More late-afternoon frolicking around the fountain.

Lexey Swall  Star Tribune

On weekday evenings, the garden is taken over by families. On Monday, Riley Parham sent a big splash at his cousin, Sydney Gulyard, at the Phelps Fountain on the eastern end of the garden. The 5-year-olds, who live several blocks from the park in Minneapolis, had walked over Monday evening with their siblings and their moms to take pictures with Riley's 2-week-old sister, Landis.

Lexey Swall  Star Tribune

Asked to pinpoint his favorite part of the rose garden, Tim Rosener replies, ``The whole park.'' The aptly named head gardener is in charge of overall operations. When pressed for his favorite rose, Rosener reluctantly chooses the ``Mr. Lincoln,'' a fragrant red hybrid found in the garden's south side. ``If you look at a rose while it's unfurling, it glows at you,'' Rosener said. ``If you can just look down into it, it's got its own beauty.''

Lexey Swall  Star Tribune

For five years, artist Linda Yarusso, of Eagan, has studied the plain air method of landscape painting. That means she finds her subjects outdoors and paints them in natural light. She tries to paint at the Rose Garden every few weeks. ``It's just such a beautiful area and such a variety of flowers and trees.''

Lexey Swall  Star Tribune

Visitors stroll thorough the peace garden.

Lexey Swall  Star Tribune

The garden is a new discovery for Kelly Kenyon, 20, and Jacob Roske, 24, who stumbled upon it while looking for a place to hang out on a recent Friday evening. They proclaimed the Peace Garden ``wonderful,'' and the nearby Scotsman's Purse, with its towering sunflowers and flitting goldfinches, ``magical.'' And they were delighted by the Heffelfinger Fountain, which they said they would remember best. The two from Minnetonka said they're ``good friends.'' That might be true, but shortly after this picture was taken they were seen...kissing.

Lexey Swall  Star Tribune

A man a woman seem to be engulfed in roses.

Lexey Swall  Star Tribune

At 7 a.m., the rose garden crew starts its work. Here, seasonal workers Kristy Olson and Amy Johnson, both 23, of Minneapolis, begin the daunting task of trimming the faded blooms off of the rosebushes.

Lexey Swall  Star Tribune