October 7, 2012 - 7:30 a.m.

Our finish line area!
Visitors who come to Texas expecting to see only oil
wells and cactus are amazed by the flourishing beauty of East Texas.
What seems even more surprising to the Old West ideal are the famous
Tyler Roses. Approximately one-fifth of all commercial rose bushes
produced in the United States are grown in Smith County, while over
one-half of the nation's rose bushes are packaged and shipped from
this area.
This burgeoning industry, which began at the turn
of the century, has established Tyler as the "Rose Capital
of the Nation." It is only fitting that the "City of Roses"
is home to the nation's largest Municipal Rose Garden. From late
April until frost, the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden blooms with nearly
40,000 rose bushes exhibiting approximately 500 varieties of roses.
Over 100,000 people from around the world visit the Rose Garden
annually.
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