Blooming Late but Worth the Wait: A Visit to the Morcom Rose Garden

Our Piedmont Recreation Department’s Walking on Wednesdays group had postponed our visit to the Morcom Rose Garden to give the flowers more time to bloom. The flowers seemed to be a little late this year, but it was the Wednesday before Mother’s Day and time for our annual visit. Later, at the garden, we learned there may be another factor at play regarding the roses. There was a good turnout of 44 walkers but only one K-9 best friend at the Exedra.

We headed off, going down Magnolia Avenue, past the still under construction new pool to Wildwood Avenue. We passed homes along the way with lovely roses, California golden poppies, Mexican sage, birds-of-paradise, and even a dandelion or two in front yards.

We crossed Grand Avenue and went up Jean Street to the garden where its history was shared. The Rose Garden is in a natural bowl on a 7.5-acre site that was purchased by the City of Oakland in 1911 and named the Linda Vista Park. Local Oakland residents had petitioned and promised to contribute $8,000 for it. However, the best park entrance was through land in Piedmont. The Piedmont City Council joined the effort in June 1911 by acquiring Piedmont lots at the southern corner of Olive and Oakland Avenues to provide a “handsome entrance.”

In 1913 it was proposed that the park be converted into a zoological garden. A number of animal offers were received. The Golden Gate Park offered elk and buffalo. F. M. “Borax” Smith offered a number of llamas from the large herd on his East Oakland estate, but the park directors decided not to do it.

Linda Vista Park’s conversion to a rose garden was a project of the Oakland Businessmen's Garden Club in 1930 with the support of the City. It was originally known as the Municipal Rose Garden. Work began on the garden in 1931 or 1932. The first rose was planted on January 27, 1933, and the garden was officially opened on May 28, 1933. Presumably, work was completed in 1935 with Depression era funding.

The park’s name was changed in 1954 to honor former Oakland Mayor Fred Morcom, who served from 1931 to 1933. The park has been refurbished at least twice, in the 1950s and 1990s, with many of the old roses, some going back to the 19th century, regrafted on new rootstock.

There is a “No Dogs Allowed” sign at the park entrance, but on their walk the year before a park staff person told us that dogs on leaches were okay. So, Jack Fischrup’s K-9 best friend Kojak also went in with us to see the roses.

We stopped at the central reflecting pool and cascade steps, and more information was shared. The garden’s design was inspired by those of Italy and the park has over 2,400 rose bushes in three sections. There are winding walkways with a reflecting pool across from a 14-step cascade that goes down the hillside to the west and an octagonal wedding terrace above with more rose beds.

The essential design has changed little in the park’s nearly 90-year history. However, in the early 2000s, Oakland city workers’ hours to maintain the garden were reduced. A group of volunteers, the "Dedicated Deadheaders," was organized to help keep the garden beautiful. They work every Wednesday and Saturday and some were nearby. Also, there was Christian Boyle of the Oakland Department of Public Works. Christian is in charge of the garden, and he provided even more information.

Christian said wild turkeys are less frequent garden visitors than in the past, but geese tried to make the garden a home. But their droppings made them unwelcome and he scared them off. Deer are a challenge too. They have visited the garden and nipped buds, which explained some bushes’ lack of flowers. Wild onions are a problem too. The garden does not use chemicals, and this provides a “healthy garden,” but weeds are an issue. There is a study currently being conducted by Merritt College students of weed suppression techniques. In the early 2000s "The Mother's Walk" was created above the reflecting pool up to a Florentine oval garden at the north end of the park. There are brass plaques in the cement with the names of women honored each year in an annual Mother’s Day ceremony.

We appreciated Christian’s friendly, impromptu presentation and asked him to be part of our group photo at the cascade steps. Then we splintered off on the paths to see different sections of the garden. The beds of roses up the Mother’s Walk were especially beautiful. We took our time and then retraced our route back to the Exedra at our own paces. 

P.S. Meghan Bennett created a website about the garden, https://www.oaklandrose.com/, with more information and history. I’m attaching a rose garden historical photo. Also, those interested in the Dedicated Deadheaders can learn about their service at https://friendsofoaklandrose.org/volunteer-deadheaders/