Roses Missing From Garden

A view of the rose garden at the Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. Before an alleged theft last month, the garden was home to 176 roses in 33 varieties. Photo from Honolulu Rose Society.

When members of the Honolulu Rose Society (HRS) arrived at the rose garden at the Urban Garden Center on the morning of May 15, they found 13 empty holes in the ground where their roses had been.

Three weeks prior to that visit, two rose plants went missing.

In an effort to deter the alleged thieves, HRS sprayed the main stem of the remaining roses white, in order to be able to easily identify their plants.

HRS is asking the public to be on the lookout and contact the police if these roses pop up in gardens or at markets.

The rose varieties that are missing include: Peace, Love and Peace, Chicago Peace, Sevillana, Sun-sprite, Sugar Moon, Coretta Scott King, Michelangelo, George Burns, Orchid Romance, Ebb Tide and Livin’ Easy.

Prior to May 15, the Urban Garden Center rose garden featured 176 roses in 33 varieties.

This isn’t the first time that the rose society’s plants have disappeared. Two years ago, when the rose garden first opened, about 40 roses vanished over a period of several months.

The Urban Garden Center rose garden was established in partnership with the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to share roses with the public. The garden, which is run by volunteers from HRS and other community organization, often is visited by elementary schools and senior groups.

For more information, visit the website honolulurosesociety.org.

Anyone who has information regarding the garden theft should email Ron at matsuzakr001@hawaii.rr.com or Myrna at mcariaga@honolulurosesociety.org.