Kelleher Rose Garden

The ambitious restoration of the historic, Shurcliff-era rose garden in the Back Bay Fens continues as efforts now turn to restoring the fountain. Thousands of new roses have been planted, attractive and informative signs put in place, and all of it lovingly cared for by hundreds of volunteers in the regular Tuesdays with Roses volunteer evenings.

Tuesdays With Roses 2011 Photos | Wake Up the Rose Garden 2011 Photos
Tuesdays With Roses 2010 Photos

Dedicated staff and volunteers keep the garden abloom

By Matt Seidner

The Kelleher Rose Garden, nestled in the Back Bay Fens behind a tall yew hedge, derives its beauty and character from the dedicated work of a Parks Department gardener and small army of volunteers who devote their Tuesday evenings to its care.

Designed by Arthur Shurcliff and built in 1931, the garden was an immediate success. Over the years, however, neglect and budgetary cuts affected the garden. “It was still, in its own way, beautiful, but there was no educational value,” said Kit Ganshaw, a rose horticulturist for the Arnold Arboretum, member of the Conservancy’s Rose Garden Advisory Committee, and volunteer.

In 2001, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, in partnership with Boston Parks and Recreation, convened a group of rosarians (including Kit), landscape architects, gardeners and area residents to plan for the garden’s restoration, a 10-year project whose vivid results are on display now in the form of a wide variety of healthy roses, an irrigation system, recut beds and pathways, and educational signage.

A Chihuly Rose in the Rose Garden

The Boston Parks and Recreation gardener at the Kelleher Rose Garden, Winfield Clarke, learned his trade in his native Barbados, and has been responsible for tending the garden - edging plots, fertilizing and caring for the 1,500+ roses of 200 different varieties in the park - since 2002. Tough work, but the expressions on visitors’ faces give him daily gratification. “It’s fun working here. I enjoy [seeing] the reaction of people coming in.” Most, he says, are stunned by the sheer volume and variety of roses.

To help care for the garden, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy started the weekly program “Tuesdays with Roses,” nearly 10 years ago and it continues to be one of its most popular volunteer opportunities. Each week during the growing season 20 -25 gardeners, both novices and veterans alike, gather in the garden for two hours of deadheading and weeding. According to Conservancy project manager, Catherine Pedemonti, volunteers [happily] toiled among the roses for a combined 800 hours last year. First –timers (and veteran volunteers seeking a refresher) attend an orientation that includes a hands-on demonstration of “deadheading,” the process of removing spent blooms to allow the roses to divert energy into creating more flowers.

On the last Tuesday in June, like most other nights, the volunteers were a mix of veterans and neophytes. Gene Montoya, who has been volunteering since the beginning of the season, brought friend Sue Burke to the event for the first time a month ago. Volunteering allows Burke to simulate the experience of having her own garden. Both learned their rose-tending skills through the “Tuesdays with Roses” program.

Montoya, who fills his apartment with houseplants, notes that the Tuesday events, which run from 5:30- 7:30 pm, are “perfectly timed to do something after work.”

Amateur horticulturists can also use the sessions to scout out interesting varieties of roses to add to their home garden. Tom Witwicki, a three-time volunteer, has his eyes on the ‘Julia Child’ rose, a beautiful yellow Floribunda. There’s also a ‘Chihuly’ rose (see photo), named for famed glass artist Dale Chihuly, whose exhibit continues through August 7 at the Museum of Fine Arts. “Tuesdays with Roses” will continue through August. Click here to learn more about volunteering in the Kelleher Rose Garden.

Matt Seidner, newspaper reporter and freelance writer, is an Emerald Necklace Conservancy volunteer.

Preparing Your Roses for Winter

In colder climates such as ours, it's often necessary to give your roses some extra winter protection. Hybrid teas in particular appreciate this extra care.

Bring in compost or mulch, and form 12" cones around each plant. Pack the compost or mulch snugly around the base of each plant. This is called "hilling", and the purpose is to moderate the temperature of the ground and bring heat up from the soil to the crown and lower reaches of the rose bush. In the spring, once the ground has thawed, you can remove the compost or mulch (which can be used elsewhere in your garden) and remove any winter dead ahead of the growing season.