New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx in Bronx County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
The original design for the Rose Garden included 90 rectangular beds, each for a different rose.
Designed in 1916, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is one of the only remaining intact gardens designed by landscape gardener Beatrix Farrand (1872-1999). Farrand was a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and a leading force in her profession a time when few women worked outside the home. Her triangular design for this garden nestles gracefully into a valley and provides ample space for a diverse display of roses.
This garden was only partially constructed in 1917 when World War I iron shortages made it impossible to complete the fence and central gazebo. In 1988 Garden Board member Beth Straus discovered the original designs and showed them to David Rockefeller, who then generously supported the completion of Farrand's fully realized designs. The garden is named after his wife Peggy, who loved roses.
Today the Rose Garden features more than 3,000 roses representing more than 700 different species, hybrids, and cultivated varieties. Highlights include the deliciously fragrant heirloom 'Rosa Mundi' (Rose gallica 'Versicolor') named after the mistress of Henry II, Rosa 'Awakening', a pale-pink climber that clambers over the central gazebo and David Rockefeller's Golden Sparrow, named in honor of this garden's greatest benefactor.
Erected by New York Botanical Garden.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1916.
Location. 40° 51.549′ N, 73° 52.439′ W. Marker is in Bronx, New York, in Bronx County. It is in New York Botanical Garden. It can be reached from the intersection of Southern Boulevard and Xavier Way, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx NY 10467, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New York City. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers
Additional keywords. landscape architecture
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 16, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 193 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 16, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.


