Growing up as a kid here in Chehalis, I attended Mother Hubbard’s Preschool over at the original westside Chehalis location — back when Mrs. Ruth still played piano and led songs for the “Muppets” (toddlers), “Snoopies” (preschool) and “Big Birds” (kindergarten and up). Back in the Mother Hubbard “OG” days, if you will.
Back in those days, we knew what time of day it was by the song or cadence that Mrs. Ruth played on the wall gong chimes, and we explored the world around us through Mrs. Ruth’s eyes. Though Mother Hubbard’s proudly incorporated religious songs and teachings into our daily routines, in other ways, Mrs. Ruth’s vision for preschool was very progressive.
Mrs. Ruth and other teachers didn’t just teach us classroom things — they taught us about being citizens of our town. The preschool often organized weekly and bi-weekly excursions through the city of Chehalis.
Back in those days, you would frequently see large groups of kids, walking two-by-two, down the sidewalks on the way to local Westside Park. Or, we’d see the groups and pairs of children getting on a Twin Transit bus to visit Recreation Park or the local Timberland Library.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but Mrs. Ruth was teaching us to utilize public transportation, public libraries and other public services. She encouraged us to explore the world around us and to visit local gems.
One of the things that always stuck with me for some reason on these excursions were the Chehalis Municipal Rose Gardens. I have vivid memories as a kid seeing those rose gardens in full bloom, packed with some of the most amazing colors I had ever seen. Had I not attended a public preschool that encouraged this type of exploration, I’m not sure I’d ever have noticed otherwise.
Getting off the Twin Transit bus at Recreation Park, you’d be greeted by the same full, beautiful roses, welcoming you to the park, playground and ball fields.
In fact, these experiences were some of the biggest reasons I chose to enroll my oldest son in the local City of Chehalis Preschool Playtime through the city parks and recreation department. I want my kids to grow up learning to appreciate some of those same things I did growing up. Looking back, they left more of an impression upon me than even I had realized… until I became a parent myself.
Mrs. Ruth passed away a few years ago, back in 2014. But I thought of her as I drove through Chehalis this past week and visited Recreation Park.
The poor rose bushes have seen better days. With construction and remodeling expected in the near future at Recreation Park, and on adjoining Penny Playground, I’m guessing that they’ve simply not dedicated as much time to the flower beds.
But, I hope that future park plans include the roses. They’re such a wonderful and unique feature of our local Chehalis Parks.
I did some quick searching via Google and through The Chronicle archives, but I wasn’t able to find the extent of historical information I would have liked.
I found articles dating back as early as 1955 mentioning the Chehalis Municipal Rose Gardens at what used to be commonly referred to as “Civic Center” in Chehalis — the area near where City Hall and the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library sit today.
The 1955 article mentions a tree-pruning demonstration event.
I knew vaguely before diving into the archives that the gardens had been called “test gardens” when we were kids. Apparently, that specifically refers to the fact that the Chehalis Municipal Gardens were certified by a national organization — the All-American Rose Selections group — and in the 1960s, Chehalis was one of only 60 cities to have such gardens.
Even in 2003, the Chehalis garden is noted as only one of five in Washington State, and one of 160 nationally.
The All-American Rose Selections group “tested” roses in these test gardens around the country before releasing varieties to the general public commercially. Articles in the archives through the 1960s and 1970s note various variety winners that topped even international competition.
“Each year, official test gardens are set up within public gardens that represent numerous climates throughout the United States. AARS accepts rose specimens to be subjected to a rigorous two-year test. Judges evaluate each plant submitted. The winning roses are all tested on 15 key gardening characteristics, including disease resistance, hardiness, color, form, flowering effect, fragrance, vigor and novelty.”
I wasn’t able to find out much more from The Chronicle archives. Few articles resulted from my keyword searches. Originally, the Lewis County Rose Society cared for the gardens. Later, it appears that the City of Chehalis took a formal sort of responsibility of the gardens. Previous parks managers had been Master Gardeners and had other gardening experience.
I haven’t heard much about these gardens the last few years. Does the city still care for them? Does the local Master Gardeners group? Do citizens volunteer their time to care for the roses?
If you know anything about the history of these gardens, drop me a line at voiedevelopment@comcast.net and let’s see if we can’t put together some additional information as a community.
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Brittany Voie is a columnist for The Chronicle. She lives south of Chehalis with her husband and two sons. She welcomes correspondence from the community at voiedevelopment@comcast.net.
