Live rose bushes fill the Rose Show for the first time
At the 1938 Texas Rose Festival, the student designer Henry Thompson built the Rose Show as a formal “colonial garden” of more than 1,000 growing rose bushes.
It was the first time live rose bushes were used in the Rose Show.
Sources
- National Register nomination: Tyler Municipal Rose Garden (NR 100003539, 2019; THC Atlas)atlas.thc.texas.gov
It was the first time that live rose bushes were used in the Rose Show
Thompson stepped in to create the principal Rose Show for the 1938 Festival
While he was still in college, Thompson stepped in to create the principal Rose Show for the 1938 Festival
creating a formal “colonial garden” with more than 1,000 growing and blooming rose bushes
Checked October 15, 2026. How the cards are filed