Morcom Rose Garden fundraising after vandalism and theft

"Oakland's Morcom Rose Garden, a collection of thousands of showy shrubs and vines tucked away in an amphitheater setting in the Grand Lake neighborhood, was recently vandalized by thieves who stole 51 rose bushes. The Oct. 16 theft wasn't the first time plants at the city park have been damaged or stolen. However, according to Nancy Friedman, a volunteer gardener who helps tend and prune the collection, this most recent incident was especially upsetting."

"Volunteers and city staff are very discouraged because of the many years of hard work put into collecting, grafting, establishing, and labeling the plants that were destroyed that night, leaving empty holes in the ground," Friedman wrote in the Splashpad News, where the theft was first reported. Friedman wrote that the shrubs were pulled up by the roots without any digging, meaning many of them will likely die."

Fifty-one rose bushes were stolen from Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland, causing extensive damage and leaving empty holes across the planting beds. The theft on Oct. 16 followed earlier incidents of plant damage or theft at the city park, and volunteers and city staff expressed deep discouragement after years of collecting, grafting, establishing, and labeling plants were undone. Many shrubs were pulled up by the roots without digging, making survival unlikely. Volunteers are urging the public to be watchful and report theft or damage. Friends of the Morcom Rose Garden and city parks staff are raising money for supplies to support recovery. The seven-acre garden opened in 1934 and was named for Mayor Fred Morcom in 1953.

Read at The Oaklandside