Flower City absent from NY weekly Blooms Report? Gardens Rochesterians would like to see included

Emily Barnes, New York State Team
·2 min read

Some Rochester-area residents are in disbelief over the lack of Flower City locations on New York's weekly Blooms Report, which was announced last week.

I Love NY launched the report to help New Yorkers identify the best places to see roses, lilacs, tulips, cherry blossoms and magnolias at more than 30 locations across the state — but none of them are in Rochester or even Monroe County.

Locations were invited to participate but needed to meet the following criteria:

  • Open to the public during the spring months

  • Include a garden with any of the five included flowers

  • Feature one or more gardens as one of the location's main tourist attractions.

Here are some of the locations Rochesterians wished made it onto the state's bloom report.

Highland Park in Rochester NY

File Photo: Sunny skies meant a perfect opening day of the annual Lilac Festival in Highland Park in Rochester Friday, May 12, 2023.
File Photo: Sunny skies meant a perfect opening day of the annual Lilac Festival in Highland Park in Rochester Friday, May 12, 2023.

While Rochester's Lilac Festival is mentioned on the Blooms Report website, Highland Park in the city's southeast quadrant and its Lamberton Conservatory are not included in the weekly updates.

Fields of lilac bushes bloom just in time for the May festival every year among several varieties of magnolias, rhododendrons, azaleas, pansies and irises.

Genesee Valley Park, Seneca Park and Maplewood Park

In addition to Highland Park, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead's presence can be found in Genesee Valley Park and Seneca Park, both along the eastern bank of the Genesee River within city limits and Maplewood Park in the northwest quadrant of the city.

Maplewood Park has a nationally accredited rose garden consisting of 250 different varieties, according to the city's website. Outside of the rose season, bulbs, annuals, perennials, and evergreens take their place.

Webster Arboretum at Kent Park

The daylily display garden in the Webster Arboretum is a short hike from the parking lot.
The daylily display garden in the Webster Arboretum is a short hike from the parking lot.

Beautiful displays of flowers and budding trees fill the grounds of the Webster Arboretum at Kent Park off of Schlegel Road in Webster in the springtime.

Oxford Street

Oxford Street, which extends from Monroe Avenue to Park Avenue in the city, is known for its row of magnolia trees, which bloom ferociously in the spring months.

Will more locations be added?

Possibly. If you're a staff member at a local public site and you'd like your location to be part of the inaugural New York Blooms Report, reach out to the Blooms Report team at blooms@esd.ny.gov.

Emily Barnes is the New York State Team consumer advocate reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Top gardens in Rochester that should be included in NY Blooms Report