Beautiful Accent

A rose by any other name...

The Rose Post

Mesa Community College houses a beautiful rose garden on its grounds that is a real attraction. I pass by this rose garden everyday, and every time I vow to bring my camera so I can take photographs of this spectacular display of color. Well, I have repeatedly failed to do so, until today. Here are my best photos that I took during today's excursion. I have to confess that I am very proud of these photographs. I was hoping for detail, but worried that I might not achieve such vivid and vibrant results as I ended up enjoying today. I hope you will enjoy these as much as I do. I might never have promised you a rose garden, but here it is, anyway. Sometimes the best beauty lies in the small details we overlook everyday.  

I know red roses are very popular, and people serenade the yellow rose of Texas, but my favorite color of roses are the ones that come in bright, fiery shades of orange, as well as their soft, peach-blossoming cousins.

In the midst of so much vibrant color, white helps to calm and clean the palette.

Yellow is always beautiful and goes great with red roses (the mixture of which, of course, makes orange!)

I confess there were plaques in the garden identifying the varieties of roses, but I didn't bother reading them. I didn't think I'd recall all of the names or feared that I would name the roses incorrectly. I suppose it doesn't matter, though. After all, a rose by any other name...! The rose above reminds me of a variety called Chicago Peace, which I remember growing in my mother's garden when I was a kid. Naturally, as a native Chicagoan, I love that rose; it holds a lot of meaning for me.

Here's another photo of a red rose. Where would a rose post be without photographs of classic red?

Yes, another orange rose and I love it (or at least a shade of blushed apricot).

This orange rose, above, is one of my favorites. I can't tell you how many photos I took of this one rose in order to get it just right. Just beautiful!

And of course, where would a rose garden be without shades of pink, found immediately above and in several photos throughout this post?

Art and Utility in Mesa, AZ

Bus stop gazebo, Mesa, AZ

There are several spots throughout the Valley where Valley Metro, the area's mass transit service, offers some beautiful, artsy bus stop features. This gazebo on Southern Avenue, at the north end of Mesa Community College, is one of them. It has a nice look, with metallic leaf accents strewn along the exterior. Art that serves a purpose. Why not make things we need to use in our everyday lives, such as sun-cover at a bus stop, into something artful and extraordinary?

Rose garden, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

Behind the bus stop lies Mesa Community College's rose garden, where colorful botanical beauty showcases the campus.

Public benches, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

These public benches, next to the gazebo bus stop, lie within a domed metal exterior and continue the artful botanical theme. They weave the bus stop and the rose garden together quite nicely.

Rose garden, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

Just some of the roses blooming and thriving in the rose garden.

Rose garden, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

Many trees in the rose garden are mature, offering a cool, shady respite from the sunny desert heat.

Clock tower, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

The clock tower on Mesa Community College's Dobson campus is a campus landmark.