Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden

Visual centerpiece in front of the Arts and Industries Building

The Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden, made possible by a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Lee M. Folger and the Folger Fund, was designed and installed by the Smithsonian Gardens and dedicated in the fall of 1998. It is a visual centerpiece in front of the Arts and Industries Building to the east of the Smithsonian Castle.

Roses at the Smithsonian

This garden provides an engaging space for visitors on their journey around the Smithsonian museums. Visitors stop to smell the various fragrant roses, read the plant name tags to gather ideas for their own gardens, and enjoy the spectacular view.

Historical Adornment

Several of the antique cast iron pieces in the garden are part of the Smithsonian Gardens' garden artifact collection. The cast iron fountain in the center of the garden is an original 19th century, three-tiered fountain manufactured by the J. W. Fiske Iron Works Company in New York. The restoration of the fountain was made possible by the generous contributions of Narinder K. Keith and Rajinder K. Keith. The name of the fountain pays tribute to the Keith family by using the first letters of the family members' names, hence the GUR-KARMA-RANA Keith Fountain. The four Victorian benches surrounding the fountain provide visitors with a resting place where they can enjoy both the beauty of the garden and the mist from the fountain. The urns overflow with tropical plants and seasonal annuals.

Year-Round Interest

The year-round beauty of the Folger Rose Garden is enhanced by perennials, annuals, bulbs, and woody evergreens. Bulbs illuminate the rose garden in the early spring. Cool season annuals, such as pansies, and early blooming perennials, such as phlox and dianthus, highlight the roses during their first bloom. Later in the summer, thyme and other low growing perennials and annuals provide color as the roses rejuvenate and bloom a second time. Evergreen shrubs, deciduous hollies, and witch hazels spark winter interest while the roses lie dormant for the winter.