The Gardens
Guadalupe Gardens is located south of the Mineta San Jose International
Airport (and adjacent to the river park) where homes were removed
because of noise 20 years ago. The master plan for this area was
developed by the City of San Jose and a Citizen's Task Force.
The empty land that makes up much of this area will one day be
transformed into all sorts of gardens for the public to enjoy.
The areas of the Gardens completed at this time are
the Heritage Rose Garden, Historic Orchar, Courtyard Garden, and the Taylor Street Rock
Garden.
Courtyard Garden and Taylor Street Rock
Garden
 The
Courtyard Garden and the Taylor Street Rock Garden were the first
elements of Guadalupe Gardens to be completed. Flowering plants, turf
grass, and shrubs are featured in the Courtyard Garden. The Rock
Garden has the latest in drought tolerant landscaping.
In 1999, after the irrigation system was
converted to recycled water, the Friends of Guadalupe River Park &
Gardens, South Bay Water Recycling and the City of San Jose
rejuvenated the plantings in the Courtyard Garden and turned it into a
demonstration site. The purpose of the demonstration garden is to show
landscape professionals and the general public how a variety of plants
react to recycled water in a landscape setting.
This project is an example of how the Friends' mission to provide
education and stewardship of our natural resources is being
incorporated into the master plan for Guadalupe Gardens. The Courtyard
Demonstration Garden has served as a catalyst for the development of
programs to build community awareness of the availability and
acceptable uses of recycled water. It is an easily accessible site for
the public to visit and complements the other established areas of the
Garden.
| The Visitor & Education Center
 Located at 438 Coleman, this home for the Friends of GRPG and some city staff, including Park Rangers! Drop in to pick up trail maps, our newsletter, information about composting, or just to say hello. Most of our educational programs are held here, or at least meet here.
The general office hours are Monday - Friday (excluding holidays) 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. We are open some weekends for special programs, click here to see the calendar of events.
You can reach us at 408-298-7657. |
Heritage Rose Garden
 The
Heritage Rose Garden is a unique collection of
3,700 antique and modern roses. Established in
1995 through an extensive community effort, the
garden contains more varieties than any other
rose garden in the western hemisphere.
It is
maintained primarily by volunteers, with
assistance from the City of San Jose. The garden
is open daily from dawn to dusk and there is no
admission charge. A catalog of roses in the
garden is available for purchase call 408-298-7657 for more information. Docent-led tours for pre-scheduled
groups can be arranged.
An Adopt-a-Rose program allows for
individuals to adopt a rose for $50 a year.
For more information on the Heritage Rose Garden visit
the South Bay Heritage Rose Group-sponsored web site of the San
Jose Heritage Rose Garden
Click here to see a map of the
Garden
Isn't
the San Jose Rose Garden near the Rosicrucian Museum?
There are two major public rose gardens in San Jose, The Municipal
Rose Garden at Naglee and Dana, dedicated in the mid-1930s, and the Heritage Rose Garden at Spring and Taylor Streets, dedicated in 1995.
The Municipal Garden has large beds of about 190 varieties of mostly
modern roses. The Heritage Rose Garden is a botanical collection of
over 3,500 varieties of the roses grown over the last 400 years.
Click on the image below to see a larger version.
| Historic Orchard
 The
Historic Orchard is a 3.3-acre site planted in 1994 to showcase the
varieties of fruit trees that once made the Santa Clara Valley
famous as "The Valley of Heart's Delight". It is located in
Guadalupe Gardens just south of Taylor Street and adjacent to the
River Park trails. The orchard contains over 250 fruit trees,
including cherries, apricots, prunes, apples, and more. It is
maintained by dedicated volunteers.
The Historic Orchard is a living example of an earlier lifestyle
and the economy that once drove the Santa Clara Valley. In the 1930s
and '40s almost everyone who lived here was engaged in the business of
fruit production: growing, picking, packing, canning, selling, or
otherwise supporting the industry. Today, with very few orchards
remaining, this is a place where adults and children can come to
experience a piece of local history.
Fruit harvested from the Historic Orchard is donated to the Second
Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
Click
here to view a map of the Orchard! |
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Columbus Park
 This park was at the center of the old neighborhood that was cleared away to make room for the airport's approach zone. While all of the houses were removed, Columbus Park was left behind to serve the surrounding area. Most week nights it is bustling with softball teams, beach voleyball enthusiasts, and just recently, horseshoe pitchers. For more information about the ball fields, call 408-277-2757. For information about the horseshoe courts, visit the Northern California Horseshoe Pitchers Association web site.
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