hard work and unswerving faith.
Great locations have been key
to the success of World Peace Rose
Gardens, but so have the design and
the meaning of each garden to its
respective community. “TJ, the Rose
Man,” designer of the gardens, says,
“Each rose garden is a living piece
of art. The space is the canvas and
the roses are the medium.” He learns
about the community, studies the pro-
posed garden space, then visualizes a
blueprint in his mind. Even the variet-
ies and colors of the roses take form
in his imaginative vision. The details
sometimes come fast and furious and
writing down his thoughts can be
an intense, challenging, but exciting,
process. A bursting star, the sun with
shooting rays and revolving plan-
ets, praying hands, a living picture
frame… these are some of the images
that have become World Peace Rose
Gardens.
For example, at the Martin Luther
King, Jr. National Historic Site in At-
lanta, Georgia, the garden’s starburst
design reminds us of the brilliance
of Dr. King’s life and the impact of
his ideals on humankind. The center
row consists of the Coretta Scott King
roses that represent her oneness with
Dr. King and her continuation of his
work. They are in perfect alignment
with the tombs of Dr. King and Mrs.
King across the street at the King
Center. The band of red roses that
weaves its way through the garden,
honors African-Americans and their
contributions to the United States and
the world. The rows that border on
the right and left side of the center
row, are a tribute to the special bond
and similarity of peace movements
between Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Mahatma Gandhi. The clusters of
multi-colored roses symbolize the
various nations of the world and the
universal appeal of Dr. King’s message
of peace through nonviolence.
A more playful theme was de-
signed for the University Park World
Peace Rose Garden in the Historic
Magnolia District in Stockton, Cali-
fornia. The proximity of two schools
within walking distance to the garden
was a community consideration. The
garden features a large ceremonial
area in the center that represents
the sun. It is surrounded by seven
main flower beds that shoot out like
sunrays; and six smaller flower beds,
tucked between the rays, represent
the planets. It is complemented with
a lovely, welcoming arbor at the en-
trance and several benches that invite
guests to sit and enjoy the beauty and
tranquility of the garden. Beautiful
historic street lamps of granite dot the
flower beds near the ceremonial area.
World Peace Rose Garden at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, GA
22 IMAGINE l Spring 2017
Behind the rose garden, you see a
serene human-made lake with water
jetting out of three separate geysers,
a bridge, and a tall silver water tower
that stands like a guardian overlook-
ing the garden. The carefully selected
roses burst color in every direction…a
stunning show!
While the World Peace Rose Gar-
dens are silent ambassadors of peace,
it is youth who give voice to that
message. Students from China, Gaza,
India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Pakistan and the United States, have
expressed their creative thoughts
about peace in their artwork and
prose through four exciting programs:
The “World Peace Begins With Me”
Art Program, The Inspirational Mes-
sages of Peace Contest, The Flower
Pots of Friendship Program and The
International Friendship Program.
A new program, “I’m a Quality Kid,”
will be introduced next year. Their
artwork is displayed at public ven-
ues, such as the International Day of
Peace and anniversary celebrations,
while winning messages of peace
are engraved on plaques and placed
in various gardens to act as points of
inspiration for visitors.
Sylvia sees the youth programs as
fuel that further ignites the popular-
ity of the rose gardens. Messages of
peace by global youth in many of the
World Peace Rose Gardens inspire
people to be better persons and world
citizens. Her deep feeling that, “All
children are my own,” opened the
floodgates of her own creativity to
create programs that bring out the
best in our young people. She says,
“These programs are an antidote
to the bombardment of negativity,
unkindness and violence our kids are
exposed to every day. It gives them