SAN MARINO, Calif. – From the Australian Garden to the Japanese Garden, it feels like you can travel the world inside The Huntington. Tom Carruth is the curator of the Rose Collections and he’s happy that after more than three months of closure as a result of COVID-19, the outdoor gardens are back open to members and the general public – with new safety measures.

“This is the first bed you see when you enter the Rose Garden from the Shakespeare Garden,” said Carruth, the E.L. & Ruth B. Shannon Curator of the Rose Collections at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. “It’s a variety called Sparkle and Shine and it has color on it almost all the time. And it’s so fantastic to see visitors back in the garden again. They see this bed and they know they are in the Rose Garden.”

The Rose Garden was originally created for the private enjoyment of Henry and Arabella Huntington. Now, everyone gets to enjoy them. For Carruth, his interest in roses started as a young kid in Texas when he started his first rose garden at age 11. He now designs them. One, he calls ‘The Huntington’s 100th.’

“It’s one of my hybrids and it was named to commemorate our 100th Anniversary last year in 2019,” said Carruth.

Gardens were allowed to open during the start of Stage 2 of L.A. County’s Recovery Plan, but The Huntington paused to figure out its safety protocols, which means only outdoor gardens are open, visitors are asked for a temperature check before entering, and walk-ways are designated one-way. Also, tickets are timed and limited to 1,500 daily, a third of regular capacity. 

Visitors appreciate the effort. 

“We live less than a mile away so it’s an area we can walk to and then we are out in a beautiful space and there’s open fields for the kids to run,” said San Marino resident Nich Durst. “Lots of areas for the kids to appreciate nature.”

Insects and flowers go hand in hand and so do parks and visitors. It’s been a lonely spring for Carruth so he’s grateful to share the bounty he’s been able to curate.

“With the unfortunate timing of our closure, you missed the first bloom which is often the most spectacular,” said Carruth. “But we’re in second bloom right now and there’s a lot of color to see.”

You might be wearing a mask, but you can still stop and smell the roses.