James P Kelleher Rose Garden

One of my absolute favorite places since moving to Boston over a year ago. Come here to view the roses, read a book, or just relax. So beautiful and calming. Most of the time a very quiet and peaceful place.

I try to come here every year at peak time in May-​June. It is a «hidden» gem within the Back Bay Fenway Park (not the ball park). So serene and peaceful to be here. There are lots of variety of roses to enjoy and the whole place very well kept. It has benches and it is a great place to bring a book to read while smelling the roses.

Beautiful rose garden situated next to the park in Back Bay Fens. I am happy to bestow my 100^th review to the James P Kelleher Rose Garden :)
Pamphlets are available at the entrance which was informative and surprisingly offered. Apparently the area used to be wetlands and it was only after the damming of the Charles River in 1910 that changed the entire landscape of the area.
There’s a circular courtyard once you enter with a fountain in the middle. Around the courtyard are multiple metal arches with gorgeous assortments of roses and flowers draping over them.
Last time I was here was 2 years ago and the flowers appeared to be in peak bloom in July. It’s June now and a lot seemed to be withering or dying off. Not sure when is the peak time, but my best bet is probably March-​May.
I’d say this is a perfect place for a proposal. It oozes romance. Wish I had a boy friend to come here with hehe! There was a couple doing engagement shots.
Each flora has a metal name tag and some of them have interesting names. Refer to my pics and you’ll know what I mean. I have a hunch some of the people responsible in naming them were foodies.
There are volunteering opportunities available if interested to tend to the garden @

This place is a gem.

Hidden gym in the Fenway area…
It’s secluded and if you don’t know where it is u won’t find it…
From outside looks like any other part of the park (and most ppl just go to/​walk-​about the Fenway Victory Gardens and/​or Back Bay Fens and think that’s it) and the actual inside view is blocked by pretty high hedges…
On the inside it’s a superb garden of flowers (90% roses), maintained exceptionally well & a small park with walkways all around the garden to catch the amazing blooms.
A very intimate, personal setting, great for dates, me time, painting/​sketching or photography…
A must visit during summer times (especially April)…

I like to call this the «Secret Garden». I just moved to the neighborhood a few months ago in the winter, and was blessed to have this rose garden in my front yard.
There is a beautiful statue of a woman in the back, it’s so sad and emotional, and I’m seriously the least artsy/​art-​appreciative person on the planet.
All the flowers/​roses are labeled, and most of them smell soooo good.
This would be a great «surprise» to take your female date, or maybe propose. OMG, I can’t believe I found this. They even have a groundskeeper during the day who is really friendly.
This is one of the many, many reasons I am in love with Boston.

The Rose Garden is something I never would have found on my own. I was accompanying my out-​of-​town parents on an Urban Adventours bike tour, and they stopped here. It’s so beautiful! Lots of weird and different flowers, and of course TONS of roses. We went in mid-​June, and everything was in full bloom. It’s over-​the-​top romantic, and absolutely beautiful.