The Story of the Rose Garden
Written by Ray Jones Gamma Phi 344 
August 25, 2008

"We planted the Rose Garden Spring Semester 1998. The idea for the rose garden came about just after we moved into the house on campus. The university had essentially landscaped the houses exactly the same and some of the guys wanted to do some things to make our house stand out. The Rose Garden actually wasn't the main work being done.

A big group of guys worked on planting the Azaleas and Junipers in the front yard. I don't want to leave anyone out, but I can remember: Gary Aucoin, Jeremy Penton, Brad and Bart Moore, and others working on that part. (There were at least 7 or 8 guys so if you were one of them let us know so we can add your name here.)  That part of the landscaping was a major undertaking and those guys did a great job with it. 
 

My first little brother (Jeremy Floyd) and I saw a spot on the parking lot side that just had sod on it. We were trying to think of something to do there since it faced the sorority houses. In the end, that is where we decided plant the roses.  We split the cost and planted 6 rose bushes originally. I envisioned it being something our family tree could maintain, but over time I think more than just my tree has had a hand in it (when someone did anything to them.) Jeremy left the chapter not long after they were planted so until Spring 2000 I took care of them myself mostly with help from Chris Hughes (my second little brother), and anyone unlucky enough to walk outside at the wrong time. So lots of folks helped at one point or another.  Then I did a little here and there as I could after I graduated while I was working for USA.
 
As for the concrete Pi Kappa Phi stone: That stone was not originally in the flower bed. I was not there when it was recovered, but my recollection is that there was an alumni vs.actives softball game and after some chatting following the game some guys decided to go to the Bay Front Road house. Several of the actives had never even seen it. They only knew about it as the house "Hurricane Fredrick messed up." While they were there they saw a concrete "stepping stone" with Pi Kappa Phi embossed on it. Apparently, it was previously a bench. They brought it back to the house on campus where it found a home in the flower bed. I think that was in the 2001-2003 range."
 
Just in case anyone in the chapter needs to know:
Proper care of those roses is to cut each main limb back to just 1-2 inches above where it emerges from the main stump just after the last freeze each Spring. Only use hardwood mulch. Do not use pine or other bark. Never water the leaves  only the base. That type of Rose is very susceptible to fungus.  If the leaves show spots or discoloring spray with a rose anti-fungal on both sides of the leaves. Every garden center has it including Wal-Mart.  It is important because of where those roses are to add topsoil every year because the rain run-off leeches the nutrients out of the soil. By cutting them back each year they will increase in diameter and grow a little taller than they reached the previous year.


The history of this concrete step is quite interesting.  What we know begins with the house at Brookley Field.  The step was originally made to be the seat of a concrete bench.  When the chapter moved from the house on Bay Front Road they left the seat.  Years later, as mentioned above, brother Tom Peterson took some pledges and actives to view the old Bay Front house and while looking around came across the seat half buried in one of the flower beds.  It was not painted blue at the time.  A few days later the step arrived at the new Fraternity Row location and was placed in the rose garden.  And at some point it was painted blue so the letters would show up better.