Roses symbolize beauty and romance – and there’s no better place to experience these timeless themes than in a rose garden. The Raleigh Rose Garden is a hidden gem tucked behind the historic Raleigh Little Theatre. Whether you’re a flower enthusiast, a photographer chasing the perfect image, or looking for a peaceful escape, the Raleigh Rose Garden offers a magical experience of color and fragrance.
Raleigh Rose Garden History
Although it was begun in the 1930s, the garden wasn’t completed and dedicated until 1951. Many have supported this garden over the years, but one special lady stands out: Cantey Venable Sutton. Cantey was an artist, author, rose enthusiast, and dedicated volunteer. She was the tenacious mastermind behind transforming a clay pit choked with red mud and tangled weeds into one of the country’s premier rose gardens.
The design was commissioned from landscape architect R.J. Pearse. Pearse graded the land and built the stone loggia in the late 1930s and then funds ran out. After World War II, Cantey lobbied to complete the garden, but she ran into a fight. The Raleigh Parks and Recreation Commission wanted to turn the garden into tennis courts. Public opinion was her only weapon. And the public loves roses. She and the public outcry prevailed and in 1947 the new Rose Garden Committee, headed by Cantey, submitted a budget to the city of Raleigh to complete the garden.
Thanks to her, we can still feel the echoes of decades of weddings, couples strolling hand in hand, and families gathering for picnics. “I put my soul and being behind the project,” said Cantey during the dedication ceremony. She would be pleased to know that the garden has endured as a place of beauty and a garden for everyone. While in her 90s, Cantey made one last visit to the garden with her granddaughter before her death in 1983.
Other Raleigh Garden Club Impacts
The Raleigh Garden Club was another driving force behind the rose garden from its earliest days. Cantey was a member and the club was her constant supporter. The club played an active role in getting the garden completed after World War II. It was the club’s Rose Study Group that eventually broke off to become the Rose Society, allowing men to join. They became the garden caretakers during the late 1940s and 50s.
In 1976, to honor the USA Bicentennial, the club planted an entire new bed of 30 roses, plus the dawn redwoods and the first miniature roses in the garden. Today, in honor of the Raleigh Garden Club 100th anniversary, the club is beginning a fundraising drive to rehabilitate the shady garden near the picnic shelter.
The Raleigh Rose Garden is one of three accredited rose gardens in North Carolina, including the Wilson Rose Garden in Wilson and the McGill Rose Garden in Charlotte. The grounds include sixty rose beds with varieties of hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures, and antique roses, surrounded by an arboretum of evergreen and deciduous trees. Perennial beds and a pool dedicated to Cantey add year-round interest. Visitors describe it as “beautiful and serene,” “a gem,” and “the fragrance helps me unwind.” The garden is maintained by 45 dedicated volunteers from the Raleigh parks department, each adopting a rose bed and working alongside the head gardener. To join them, contact: prvolunteer@raleighnc.gov.
Visiting the Raleigh Rose Garden in the peak bloom season of May and June offers garden lovers a magical experience far from downtown Raleigh’s urban bustle. It is located behind Raleigh Little Theatre at 301 Pogue Street and is open 365 days a year, dawn to dusk.
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Erica Winston is the Raleigh Garden Club Historian and NGC Landscape Design Consultant. Her garden is an NGC and NWF certified backyard habitat.
