Years: 

1876 – 1949

Year Hutchinson Medal awarded:

1981

Rosalie (Rose) Hegner was born in Radnice, West Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic. She spent most of her life in suburban Chicago, where her home garden in Western Springs, Illinois, was recognized in the 1950s for its meticulous cultivation and exceptional diversity of shrubs, flowers, and succulents. She hosted gardening events at her home, where tours often included demonstrations.

Her life work illustrates how dedicated home gardeners helped shape the American horticultural landscape—even without institutional affiliation. Although not a professional horticulturist by formal title, Rose Vasumpaur played a notable role in mid-20th-century suburban horticulture, especially in the Chicago region.

Her gardens:

• Served as informal teaching grounds
• Attracted local horticultural societies
• Demonstrated sophisticated plant selection and garden layout
• Reflected immigrant gardening traditions common among Bohemian and Central European settlers in the Chicago area