Columbus Park of Roses

My parents were in town this weekend and I was asked if I had any ideas of where we should go. Normally this would be a pretty easy question to answer as I would check to see if there were any festivals or special events going on anywhere, but due to Covid 19 most things have been cancelled this summer. I think museums are slowly opening, but even they are subject to new rules and procedures. Plus, it can be difficult to find something everyone enjoys. I was even hesitant about going to a park as it is still advised to avoid large crowds, and let’s face it, on a nice day that’s exactly where people flock.

My husband suggested the Park of Roses in Clintonville. I was definitely overthinking things, as I normally do. Next time I will just leave the event planning to him since this suggestion was definitely a home run.

We agreed to meet there mid afternoon and everyone minus my brother-in-law showed up. I was a bit surprised my two nephews joined us, though I’m not entirely sure they were there by choice (but they didn’t seem to mind one bit; maybe they were as glad for a change of scenery as everyone else these days).

Weather-wise it was okay. It was one of those days that was sunny and cloudy alternating back and forth, so you had a case of hot and cold all day, annoying, but probably preferable to melting from the oppressive heat and humidity we’ve had so much of already this spring and summer.

According to the city of Columbus’ website, “Located in Clintonville, the Park of Roses is one of the most unique and renown parks in the state of Ohio.  In existence since 1953, The Columbus Park of Roses is a 13-acre plot in Whetstone Park that showcases 11,000 total roses consisting of more than 350 different types.  In addition to visually stunning roses, the park features many gardens: the Main Rose Garden, the Heritage Garden with turn of the century roses, the Earth-Kind Rose Garden, the Herb Garden, and the Perennial Garden.  Throughout the past 56 years, the Columbus Rose Park has garnered many honors, including being one of 133 All American Rose Selection gardens, selected as one of USA Today's 10 Places to Admire the Bloom on the Rose in 2006, and being one of Columbus' top wedding venues.  The best time to view the roses is during their full bloom which begins in mid-June and lasts through mid-September.”

My parents and youngest nephew have never been there before, but the rest of us have visited from time to time. The last time we were there was probably 10 years ago, so I guess we were overdue for a visit.

I had checked the website to see when the roses would be at their peak, and the Park of Roses website says, “Cool temperatures such as those the Columbus area is experiencing this spring tend to slow the bloom maturity. For the year, the Columbus area is more than seven inches above the normal rainfall, but growing conditions have been slowed by cool spring temperatures.”

I think we timed it right because there were still a lot of buds that had yet to bloom, but most were in full bloom, and some were a bit past their best.  I think my family particularly enjoyed reading the plaques with the names of all the different varieties, as well as personal messages for whom family members dedicated that particular plant to. This one was a family favorite:

Even if you’re not particularly a fan of roses, it’s still a nice park with a nice variety of other plants mixed in, like this little Mountain Fire Pieris, the same kind we have growing in our front yard.

We also liked this bunch of flowers:

Of course we also took time to do a few family photos to remember the day by:

By the way, it was pretty crowded at the Park of Roses, and most (including us) opted not to wear masks, but it’s still easy enough to keep your distance from people. I imagine it’s probably a lot less busy during the week, so that might be the optimal time to visit if you’re concerned about human contact.

No afternoon out would be complete without a trip to nearby Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. I couldn’t convince my parents to try the Wildberry Lavender, but I think they appreciated the somewhat unusual flavors she does.

I tried the Cold Brew with Coconut Cream. My mom said it was “very coffee-flavored!” I liked the contrast with the Coconut Cream. It definitely hit the spot (though it was a little cold sitting outside on a bench in the shade while eating it), and was just the motivation I needed to complete my 10,000 steps once I got home.