Home >
Whetstone's Park of Roses
The Columbus Park of Roses is 13 acres of rose beds, daffodils and herbs along with assorted perennials within the garden setting. The Park of Roses is one of the largest municipal rose gardens in the United States. Wide paths afford comfortable walking and viewing. All roses in the garden have been labeled by name and classification. The peak viewing time for the rose beds is around mid June and again in mid September. There are more than 11,000 rose bushes in the garden and over 350 different varieties of roses.
Construction of the park began in 1952. While the area had a topsoil depth of 11" — 15" of sandy loam, all of the flower beds were excavated to a depth of 2'. Existing soil was removed and mixed with imported peat moss and fertilizer and then return to the beds. Over 21000 bales of peat moss were used in this process.
Formal opening of the park was in June 1953. In January 1954 the American Rose Society Headquarters relocated from Hershy Pennsylvania to Columbus and remained there until 1974 when it was moved to Louisiana. The Columbus Park of Roses is one of just 133 public gardens approved by the All-America Rose Selections, Inc (AARS). All AARS public gardens meet strict requirements to receive this certification.
Park of Roses is located at 3923 North High Street Columbus, OH 43214 and is on the west side of High Street. Entrance to the park is from within Whetstone Park.
See this web site for rose photographs taken at the park