Washington -- Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden

The Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden is located immediately east of the Smithsonian Institution Building (commonly referred to as the Castle) and north of the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building, on Constitution Avenue. This area was previously home to a smaller fragrance garden dating from the 1970s. Landscape architects Paul Lindell and Karen Swanson of the Smithsonian's Horticulture Services Division (now Smithsonian Gardens) designed the Folger Rose Garden in 1997. Installation began that year, and the garden was dedicated on October 7, 1998. The garden was made possible by a donation from Mr. and Mrs. Lee Merritt Folger, in honor of Folger's mother, Kathrine Dulin Folger (1904-1997). Kathrine was an advocate of horticulture and the Smithsonian Institution. In 2016, the garden underwent a redesign which continued to follow the original vision - to create a four-season garden with year-round interest.

The Folger Rose Garden features modern rose varieties created after 1867, particularly those which are disease-resistant. Roses in this garden have won awards from the All-American Rose Selections and the Royal Horticultural Society. Different varieties bloom from spring through autumn, while conifers and evergreens stand out in the winter. Groundcovers and other perennials are present to attract pollinators and provide plant diversity.

The garden's three-tiered cast-iron fountain was manufactured in the 1880s by the J. W. Fiske Iron Works Company. In 1977, the Smithsonian purchased it from the estate of Nanette F. Dunlop. The fountain first stood in the Victorian Garden (now the Enid A. Haupt Garden) adjacent to the Castle. It was restored in 1998 through the donations of Narinder and Rajinder Keith, and moved to the Folger Rose Garden. The Keiths named the fountain the Gur-Karma-Rana Keith Fountain, using the first letters of several Keith family members' names.

Plantings in winter include holly (Ilex x 'Emily Bruner') and winterberry (Ilex verticillata). Roses include hybrid tea (Rosa 'Andeli' Double Delight), floribunda (Rosa Europeana'), shrub (Rosa 'Amiga Mia'), and polyantha (Rosa 'The Fairy').

Persons associated with the garden include: Lee M. Folger (donor, 1998). Paul Lindell (landscape architect, 1997-1998). Karen Swanson (landscape architect, 1997-1998). Narinder Keith (donor, 1998). Rajinder K. Keith (donor, 1998). Shelly Gaskins (lead horticulturist, 2003- ). J. W. Fiske Iron Works Company (fountain manufacturer, circa 1885).