Boston's Secret Garden: The Kelleher Rose Garden

When I used to live near Fenway, I was exploring the area by the Fens and came across a garden surrounded by a green hedge with a white arbor at the entrance. It was the end of November and it was unseasonably warm. I entered the garden and was surprised to find roses still blooming. I felt as if I had stumbled upon a secret garden.

What I had stumbled upon was the Kelleher Rose Garden. Started in 1930, this rose garden has a rich history. Thanks to restoration efforts in the past 10 years, the garden is home to hundreds of varieties of roses. The varieties of the roses are marked on small signs and some of the names are very creative! The garden is maintained by some staff and many volunteers. You can volunteer to help take care of the rose garden every Tuesday evening from May-September. The garden is not open year round (only from about May- September) which makes it even more magical that it was open on that day that I discovered it in November. The garden is located behind the Museum of Fine Arts and accesible by the Green "E" line.

The rose garden is a great place to relax, read, and reflect. There are several benches located in the garden. My favorite is the one at the head of the garden that is covered by a rose crested arbor. I love to come to the garden after dinner on summer evenings and listen to Beethoven symphonies on my ipod while sitting on this bench and gazing out upon the myriad of roses and the sunset sky. Definitly one of Boston's best kept secrets, this garden is an oasis.