It’s all coming up roses in Grant Park, following the announcement that $1.25 million from Tiffany & Co. will build a four-season rose garden south of Buckingham Fountain. Come August, the public will be able to chill in the garden, which features a view of the soon-to-be renovated fountain and holds 200—that is, unless the rose garden is being rented out for weddings and other receptions.

And that’s where the roses stop smelling so sweet, say some, who are worried that a privately funded park encroaches on a public area.

To weed out the real deal behind the thorny spot, we talked to both sides: Parkways Foundation—the Park District’s privately run fund-raising arm—which helped secure Tiffany, and park watchdog org Friends of the Parks.

“Especially because Grant Park is the city’s front yard, we have concerns about making portions of it into a private place—even if it is only at certain times. Parks are for the people. They are paid for by the people and are meant to be used for all the people.” —John O’Connell, vice president of administration and development for Friends of the Parks

“Most of the time, it’ll be open to the public, and it’ll be a beautiful space with benches so people can come and enjoy a secluded garden experience. Since it’s privately funded, it helps free up the park district to fund neighborhood projects around the city. The Park District does the best that they can, but the tax-dollar is stretched.”—Brenda Palm, executive director of Parkways Foundation