The Royal National Rose Society Gardens (formerly The Gardens of The Rose) are the headquarters of The Royal National Rose Society

Royal National Rose Society

The Royal National Rose Society is dedicated to the cultivation and appreciation of roses. It was founded in 1876 and is based in St Albans in England...

 at Chiswell Green

Chiswell Green

Chiswell Green is an area, originally a village, in St Albans, Hertfordshire with a population of approximately 2,800, in the City and District of St Albans.It is situated 2 miles south of St Albans on the North Orbital Road, close to Junction 21A of the M25....

, near St Albans

St Albans

St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...

,
Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...

 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

The gardens contain 2,500 rose

Rose

A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...

 varieties and nearly 8,000 roses and the Society's stated aim is to create a "living dictionary" of roses in the Gardens. They are normally open to the public during Summer, but were closed for four years for remodelling by landscape gardener Michael Balston. They re-opened in June 2007.

The remodelled gardens feature:

• A rose collection, showing the history of the rose
• Roses in a garden setting showing different styles of planting
• Gardens to give inspiration for growing roses in small spaces
• The newly replanted Queen Mother garden
• New cultivar
  Cultivar
  A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
  
   trials to provide an educational experience as well as being a pleasure to the eye when in full flower
• A much longer season of interest making extensive use of other plants which associate well with roses.
• A cafe called 'Rosebuds' in a recently renovated building, next to the main office.

Future developments

The Royal Entomological Society is refurbishing the mansion adjacent to the Gardens and it will become the society's headquarters.

Butterfly World is adjacent to the gardens and intends to build Europe’s largest live butterfly park over several phases, finishing in 2011.

External links

• Map and Description of the Gardens by the Royal National Rose Society. Accessed June 2007
• Renaissance at Rose Gardens heralds world class attraction RNRS News website. Accessed June 2007