Right now is the perfect time to visit the the Richmond Rose Garden in Glen Miller Park on US 40 in Richmond, Indiana. June and September are the two best “blooming” months for visiting, although the garden is open 365 days a year with no charge for admission.

Two other gardens are nearby: the Richmond-Friendship Garden and E.G. Hill Memorial Rose Garden, both also in Glen Miller Park.

Richmond defined itself as the “Rose City” in the early 1970’s. It was the home of Hills Rose Growers: the E.G. Hill Company and the Joseph H. Hill Company together with the Hill Floral Products Company were the premier rose growers and marketers of cut roses, accounting for the sale of millions of roses annually in the United States and around the world.

The Rose Garden Project Committee began planning the Rose Garden in 1985, and the first roses were planted in June 1987. Late in 1988, after only two seasons, the Richmond Rose Garden earned the highest distinction of being designated an All America Rose Display Garden by the All America Rose Selection Board (A.A.R.S.). The only other garden in Indiana to receive this recognition is in Fort Wayne.

To the west is the formal E.G. Hill Memorial Rose Garden which was started in 1937 to honor the Hill companies, and the historic Charles House, both of which are maintained by the Richmond Parks Dept.

The Richmond-Friendship Garden is the newest addition to the garden project emphasizing its relationship with the German City of Zweibruken. The garden lies between the A.A.R.S. and the E.G. Hill Memorial gardens. It is of German design and features many German roses, a gift from the Europas Rosegarten of Zweibrucken.

There’s more information on the gardens here. To learn about visiting Richmond, check out Visit Richmond!

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