There is a rose garden in Tyler, TX that has been a part of the history of this cities making. Since 1952 this municipal rose garden as served as a tourist attraction that brings in most of the business Tyler has gotten over the years, excluding oil.
Tyler Texas Rose Garden
Each year there is a festival, a queen crowned, duchesses chosen and tourists from far and wide bringing with them the business this town prepares for every year. Hotels are sold out, the roads are clogged and the restaurants are full every evening. What a paradise for money making and beauty seeking.
But here is my concern. Why is the garden so special? Roses are pretty, I like them, but I’ve seen prettier ones. I’ve walked through the garden and I’m not impressed. It’s not even the roses that are the problem. Its the landscape. If my artistic eye serves me right I think the design could be more appealing than we’re letting it. The fountains are typical and 60′s. The lay out doesn’t say anything new and there are no surprises. Maybe if I looked from a bird’s eye view there would be something intended to be eye-catching… but I’m not a bird and neither is anyone else paying money to see it.
Where is the vibrant life of color and excitement a garden is supposed to engulf me with? My favorite gardens draw me in, invite me to look close, and adventure my way through. But this makes me feel like I’m still in the office and have not escaped. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? 
If this legend of the Rose Garden is to continue then can we re-focus? I’m not ungrateful to the people who designed and made the garden and tradition to begin with, but I think its time to either move on or make over.
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I use to live in East Texas and I loved going to the rose gardens in Tyler. I also loved the idea that due to the rose gardens I could buy a dozen rose's on most any stret corner or at any conviance store for just a couple of dollors and have fresh cut rose's in my home all the time. I feel the rose gardens at Tyler are wonderful and they are very enjoyable. When my parents visited from California that was one place I made sure we had time to go see. they loved it and they really enjoyed walking through and reading about past rose festivals and seeing the dress' worn by past rose queens. I would hate to see it closed and I feel it would be a great loss to Tyler if it was to close.