Prospect Park Rose Garden Getting A Makeover — And 7,000 Pinwheels

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — Prospect Park's Rose Garden will be getting a makeover in the near future. The open space in the Northeast section of the park, tucked among the woody Vale of Cashmere, hasn't had much attention recently while other areas get shiny facelifts.

This week, the Prospect Park Alliance, a non-profit in charge of maintaining the park, announced a "restoration" for what it called "one of the park's hidden gems."

It will start with a community design workshop on June 10 led by the nonprofit Hester Street Collaborative. People can come and share their feedback about the garden and suggest improvements for the future. They can also "play interactive games" about the garden's history and take a guided tour of the garden.

"The Alliance is looking to gather input from a wide variety of communities that border the Park and use the Park regularly," a park release says. "Over the course of the summer and fall, the Alliance and Hester Street Collaborative will be reaching out to the community in a variety of settings to help determine the future design of this space."

Click here for more information and to RSVP for the workshop.

While a full renovation for the Rose Garden won't happen overnight — money needs to be found, plans finalized and construction completed — another plan for the space is more immediate.

Dubbed "The Connective Project," park-goers are being asked to submit their own "photos, artwork, prose or verse." Chosen pieces will be printed onto pinwheels and placed throughout the garden — 7,000 in total.

The project, run by AREA4 and Reddymade Architecture + Design, will feature pinwheels "constructed of weather-resistant biodegradable paper made from stone dust," according to the park release.

"The designer Suchi Reddy of Reddymade Architecture + Design designed an installation that would engage
the public in a dialogue about the importance of public space, but also generate wonder and play," the release says. "Full of color and whimsy, The Connective Project is a nod to the creative spirit that pervades Brooklyn and Reddy’s practice."

Submissions open June 10. Click here for more information on how to do that and more.

The Rose Garden overhaul is part of a larger effort to improve and restore that area of the park. A group of goats are currently munching away on invasive plants that sprung up in the Vale of Cashmere. And two new entrances are in the works for the Flatbush Avenue side to make the park more accessible.

Image courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance