Historic Rose Garden undergoes name change as project finishes

Capaha Park's Rose Garden renovation is complete, and it has a new name.

Along with a new look, the garden is now called Capaha Park Garden. City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation director Doug Gannon said the reason for the name change is because there won't be just roses added to the garden.

The parks department planted new species in late October, with more seasonal planting to commence in the spring.

"We're gonna plant a variety of plants that are somewhat aesthetically pleasing, but a little more low maintenance," Gannon said. "There will be some roses in there, but there's gonna be a lot of other plants in there as well."

Gannon said the parks and recreation department worked closely with the Ramblewood Garden Club on the fall planting.

He also said the parks manager will work with different groups to help with seasonal planting.

"One of the things we're gonna try to do is make that an area that we can focus on during our Friends of the Park day, which is coming up in April," he said.

Along with new plant species, the department added a fountain and accessible sidewalks by "taking the garden down by 4 feet" to make the feature compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Gannon said. The fountain won't be turned on until the spring.

In a Southeast Missourian article published in 2022, parks manager Brock Davis said $50,000 was dedicated to the project, but he didn't anticipate using the entire amount. Gannon said, as of right now, the final cost of the project has not been determined.

Capaha Park Garden is one of the final pieces of an overhaul of Capaha Park, which included a new shelter, improvements to the baseball facility, a splash pad, amphitheater upgrades, a new parking lot and new walking trails and fishing piers around the pond. The improvements were funded by a citywide parks sales tax passed in 2018.