Decimation of Farmers Branch Rose Garden for a Trial?

How’s that trial working out? It’s still a disaster for citizens of Farmer’s Branch. I receive periodic complaints and questions associated with genuine outrage. Honestly, I have no answers other than the one time I spoke with the landscape manager and she told me this was for a trial to be conducted in conjunction with Texas A&M for EarthKind (TM) roses. She agreed to call me the next spring for a discussion about this situation but I never heard from her.

This beautiful venue is in year three of an absolute decimation. This formerly mature and flourishing rose garden has been turned in to an EarthKind Field Trial rose garden. Three years have gone by and there is zip here. It is mind boggeling that the City of Farmers Branch would rip out literally ALL the mature roses for this Texas A&M Field Trial when there were so many other open spaces for the trial. Maybe they are trying to prove something to someone but all they really ended up doing was depriving the citizens of a beautiful park.

EarthKind(TM) Rose Trial

Go to the Rose Field Trial Page to view images of the trial garden. Oopps, no images: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkindroses/field-trials/ . I don’t blame them wouldn’t be too proud of this disaster. Everyone I’ve talked to is furious … still. Three years later and nothing to show. The common voice is why didn’t they just take half? Why take the whole garden?

I find this bureaucratic conduct to be offensive and agree, the city could have left at least half the garden. This is inexcusable arrogance and indifference to the tax payers and residents.

Texas A&M University—College Station endowment was $9.75 billion in 2015 and $10.52 billion in 2014. Texas A&M came in eighth among the 1,146 ranked colleges. Texas A&M does not need the citizens of Farmers Branch to give up their rose garden. They could have paid to put this in another location. This represents predatory community conduct. What will Texas A&M ultimately make in terms of money from this activity? I intend to find out, exactly. More to come …

From this 2013:

To this 2014:

To this 2017:

From this:

To this 2017:

For more information on the Rose Gardens of Farmers Branch, email Park Landscape Manager Pam Smith or call 972.919.2625.

My photographs of these roses just before they were removed DO NOT indicate ROSE ROSETTE disease.

Your local bureaucrats at work!

Instead of ripping out a beautiful rose garden why was the trial garden not placed here:

Jeff Fuller Rose Garden Farmers Branch Why not put the Texas A&M Field Trial for EarthKind (TM) roses here? Three years ago when this trial started and before the roses were ripped out this was open space and would have perfectly accommodated the Texas A&M Field Trial for EarthKind(TM) roses.

The roses are damaged, all but the ones in the tightest of buds. Typically, in Texas a rain will not damage all the buds, but this storm and the rains were terrific. Here is the garden from a distance, the closeups are rare because the roses are so damaged.

The Farmer’s Branch Rose Garden is much different from the Fort Worth Rose Garden. It relies no upon hardscape but upon the natural inclination of the roses. If you are unsure whether Picolo Pete is right for your garden or Home Run – here is the place to make that decision. By the way, Picolo Pete is not right for your garden — Home Run is!