Rose Garden

The Arboretum's roses have transitioned over time to be focused in the garden surrounding the Flight 5191 memorial sculpture and in the Fragrance Garden. We have approximately 100 different rose cultivars. We seek to grow roses that can withstand Kentucky's temperature extremes and the continuing presence and devastating effects of Rose Rosette Disease.

The Arboretum trials roses for American Garden Rose Selections and Star Roses to test some of their newest roses for performance and disease resistance.

The garden contains vine and rose-covered pergolas, a dry-laid stone wall, and a cobblestone walk that leads to 49 stainless steel birds in flight over a base of black granite. This sculpture, created by Douwe Blumberg, is the focal point of the memorial rose garden and commemorates those who lost their lives in the Flight 5191 accident at Bluegrass Airport on August 27, 2006.

When in the gardens, please consider future visitors and leave labels, leaves, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and seeds where there are so they can be enjoyed by others.  Please do not climb on the memorial structure.