About Gulf District

The Gulf District was host to two very successful (and profitable) ARS national conventions chaired by Marilyn Wellan, at Shreveport in 1997 and New Orleans in 2003. With these successes (and proceeds), the District voted to install a rose garden at the Gardens of the American Rose Center in our name. Because the David Austin shrub roses were emerging as a very popular group, the district elected to feature David Austin varieties in our garden. We have been very fortunate that Austin’s Michael Marriott has been interested and involved with the garden from the beginning, providing assistance with design, and all the roses to fill out the beds with 162 bushes in 2003. In 2016-2017, the garden was enlarged, beds restored, and replanted with 184 bushes of 39 varieties; again, all roses in this display garden were provided by David Austin Roses, LTD.

The garden is located in a very prominent place at the ARC, right off the rear terrace of the Klima Education & Visitor Center. It is a favorite site for brides and wedding parties, and has been a labor of love for members of the Gulf District, who have turned out in large numbers on garden workdays and “pruning parties” to help keep the garden ready for visitors.