Formal Rose Garden
This rose garden comprises the original Columbus Park of Roses dating from 1953. It was designed in the formal Italianate garden landscape style of geometric shapes and symmetry.
In keeping with the tradition of this garden style, each rose bed is planted with the same variety, with no interplanting of other flowers, trees or shrubs. This approach creates a stunning panorama of color during peak bloom times in June and September.
The Formal Rose Garden covers seven acres and is planted with approximately 11,000 floribunda, grandiflora, hybrid tea, climber and shrub roses. In recent years, rose varieties that are disease resistant and require less maintenance have been popular additions.
An ornate observation tower was added to this garden in the 1980s for visitors to enjoy the spectacular aerial view. In 2012, the original 1957 fountain was renovated and re-engineered for water conservation. In 2017, the expansive northwest entrance of stone pillars and iron trellises was completed as a fitting complement to this elegant garden.
Heritage Rose Garden
Located at the east end of the Formal Rose Garden, the Heritage Rose Garden showcases roses cultivated before 1867, the date generally accepted as the beginning of modern roses. Many are predecessors to today’s commercially-available roses.
This garden was dedicated in 1986, and continues to feature roses such as centifolias, damasks, gallicas and rugosas. The damasks and gallicas date back to ancient Mediterranean cultures, and other roses were discovered as native species in Asia. The cross-breeding of varieties created new cultivars such as the hybrid tea rose.
Unlike some modern roses, most heritage roses are very fragrant and flower only once a year. Late spring is the best time to experience their profuse display of blooms.
Perennial Garden
Located on the south side of the Formal Rose Garden and west of the Herb Garden, the Perennial Garden is ever-changing during the long growing season that extends from March through November. This garden has eight large beds and is planted with more than 100 varieties of perennials, bulbs, trees and shrubs — many of them native to Ohio.
Although the original Columbus Park of Roses landscape plan indicates a perennial garden, it came to fruition in the early 1970s. Members of the Northview Buckeye Garden Club have taken primary responsibility for this garden’s planning and maintenance since 1997.
Herb Garden
Located on the south side of the Formal Rose Garden and east of the Perennial Garden,the Herb Garden features more than 100 herbs and useful plants. The herbs are planted in nine thematic beds: Culinary, Tea, Medicinal, Dye, Edible Flowers, Fragrance, Rose, Pollinator and Native American.
The Herb Garden was established in 1976 after a couple severe winters took a toll on many of the roses originally planted in this area. Members of the Columbus Horticultural Society have taken primary responsibility for this garden’s planning and maintenance since that time.
Backyard Garden
This garden, located northwest of the Formal Rose Garden, includes a variety of ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs designed to give visitors creative ideas for their own gardens.
Developed between 2007 and 2009 as the first public Earth-Kind Garden outside the southern U.S. states, its initial purpose was to test the viability of commercially-available roses in central Ohio’s USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6A without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, supplemental irrigation and special maintenance. It has since been expanded to include a variety of plantings with conservation and easy care in mind.
Arboretum
The extensive variety of trees and shrubs across the 13-acre Columbus Park of Roses creates year-round interest for visitors. In concert with the flower gardens, the arboretum provides a wonderful natural habitat for many birds native to Ohio and migratory birds, as well as beneficial pollinators and insects.
A list of the outstanding collection of shrubs in the garden that provide blooms from very early spring through the summer and into the very late fall is located under Visit > Plant Lists.
Treat Yourself to Our Dogwood Walk
Learn more about dogwood specimens at the Columbus Park of Roses on a self-guided tour! Take a look at photos and descriptions on the linked document from your smart phone. For locations, consult map in free brochure located in dispensers on garden kiosks.
Depending on species, you’ll find these trees and shrubs flowering late winter through early summer. Enjoy their spectacular foliage and berry displays in autumn through early winter. A list of the outstanding collection of shrubs in the garden that provide blooms from very early spring, through the summer, and into the very late fall is located under Visit > Plant Lists
