Barcelona Style: The Cervantes Rose Garden

I can’t say I am a total expert of everything that happens in Barcelona. But the city is rather small and somehow you have seen most of the places already once in your life. Somehow.

There is this park on the right side when leaving the city and almost entering the highway I have always wanted to visit but never did. Until I saw yesterday an image on Instagram. I thought it could be a nice Sunday visit and off I went. Oh my.

Cervantes Rose Garden (1)

Cervantes Rose Garden

The vegetation of the Cervantes Park is lush and simply spectacular, with prominent, large trees that determine the landscape and then there is this little jewel.

Cervantes Rose Garden (14)

No more no less than a Rose Garden that has around 10,000 rose bushes of some 2,000 species and different varieties that, at the peak flowering period – between May and July, meaning NOW – may produce 150,000 roses blooming at a time.

Cervantes Rose Garden (10)

There is a botanical route that takes you to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. There are rose beds devoted to wild species, grouped according to their country of origin.

Cervantes Rose Garden (11)

Other parterres are devoted to ancient hybrid rose bushes, acquired before 1876 and which were cultivated by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. There are also parterres with modern hybrids, whose creation was begun at the end of the 19th century.

Cervantes Rose Garden (15)

I have learned that the connection between Barcelona and roses has a long history. There has been an international competition held at the Pedralbes Palace between 1929 and 1936 where the best rose horticulturists in the world took part.

Cervantes Rose Garden (6)

Later, at the end of the nineteen-eighties, in the current Rose Garden of Cervantes Park, popular cut rose competitions were held. Since 2001, the Cervantes Rose Garden has held the Barcelona International Competition for New Roses at the beginning of May.

Cervantes Rose Garden (18)

Cervantes Rose Garden (21)

This event takes place in three areas within the Rose Garden: one is reserved for rose bushes from this year’s competition, another for next year’s – as this is a competition for roses in bloom, the rose bushes should be planted a year before, or two years before for climbing roses – and a third space for winning rose bushes from previous years’ competitions.

Cervantes Rose Garden (3)

I will start today a new series on my IG feed called #fadingrosebeauty. I’ve taken a lot of pictures of faded roses I found simply breathtaking. So, be prepared for some lovely moody images to pop-up! Happy Monday, friends!

How about some extra inspiration?

7 Responses

  1. It’s wonderful to discover something like this in your own city. Those are the best moments. I’m looking forward to seeing more #fadingflowerbeauty on IG, too!

  2. Ya decía yo que alguna explicación debía tener que las rosas sean de mis flores preferidas! Las tengo incrustadas en mi vida, en mi ciudad, en mi gente!
    Maravillosas fotos y paseos!

    Un abrazo!
    ene

    1. ¿Conoces este parque? Hasta la fecha no había oído hablar a nadie de él de aquí de Bcn y me quedé parada, de verdad! Unos de mis sueños es ir a la Chelsea Flower Show un año pero esto (no es que lo puedas comparar) ya es un espectáculo en sí. Y en casa!!

  3. Wow! I’ve never been to Cervantes Park either but when I look at your beautiful photos it definitely seems worth a visit!!!
    Saludos, Sarah

    1. Ssince it is a bit out of the center and so close to the highway, I never felt like going there but oh boy, what a spectacle! Don’t miss the full bloom these days!

  4. Today is such a grey day here in Germany: cold and rainy! I went to a flea market in the morning but couldn’t find anything pretty. This morning was not wasted though, because on my way back I passed a HUGE bush of roses and I honestly stopped because of their amazing aroma! I really can relate how much fun it must have been walking past all these beauties! Have a great day, dearest! XO, A.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow our Wednesday Journal

Receive your dose of inspiration, education, and downloadable resources. By signing up, you will access the last three editions. We publish two times a month.

NEW: Materials Boxes 

Welcome to a roadmap to unlock four strategies for makers of the arts&crafts industry. 

[]