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Suburban Explorer
By RITA FARLOW, Times Staff Writer
Published October 23, 2007
LARGO - Reading about the amazing Sturgeon Memorial Rose Garden doesn't do it justice, because you miss the soft whir of the butterflies zipping from bush to bush, looking for a meal. Photos tell only half the story, because they can't replicate the warm breezes of a mid-October afternoon or the sweet aroma of rose blossoms in bloom. To get the full experience, you must visit the garden, where visitors are greeted by a trellis laden with white and red climbing roses and a memorial stone honoring the Sturgeons. George Sturgeon created the garden at Serenity Gardens Memorial Park in 1981 in honor of his wife, Ann, who died in 1979. Newspaper articles about the couple say they were passionate about roses and worked with local rose societies. George Sturgeon, an American Rose Society judge and rose expert, still tended to the gardens - with some help from caretaker George Storm - until he died in 1992 at 94. Storm has been caring for the bushes for more than 25 years. On Thursday, he pruned dead leaves and withered blooms in the hot afternoon sun. The site is an All-America Rose Selections public garden, one of about 130 throughout the country and one of only three in Florida. The others are at Walt Disney World and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. The garden is a rich tapestry of colors, from pale yellow and ivory, to deep red and shocking pink. Imagine more than a half-acre of land that is bordered by trees and facing a lake, bursting with nearly 500 plants in 129 varieties. A living, thriving memorial for a couple who shared a love of roses and each other. It's an experience that stimulates your senses. Except one: Please don't pick the roses. They're there for everyone to enjoy. You just have to go to get it. Do you know a place that would make a good subject for a Suburban Explorer column? Please call editor Carrie Weimar at (727) 445-4151 or e-mail cweimar@sptimes.com.
If you go Serenity Gardens Memorial Park Where: 13401 Indian Rocks Road, LargoHours: open anytime Price: free
[Last modified October 22, 2007, 22:48:57]
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