Brunch and
Roses
at Elisabeth Park
We started our Saturday with a delicious brunch at the Pond House Cafe followed by a walk among roses at Elisabeth Park, West Hartford, Connecticut.
I have been waiting to come to the Pond house Cafe for over a year now, and we finally did it! I recommend making a reservation since most of the time they are booked out.
The restaurant is in the center of the gorgeous public park Elizabeth Park, offering not only the cafe but wedding and banquets as well.
It is such a great place to visit during every season, but when the rose garden is at its blooming peak, you can plan a perfect morning at the park.
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We had a romantic Brunch on the patio, overlooking the pond. Mimosas to cheer up this hot Saturday morning, followed by fresh and delicious dishes. I had the Vegan Pond House Scramble and Tom ordered Pond House Benedict.
Full belly and happy soul, we head to the Rose Garden, to marvel our senses with this beautiful scenario of 15,000 rose bushes and 800 varieties of roses. They are all around you, arches of roses, rows of roses, climbing roses, and the most beautiful little gazebo in the middle of it all, covered in green.
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America’s oldest public rose garden celebrates its 117th anniversary! Theodore Wirth began the design of the Rose Garden in September of 1903, and it opened in June of 1904. The Rose Garden began with about 190 varieties of roses. Today, the Conservancy manages the Rose Garden.
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We got to enjoy the Rose Weekend, an event with a few of activities to celebrate the anniversary, such as painters and poetry reading.
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The park is open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome by the conservancy.
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Elizabeth Park is home to the largest display of arched trellises in the U.S, distinguished for its abundant light pink blossoms, Dorothy Perkins. Dorothy Perkins was named for the granddaughter of Charles Perkins, founder of American plant wholesaler Jackson & Perkins. In response to Dorothy’s success, Jackson & Perkins began focusing exclusively on roses (Jackson & Perkins, 2018), becoming one of the largest rose retailers in the world.
Rose Garden peaks in late June but Elizabeth Park is in bloom all summer.