An Ames family has given $75,000 to Reiman Gardens in memory of a wife and mother who loved gardens, especially roses.

The donation, in memory of Helen Latch Jones, will bolster the private fund drive that has raised more than $2 million for the construction of the new gardens.

The gift from the Paul R. Jones family will be designated for the rose garden in memory of Helen Jones. Paul and Helen Jones lived in Ames for more than 50 years. Paul Jones operated the Paul R. Jones Sheet Metal Company and attended ISU for three years. He was also student body president and an All-State football player while at Ames High School. Helen was an avid garden lover.

“I’m not a flower person, but she was,” Jones said. “Three years ago I lost Helen and I’ve been thinking about doing something for her. My son, Jerry, was at a meeting at [the Reiman Gardens] and he told me about the possibility of doing something for the gardens.”

Paul Jones said his wife was always the first and last person to have a flower in bloom. “She had flowers coming in all year,” he said.

Paul Jones said his children supported the donation because they also remember how important gardening — especially roses — was to their mother.

When the gardens are finally developed, Jones said, they will be important assets to the university.

Russ Wilson, director of development for the College of Agriculture, said the donation was “wonderful” and the Reiman Gardens are going to be a great resources for teaching at ISU. Wilson said the gardens, which will be dedicated on Saturday morning before the football game, make a stunning visual for the south-campus entrance.

“About 900,000 people come to the Iowa State Center each year,” he said. “They will see those gardens.”