Echigo Hillside Park ～ Rose Garden of Fragrance

Echigo Hillside National Government Park opened on July 30th 1998 is the sole national park located in Hokuriku area in Japan. Of the 400 hectares of its designated total area, 155.5 hectares is currently in service. It consists of “Health Zone” accommodating the visitors of all ages with playground equipment and various flowers and “Satoyama Field Museum” where the visitors are invited to experience the natural environment of Satoyama (translated as woodland close to populated area).

Just as you would access to the park through the main “Welcome Gate”, “Rose Garden of Fragrance” extends to the left. The concept of this area with 2200 roses of 532 varieties (as of July 2010) does not only dwell on the beauty of the colors and figures of roses but it focuses on their fragrance.

This rose garden is founded on a garden formerly owned by a factory named Hokuriku Seisakusho, which was much popular among the people of Nagaoka City for a long time, and donated upon being closed in 2001.
Fragrance was the conceptual keyword in conceiving its new opening. Aroma is considered as one of the essential elements of roses along with their shapes and colors today, but that was not the case back in 2001 when the construction work of the park was started. Diligent effort of the members of the committee working on the design of the rose garden seeking to “rediscover the value of fragrance” eventually evolved into the opening of “Rose Garden of Fragrance” in 2003.

The garden is made up of 7 different areas.
“Fragrance Area” is split into the smaller sections cultivating the varieties of the 6 representative types of fragrance (Damask Classic, Damask Modern, Tea, Fruity, Blue, and Spicy). It is an area for anyone to thoroughly enjoy the aroma and feel the difference between each one of them. The fragrance carried through the climbers along the fan-like arches and other three-dimensional presentations would drive you to fantastic scenery of seas surrounded by the aroma of roses.

“Colour Area” features the roses in the gradation of orange, yellow, red, and pink, as well as the white roses related to the color of white or with names associated with snow. “Area for Old Species: Old roses” collect miscellaneous types of roses from the times before modern roses. “Rose Hall of Fame Area” exhibits the roses selected by the World Federation of Rose Societies. Furthermore, some 15 species said to exist in Japan are grown in the “Area for Wild Japanese Roses”, and “Area of Roses and Plants” fascinate its visitors by the combination of roses and other types of flowers and plants.
Another section of the garden to visit is the area dedicated to the trial production for the international contest between the new fragrant roses, "The International Fragrant Rose New Variety Contest Trial Ground".

Echigo Hillside Park has been hosting “The International Fragrant Rose New Variety Contest” since 2005. It is the first international competition emphasizing on the fragrance ever, placing 30 out of 100 points of its evaluation in total. New varieties collected from the breeders from around the world are judged in spring and fall of the second year after being grown under the same conditions. The contest has been held every year since the first contest was completed and the first winners were announced in 2007.

The new varieties presented for the competition would be grown under the same conditions in a secluded area for two years from the point of planting to the completion of their contest. This area is of much interest for any rose fans, for the varieties that are not in the market or not known are grown. The competition winners are still being grown in one section of the area.

Management work of this rose garden is largely borne by the volunteer members, “Barabora ECHIGO”. They would trim, deadhead, eradicate weeds and take care of the park in many other ways around three times a week jointly with the staff of the park. In times of special events, they would serve as the guides to the park visitors as well. Their sensitive care for the garden on the daily basis and caring guidance are now ever so popular.

“Each area went through its upgrading and expansion successively since our park opened. “Area for Wild Japanese Roses” was opened after its renewal in April 2009. I’d like the visitors to enjoy our roses from the historical standpoint too, as some of the common breeds today do happen to have Japanese roses as their origin”, comments Mr. Watanabe of Business Department.
“Area of Roses and Plants” and “Rose Hall of Fame Area” were introduced to the garden’s visitors almost at the same time. “We thought that the garden would be most enjoyable by incorporating the perennials that would bloom and be enjoyable in times when there are no rose flowers. I believe that it would give some tips to the garden keepers at home as well”.
Miscellaneous events are held in spring and fall under the theme of “Aromatic Rose Festival”- not only that, the garden is entertaining enough all year round filled with the aroma of roses with many ways to enjoy it.