News Release
For Immediate Release — August 28, 2009
UT Gardens to Unveil Beall Family Rose Garden
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Everything’s coming up roses at the University of Tennessee Gardens this September! Thanks to the generosity of Sam and Mary Anne Beall and family, a beautiful new rose garden will officially open with a public dedication ceremony Sunday, September 13, 2009, at 2 p.m. at the UT Gardens.
The Beall Family Rose Garden at the UT Gardens in Knoxville features waterfalls cascading into Japanese koi ponds and more than 100 rose varieties. It is the largest public rose garden in East Tennessee. Photo by M. Emery.
The Beall Family Rose Garden features two Tennessee sandstone waterfalls cascading into Japanese koi ponds and more than 100 rose varieties ranging from disease-resistant shrub types to the latest hybrid-tea introductions. A gazebo adds a special venue for holding weddings, receptions or other events.
The rose garden was funded by an endowment from UT graduates, Sam and Mary Anne Beall. The Beall family established the rose garden in honor of their loving wife and mother, Mary Anne. The Bealls are known throughout the area for their kindness and generosity. They share a passion for roses and hope their gift will inspire both students and gardeners.
"The Beall Family Rose Garden is a significant addition to the UT Gardens in Knoxville providing unique opportunities for education, student training, and horticulture research,” said Dr. Susan Hamilton, interim director of the gardens and associate professor of public horticulture. “The endowment ensures perpetual funding for student internships and training as well as support for maintenance of garden structures. This wonderful gift to the gardens not only benefits the university but the Knoxville community and surrounding region. I'm proud that we can host a beautiful and educational rose garden that the general public can visit and enjoy."
September is a peak time for rose blooms and the UT Gardens’ invites the public to enjoy the wonder of the roses in full bloom.
Light refreshments will be served, and reservations are requested by calling 865-974-8265.
The Beall Family Rose garden is the largest public rose garden in East Tennessee.
The University of Tennessee Gardens, located in Knoxville and Jackson, are part of the UT Institute of Agriculture. Their mission is to foster appreciation, education and stewardship of plants through garden displays, collections, educational programs and research trials. Some 4,000 annuals, perennials, herbs, tropicals, trees, shrubs, vegetables and ornamental grasses are evaluated each year. Both gardens are Tennessee Certified Arboreta and American Conifer Society Reference Gardens. The gardens are open during all seasons and free to the public. For more information, visit http://utgardens.tennessee.edu and http://west.tennessee.edu/ornamentals
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Contacts:
Patricia McDaniels, UTIA Marketing and Communications, pmcdaniels@tennessee.edu,
615-835-4570
Amanda Person, UTIA Marketing and Communications, amanda.person1@gmail.com, 865-974-7141