into October. Over the last 75 years, countless thousands of visitors have enjoyed the award-winning roses on display at Avery Park. Anyone who is interested in volunteering in the garden is encouraged to contact Steve McGettigan at 541-754-1739 or steve.mcgettigan@corvallisoregon.gov.

The Corvallis Rose Garden Map is available online at www.corvallisoregon.gov/rosegarden.