OAKLAND — Given its visual appeal and quiet outdoor setting, Oakland’s Morcom Rose Garden offers much for tourists and locals alike.
A great place for a Sunday stroll or a morning jog, this picturesque and colorful place — an urban oasis and home to many varieties of roses — provides a soothing atmosphere. And it’s not just the plants, as visitors can enjoy waterworks and a pond, and sometimes other visitors, such as a wild turkey.
During his lifetime, Peter Wyeth Hurd took many a walk through the garden with his wife, Victoria. A musician by profession, Hurd — a nephew of famed artist Andrew Wyeth — found both inspiration and respite in Morcom, located close to where he lived.
“When Peter and I would walk in the Rose Garden, our vision — our ability to see — was transformed,” Victoria Hurd said. “We’d stroll and eventually sit down to take in the scene: banks of roses — white, crimson, gold — surrounded by the oaks and redwoods and interrupted by the reflection pool.”
But upkeep at Morcom — seven acres in all — gets challenging.
Victoria Hurd looks to take on the challenge as a type of tribute to her husband, who died Jan. 3, 2016, at age 85.
She’s also looking for help to do that.
“I want to honor Peter by increasing the care of…
