Stop and Smell... Mystery Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
The cache is not at the posted coordinates, but it is nearby.
For my first hide, a simple puzzle.
On April 7, 1931, in a former prune orchard at the corner of Dana and Naglee avenues, ground was broken for the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden. Six years later, on April 7, 1937, the garden was officially dedicated. Early varieties of roses included Castilian, Golden Gate, and President Herbert Hoover, along with roses from the California missions. Over the years, these were replaced by other varieties. Currently over 4000 plants of over 189 rose varieties grow here.
Due to finances, the city of San Jose cut back staffing of the rose garden between 2004 and 2007. During this time, the condition of the garden declined, and All America Rose Selections, a non-profit association "dedicated to the introduction and promotion of exceptional roses," put the garden on probation.
In late 2007, the Friends of the Rose Garden began a campaign to get the AARS accreditation restored. The Friends "developed an aggressive campaign of recruiting volunteers, engaging the media, and utilizing a innovative Web 2.0 presence. We worked with the City, who partnered with us from the very start to make this a successful venture....After over 4000+ volunteer hours, and the awesome support of the Gardener Lance Loveday and the San Jose Parks Department, the All-America Rose Selections' (AARS) reinstated the National Accreditation on December 3rd, 2008."
Rose Garden neighborhood resident Brandon Chapman of Boy Scout Troop 390 took on the garden for his Eagle Scout project. He made new identification signs for each of the rose beds, naming the variety, type of rose, and year it was introduced.
On May 2, 2009, a rededication ceremony was held at the Rose Garden, where it was announced that the garden had been chosen to be an AARS test garden, one of only 23 such gardens in the United States, and the only one in Northern California. Now, when visiting the garden, you can see some of the new test varieties, identified by numbered tags rather than by name, which are competing for future AARS status.
Please Note: The Municipal Rose Garden is open from 8:00 a.m. to one-half hour after sunset. The Rose Garden is used for several San Jose Unified School District graduation ceremonies. It is advisable to avoid this area at those times. For 2013, graduations will be held at the Rose Garden June 4 through 6.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[puzzle hint:] N ebfr ol nal bgure ....
[hide hint:] zntargvp