It was in 1976 that Cathy and Carl Barringer received a letter from Jim Knight, the longtime SPMH CEO who passed away shortly after his retirement.Knight wrote that the hospital board believed that a “garden of this type. . .will be a real plus to the City of Santa Paula.”Gifts in memory of Margo Morris and the help of friends got the garden going: “We did start small and just kept adding roses and a fence on the east side of the garden.”The first roses planted were Margo’s favorites or those that Cathy Barringer’s father, Albert Buddington Morris, owner of the San Fernando Valley-based Western Rose Co., a noted rose developer who grew roses for large nurseries, had patented.The garden celebrated its 25th anniversary in April 2002 with a reception among the roses that drew over 100 garden supporters and volunteers.“We’ve had a dedicated core of helpers for years, some come and go,” during Rose Garden season, dressed in gardening grubbies with clippers and paper sack in hand, rewarded after pruning and cleaning with tea, cookies and good conversation.Barringer said she does not know what the future will bring but “there’s a saying that planting a garden is having faith in tomorrow. Our rose garden is blooming and we’re going to try to keep it going.”Those who would like to lend a garden helping hand can come to the Rose Garden on Mondays at 4 p.m. Be prepared to park on the street.
Morris Rose Garden: Hospital shut to patients but roses still bloom
May 28, 2004
Santa Paula News
The doors are shut to patients, the building is starting to look worn and the access to the south parking lot is closed, but the rose garden beneath Santa Paula Memorial Hospital is still beautiful thanks to a band of dedicated volunteers.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe doors are shut to patients, the building is starting to look worn and the access to the south parking lot is closed, but the rose garden beneath Santa Paula Memorial Hospital is still beautiful thanks to a band of dedicated volunteers.The Catherine Emily Crump Morris Memorial Garden for the woman who preferred to be called Margo remains the destination for the garden helpers, including Cathy Barringer, Morris’ daughter.“Taking care of the garden is a seasonal volunteer job,” said Barringer. “We go up the first of December and go back at the end of April,” for pruning. “They’re really beautiful. . .we did cut back and feed and sprayed, but we did not put in new roses.”Barringer’s postcard summoning helpers noted that “Our hospital may not be up and running but our Rose Garden is alive and well and looking glorious,” although watering the more than 100 bushes has become a challenge.“The main water line to the garden is broken, but we bought two long lengths of hose connecting to a faucet above and so far so good,” noted Barringer.Although the Rose Garden volunteers are giving care to the bushes planting new climbers and replacing old plants has been put on hold for now.Many times over the 27 years of the garden’s existence new bushes were planted “in memory of special friends. . .”
