Memorial Rose Garden at Nay Aug Park

Pennsylvania’s state flower Mountain Laurel this one dedicated to Brian Paul Welby

Next step to Rebuild a flower bed today on the east side border adjacent to Debbie’s sister Sharon’s Memorial Pergola. Thank you To the family of Uncle Mooney and Aunt Paula Healey Munchak. Today in the Rose Garden.

The Roses are Ready The Phlox What a Hue The Rose Garden Smells So Sweet HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO YOU ... Have a stroll through the Rose Garden this Mother’s Day Weekend. Take some lovely family photos. Enjoy some fresh air. Smell the flowers. Please stay out of the beds and with the flowers, No Takeouts Please

The Memorial Rose Garden in Nay Aug Park 30 years ago family and friends embarked upon a journey. What started out a simple Earth Day project for the Audubon Elementary school, located at the corner of Arthur ave and Mulberry street, of cleaning up a bit has blossomed into a special space where all are welcomed and many are touched by a bit of magic. Looking back over the years, it is impossible to deny the the bones of the garden. They are as prevalent today as they ...were in 1935 when first established as the RN Davis Memorial Rose Garden. The geometric beds and the beautiful walkways entice people to explore. Besides a few hearty antique roses that bloom beautifully and faithfully year after year, most other attributes (trees, roses, shrubs, perennials, benches, pergolas and memorials) have been slowly added over the years. Multicolored creeping phlox acts as a spring time carpet bordering the beds with vibrancy. Flowering trees draw the eye vertically until they drop their petals creating a momentary ephemeral quilt. The scent of old fashioned roses, peonies and heirloom iris fill the air in early June with a delicate perfume. Daylilies of every hue and variety, lavender and daisies herald the bounty and splendor of the summer. Golden rubdeckia, purple cone flowers and butterfly bush burst in vibrancy attracting birds, butterflies and bees which flit from flower to flower in a graceful ballet. Asters, mums and sweet clematis, indigo balloon flowers, magenta rose campion and sedum boldly usher the garden into the ripeness of autumn. While the snow shrouded garden waits in stately silence the planters and statuary stand as sentinels awaiting the promise of springtime. Throughout all seasons the benches and pergolas are sturdy yet graceful and offer a much appreciated respite for any who simply want to sit a spell, yet also offer a perfect photo opportunity. The garden offers a venue for all occasions, from the joy of weddings to the solemnity of memorial services. People come to reflect, to enjoy the flowers, to play with children, to celebrate all chapters of life. A neighbor once remarked that the Rose Garden reminded her of a Monet painting and I heartily agree. Debbie Frable Welby Volunteer Rose Garden Chairwoman

The Pink Moon Although we wish this name had to do with the color of the Moon, the reality is not quite as mystical or awe-inspiring. In truth, April’s full Moon often corresponded with the early springtime blooms of a certain wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulatacommonly called creeping phlox or moss phloxwhich also went by the name moss pink. Thanks to this seasonal association, this full Moon came to be called the Pink Moon! This is our Creeping Phlox which is just starting to bloom. Check it out. And NO TAKEOUTS if you please.

Debbie A Frable Welby and I want to express our heartfelt thank you to all the volunteer helpers Saturday in the Rose Garden. Together we started work on two areas for new beds and benches. Cleaned, weeded, raked and bagged over sixty bags of leaves. And spread two truckloads of red mulch. Thank you - Dave, Brendan Paul, Jameson and Jenn Welby Gilbert, Thomas Cummings, Jill Munchak Jones, Ed Davis, Ed Weidow, Doug Heller, Silke Reddington, Linda Lyons, Mary Beth Mikolayczak, Tom and Donna Frable Gower, Bob Gattens, Thom Welby, Keleena Mc’Nichols, Kathy Ruane, Adam Ruane, Becca De Angelo, Sal and Rita Scrimalli and the Dickson City Mr Mulch, Barb Budash O'Malley, Meg McLane, Kathleen Simrell, Ann O’Brien, Sister Rachel and her helpers from Marywood University. God Bless you all