EXPOSITION ROSE GARDEN TO OPEN MARCH 15
Renowned horticultural location will have two new varieties for 2008

LOS ANGELES – Two new varieties deemed the ones to grow in 2008 will be featured when the renowned Exposition Rose Garden, a facility operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and located at 701 State Dr. (near the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum), re-opens on Saturday, March 15 following its annual winter pruning.

The additions are Dream Come True and Mardi Gras. The pair was chosen by the All-American Rose Selections organization as the best roses for the upcoming season. The Home Run, which also debuted in 2007, will be available for viewing.

In addition, three unnamed varieties that will be the 2009 roses of choice will be among the 165 styles of this enticing flower which can be seen and enjoyed. In all, the garden is home to about 10,000 rose bushes, as well as other distinctive landscaping.

Since 1928, the Department has operated and maintained the Rose Garden, which is visited by thousands of Angelenos and tourists annually, and is often used by residents as a place of quiet and refuge in an urban setting.

It offers a classic formal display of rose beds arranged in a grass-girded oval around a picturesque central fountain, with beautiful gazebos, making it a popular location for weddings and other events, and a backdrop for photos and filming, all of which permits are needed for.

The Rose Garden is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to dusk. For more information, call (213) 763-0114. For more information about the 2008 winning roses, go to http://www.rose.org/.


MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jane Kolb: (213) 928-9294
Harvey Drut: (213) 928-9296