The Albuquerque Rose Society sponsors the Albuquerque Rose Garden, Albuquerque’s oldest public rose garden, established in 1962. Visitors may view the garden located at the Tony Hillerman Library, 8205 Apache Ave. NE.
The garden is a public space and is enjoyed by library staff, patrons, and visitors. Anyone can use the garden for a photo shoot or get-together, but it can’t be private and reservations are not possible. The Albuquerque Garden Center at Los Altos Park offers private garden and indoor spaces that can be rented for all kinds of parties and celebrations. To learn what they have to offer, go to https://www.albuquerquegardencenter.org/
Pruning Demonstrations 
Each March, members of the Albuquerque Rose Society prune most of the roses in the garden. Consulting Rosarians and other experienced rosarians offer free pruning demonstrations for the public. In 2024 the dates for these demonstrations are March 9, 10, 16, and 17 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Summer Deadheading
Deadheading begins in June and continues throughout the summer on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the Tony Hillerman Library. Please help us deadhead our roses…bring your gloves and clippers, and look for the folks in Rose Society shirts. All welcome. If you aren’t sure what to do, bring your clippers and we will show you!
Garden Committee
Throughout the history of the public rose garden, members of the Albuquerque Rose Society have provided the time and labor necessary to plant, prune, deadhead, feed, and weed the garden. (See our 2015 Garden Committee in the photo above.) Library personnel are very supportive and assist us with maintenance and improvements as the need arises including daily debris cleanup. Our Garden Committee, under the leadership of the Garden Co-Chairs, organizes workdays, selects new roses, and oversees the development of new planting beds. All funds to support the garden are raised by the society.
About our Rose Garden…
The original garden was planted in 1962. Two major renovations have been accomplished: one in 1994 and one in 2007. The 1994 renovation included a completely new design that included arbors, pegolas, planting beds with concrete or steel borders, and installation a new irrigation system. The 2007 renovation expanded planting of roses to the west end of the property.
What Care Does the Garden Receive?
- Much of the garden is planted in a soil mix specifically for growing roses in our climate.
- In some of the beds, the roses were planted in native soil amended with peat moss, soil sulfur, and superphosphate.
- The irrigation system is a combination of drip irrigation and pop-up sprinklers. Watering with hoses is required when new plants are added or when fertilizer is applied.
- The garden is fertilized several times during the growing season using a combination of synthetic and organic fertilizers.
- Removing spent blooms, known as deadheading, is done every week from June through August.
- The roses are pruned once a year in March.
The Albuquerque Rose Garden will always be a work in progress. The Society continues to replace less hardy roses with new varieties, move roses from positions that have become too shaded, and renovate beds to improve the soil.
