Celebration of the Rose

Cooperative effort showcases thousands of roses at one of the largest municipal rose gardens in the country
Hundreds of visitors enjoy the Whetstone Park of Roses
Vote for Columbus Park of Roses for America's Best Rose Garden
Text, photos & video by Beverly Mullet Randall, Animal Tracks

2007 AARS Moondance, Floribunda

Hundreds of visitors stopped to The City of Columbus' Whetstone Park of Roses and Oakland Nursery as part of the combined "Stop and Smell the Roses" and the "Celebration of the Rose" on June 12 and 13 to view thousands of roses in peak display. The event was a cooperative effort with The Columbus Park of Roses Foundation and Park of Roses Volunteers in partnership with Columbus Recreation and Parks hosting Stop and Smell the Roses; and Oakland Nursery's Celebration of the Rose. WMNI AM920 Plant Talk and WOSU Public Media were affiliated. Some activities of the two-day event included:

• Guided tours of the Whetstone Park of Roses Main, Heritage and Earth-Kind Rose Gardens and Herb and Perennial Gardens conducted by Park of Roses Volunteers;

Arbor section of main rose garden

Heritage Rose Garden

Earth-Kind Garden

Perennial Garden

Herb Garden

• Consulting rosarians and horticulturists from the Columbus Rose Foundation, Columbus Rose Club and Park of Roses Volunteers available to answer questions on the selection, planting and care of roses, perennials and herbs;

Tiffany, an example of a Hybrid Tea Rose

Crimson Bouquet, Grandiflora

Summer Fashion, Floribunda

Lady Elsie May, Shrub Rose

• Artists from Ohio Plein Air Society and Oil Painters of America painting throughout the gardens;






• Soothing sounds provided by “Air on Strings” flute and guitar duo;

• Columbus Rose Club annual rose exhibition

• Photographic exhibit by the Clintonville Historical Society of the Park of Roses throughout its 58 year history.

There were free trolley car rides every 30 minutes between the Park of Roses and Oakland Nursery’s “Celebration of the Rose” festivities which included musical entertainment, gardening experts and groups, Franklin County Dog Shelter, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District; Columbus Garden Railway Society, and a number of vendors.

Trolley to Oakland Nursery on Oakland Park

Some of Oakland Nursery's roses, including demon-stration of container shrub roses in containers, growing on trellises.

Example of a rose pruned as a standard at Oakland Nursery

The Capital City Chorus Barbershop Quartet provided some of the entertainment at Oakland Nursery.








The Whetstone Park of Roses includes three rose gardens (main, heirloom, and Earth-Kind Demonstration gardens), perennial and herb gardens. There are over 11,500 roses of over 400 varieties.

For an overview of the garden, visit Friends of the Columbus Park of Roses (http://www.parkofroses.org/). As their site says, the Whetstone Park of Roses is currently entered in a national competition to be voted as one of ten “America’s Best Rose Gardens”. "Sponsored by All-American Rose Selections (AARS), the contest encourages visitors to vote for their favorite rose garden. You can vote April 1-July 1, 2010 by going online at www.rose.org/votenow. Results of the judging will be announced in late summer."


Links:

Friends of the Columbus Park of Roses http://www.parkofroses.org/

City of Columbus Parks and Recreation, Park of Roses http://parks.columbus.gov/Facility.aspx?id=28325

Oakland Nursery http://www.oaklandnursery.com/

Earth-Kind Roses Texas Agrilife Extension http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/roses/

All-American Rose Selections (AARS) http://www.rose.org/


Rose Club